Leonard Boniface
HIV / AIDS - Tanzania (Central and East Africa)
Leonard Boniface has used his skills as a journalist to make his voice heard in the fight against HIV / AIDS. There are over 1.5 million people living with HIV / AIDS in his homeland of Tanzania. With thousands of people dying every day, the Tanzanian Government has described the epidemic as a national disaster. Leonard has visited schools, communities and NGOs throughout Tanzania to provide education on HIV / AIDS.
Leonard has attended the World Youth Congress in Morocco and has addressed the Tanzanian Parliamentary AIDS Coalition on the subject of new approaches of HIV / AIDS prevention. Leonard hopes to screen a documentary he has made about how the media can join the fight against HIV / AIDS. He also hopes to develop new strategies to help fight the isolation experienced by youths living with HIV / AIDS.
”We have to try and help youths with HIV / AIDS realise that their contribution is important and at the same time, get rid of the stigma attached to AIDS”, states Leonard.
After the conference in Sydney, Leonard gave the IYP 2004 reports to over 300 organizations and over 1000 individuals. He has been interviewed by Tanzanian media and organized a press conference at the Tanzania Information Services offices.
Supported by UNICEF Tanzania he visited 11 Tanzanian regions giving feedback on the IYP 2004 through dialogues and meeting with young people and getting inputs for establishing a Tanzania Youth Parliament (TYP).
Leonard succeeded in using the media for his aims and reported a great awareness of IYP due to huge media coverage as well as announcement of the trips to the different parts of the country. He launched songs written by himself dealing with problems related to the HIV / AIDS pandemic to several national radio stations.
Leonard contributed to the organization of a Youth Forum on HIV/AIDS on Global Youth AIDS Day on February 26, 2005 at the Dar El Salaam School of Journalism. Many media stations covered the press releases distributed by the IYP Action Partners in Tanzania.
He has started with the production of another video documentary on HIV / AIDS and its impact on Tanzanian young people. It is supposed to increase awareness being broadcasted on TV and shown at public meetings around the country as well as to aninternational audience
In February 2005 the TYP was presented to UNICEF. A constitution has been developed. A one-day workshop of the stakeholders took place in Dar, supported by UNICEF Tanzania. Following suggestions the name was changed into “Tanzanian Youth Network” in order to avoid legitimacy issues after the workshop. The institution should give youth a voice for social change, promote the implementation of the action plans and provide a constitution.
Leonard is still searching for sponsors. He reported partnerships with Aiding Youth for Life, Teenage Life Programme, DTV/Channel Ten and otheryouth organizations interested in technical support. He has been travelling in Europe and attended the International Liberal Youth Seminar in Saabruecken (Germany). He visited several organizations and youth organizations working in various fields and started a partnership with the World Youth Citizenship.
Organization:
http://www.tanzania.takingitglobal.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=6322&start=0
Action Update, January 2006:
"I am so busy organizing the International Youth Leader Conference, to be held in Kilimanjaro, northern Tanzania from 8-12 February. A day before yesterday I’ve just recorded the monthly Radio Programme at Radio Tumasini ”Sisi Sote ni Wamisionari” and was on air in the same day during evening, and will be on air two times again within this month.
I will attend the Peace Forum to be held at UNICEF Tanzania on Friday 6 January, and I'll talk to various youth leaders from different organizations during the sessions. The Vice Archbishop of Dar Es Salaam Catholic Diocese-Dr. Kilaini will be the guest speaker.
Also I will be meeting with staff from UNICEF Tanzania soon after the Peace Forum over there to talk on our upcoming AIDS conference’s outcomes and an idea of Tanzanian Youth Network and my second tour to Tanzanian regions I am expecting to make within this year. We recevie feedback and inputs on establishing the Tanzanian Youth Parliament (idea of the Tanzanian Youth Network). We had that tour sponsored by UNICEF last year shortly after the IYP 2004,and it was based also on giving the feedback of the IYP meeting to many young people within Tanzania. I hope the upcoming conference will help the idea of establishing the Tanzanian Youth Network and it doesn’t matter how long it will take this thing to work out."
