Mission Statement

Acting in the Spirit of Christ, Catholic AIDS Action challenges the AIDS pandemic in Namibia with the Courage to Fight and the Strength to Care for the benefit of all. In pursing justice and empowerment, and through holistic spirituality, CAA builds on Roman Catholic institutions and affiliated groups, other denominations, organizations and local communities to inspire and support programs of HIV/AIDS prevention and care and support to adults and children affected by and infected with HIV and AIDS.

Prevention

All people, but especially young people, need to be educated and empowered to prevent the spread of HIV.

Two training programs, Adventure Unlimited for younger children and Stepping Stones for older youth and adults, utilize strong participatory learning strategies to empower participants with life skills and new behaviours to prevent HIV infection. Over 450 trained, supervised volunteer peer educators are implementing these curricula throughout Namibia, reaching over 10,000 young people each year.

These curricula not only provide information on HIV infection, but equally important, discuss the additional cofactors for positive community health: effective communication skills, gender issues, the role of alcohol and Aids, relationship and intimacy skills, and identifying cultural norms and practices. These programs address the motivation and values needed to change complex behavioural patterns.