GIBBONS uses sports to educate youth about HIV/AIDS

Accra, June 7, GNA - GIBBONS Sports Foundation, a Sports non-governmental organisation has organised a four-day sporting activities including soccer at Winneba to lure the youth for an HIV/AIDS peer Educators workshop.

The workshop organised in conjunction with the Windy Youth club also in Winneba, attracted more than 40 enthusiastic youth from the area and its environs.

Mr George Larry Botchway, President of the NGO told the GNA Sports after the exercise on Sunday that it was to create awareness among the young people who will be used as conduits for the intensification of the HIV/AIDS campaign.

He said the foundation's investigation revealed that not much has changed in terms of behaviour, especially among the youth although close to 95 per cent were aware of the dangers of the deadly disease.

"Subsequently, we decided to use these games (playing cards, soccer and table tennis) to bring them together for this all-important workshop; which we believe will greatly help to reduce the reckless lifestyle of the youth", Mr Botchway said.

The participants were taken through information-handling and education skills plus some communication materials to be distributed among their peers.

The president noted that due to the economic hardship in the country, the few privileged men are luring young girls into having unprotected sex with them putting them at risk of contracting the disease.

He called for more proactive methods and intensification of high moral standards to curb the spread of the disease among the youth. GIBBONS foundation has been assisting the youth in Winneba and some selected communities in the country with the provision of used sports equipments to help them develop their talents.