On December 1st, the US Government announced 19 New Partnerships against HIV/AIDS, including a massive scaleup of the Football For an HIV Free Generation Initiative in South Africa. Support from the New Partners Initiative (NPI) will enable GRS and its South African partners to expand programming to 250 schools across South Africa, educate over 230,000 youth, and reach over 3 million people with soccer-themed multimedia promoting HIV prevention.
“With the 2010 World Cup approaching, this NPI grant will enable GRS to achieve massive expansion through the Football For an HIV Free Generation Initiative,” said GRS Founder and CEO Dr. Tommy Clark. “I think one of the defining things that has allowed GRS to achieve so much in so little time is that we are bold but humble: bold to attempt to change societal norms and behavior on a vast scale and humble in that we are always trying to learn, never satisfied that our job is done.”
Announced by President George W. Bush on World AIDS Day 2005, the New Partners Initiative (NPI) is part of a broader effort within the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to work with new partners, including community- and faith-based organizations, enhancing their technical and organizational capacity and ensuring the quality and sustainability of HIV/AIDS programs by supporting community ownership.
