Star For Life - AIDS free that's me

About us

HIV and AIDS is a worldwide phenomenon and as such, calls for a global response.
A global picture of the epidemic shows that Southern Africa has the highest rate of infection. In particular, we saw how, when parents die, young children are left to grow up without essential parental guidance, support and nurturing. The Star For Life project was born out of our strong belief that the future of the Southern African region lies in its youth. Having already established strong ties with the rural communities in the Hluhluwe area of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, this area was a natural choice for launching our project, which was piloted in Mid-2005 at Siphosabadletshe High School.
The Star For Life concept stems from the belief that when we support young people to develop a healthy level of self-esteem and belief in their future, they will be inspired to perform well in several different areas of life. In particular, they will realise the importance of taking personal responsibility for their sexuality and become active participants in the fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
The programme runs for three years in each school, where it becomes an integral part of the curriculum.
Since the pilot in 2005, the positive response from learners and teachers motivated us to expand the programme. By early 2007, the project had been successfully launched at 41 high schools in the Umkhanyakude district, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa about 33 000 learners have been reached.
Based on this experience, the Star For Life project was introduced in Namibia, where the pilot was launched in September 2007 in Windhoek. The project will be expanded to reach schools in the central and northern regions of Namibia as well as in South Africa.
We are happy to welcome you to share in the vision of taking Star For Life; life-enriching experience further into the broader Southern African region.
Christin and Dan Olofsson
Founders of Star For Life Project