John Gray High students join fight against HIV and AIDS in Cayman Islands

Thirty-one John Gray High School Students  were certified as Peer Educators of the “Together We Can HIV/AIDS Peer Education Programme” on Thursday, August 31st, at the Cayman Islands Red Cross Headquarters.

The group, composed of rising Year 11 students from the school, underwent an intensive three day workshop at the Red Cross which was facilitated by Programmes Manager and Regional Trainer Carolina Ferreira, National Trainer Tanya Chin-Yee, and Jamaica Red Cross members and Regional Trainers Kim Carraha and Jeffrey James.

“I was very impressed with this group!” exclaims Ms. Ferreira.  “They have so much energy, creativity and talent, and once they were given the information they became so passionate about passing it forward.”

The Together We Can Programme, which was developed by the Jamaican Red Cross Society with assistance from the American Red Cross and the World Health Organization, was introduced in the Cayman Islands in 2003. 

Its main aim is to empower young people by giving the correct knowledge about HIV/AIDS, how it is transmitted and how they can protect themselves, and make them responsible for sharing this information with their peers.

“It is a programme that has been adopted by nearly all Red Cross Societies and Overseas Branches in the Caribbean, as well as some countries in Central America and Africa,” Ms. Ferreira adds.

“I think it is important for our young people here to know that because it makes them know that they are a part of something that is much bigger than they are, and yet their contribution and commitment is key for this programme to work.”

“Having the trainers from Jamaica here was not only a tremendous help to us, but it also did help us illustrate just how interconnected we, as Red Cross, are throughout the region,” stated Mrs. Jondo Obi, Branch Director.  “We were very fortunate to have the assistance from Cayman Airways, who very graciously donated their tickets,” she adds.

The Together We Can Programme is a part of the Life Skills Curriculum at John Gray High School, and students will begin to deliver the programme next week.