Yesterday, they received school packages offered by Madam Chantal Biya, First Lady and Founding President of African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering.

The commitment of the First Lady, Founding President of African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, Madam Chantal Biya in raising collective awareness with regard to the socio-economic consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, again took centre stage in Buea yesterday, 10^th September 2014.

The venue was the Buea Council Hall for a triple ceremony; the closing of the 2014 “AIDS-Free Holidays” campaign throughout the national territory, the award of attestations and the handing over of school packages offered by the First Lady to peer educators.

After the Centre (2010), the Littoral (2011), the South (2012), the West (2013); the South West Region with some 104 peer educators for the 2014 batch, was the 5^th region to host the closing ceremony of the “AIDS-Free Holidays” campaign which was in its 12^th edition.

While hailing the outcome of the campaign this year as “very satisfactory”, the Executive Secretary of African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering Jean Stephane Biatcha extended the appreciation of Mrs. Chantal Biya to the peer educators and other partners who are actors in the fight against AIDS, for the encouraging results.

In an address, he stressed the goal and objectives of the campaign which is to raise awareness and reduce the risk of contamination by STIs and HIV/AIDS among young people; encourage youths to know their HIV status; enhance the skills of youths on leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS, etc.

Jean Stephane Biatcha recalled that though the campaign shows a reduction of new infections, we should not relent in the fight against AIDS for the region is one of the worst affected in the world. As such, he called for a pragmatic approach and for all hands to be put on deck with Madam Chantal Biya so that in unison, “we all build an AIDS-free generation.” Kudos were extended to stakeholders who, despite the rainy season, encouraged the peer educators and the progress of the sensitization campaign in general.

Representing the peer educators, Miss Makoge, in a motion of thanks, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her constant concern, affection and special attention paid to the youths. Reason why, cognizant of this irrefutable reality, she said, the theme of the AIDS-Free Holidays 2014 “Youths, the fight against AIDS continues” shall always remain intact with the peer educators.

The Governor of the South West Region Bernard Okalia Bilai and the Mayor of the Buea Council Ekema Patrick Esunge praised the First Lady for her efforts toward the sensitization and social mobilization of youths against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In the same vein, the Coordinator of the South West Regional Technical Group noted that more youths were targeted this year but regretted the poor attendance of girls for voluntary AIDS screening.