Announcing the 2001 Africa Prize Laureates

Click here for photos and audio samples, here for background on the Africa Prize, and on the links below for detailed biographies.

                                                                            For Immediate Release
                                                                            Press Contact: Jenny Perlman, +1 (212)251-9110

The Hunger Project’s 14th Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger will honor the courageous individuals on the frontlines of the struggle to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The Africa Prize for Leadership, referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Africa", will be held on October 13, 2001, in New York. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will be the keynote speaker and the evening's program will include a multimedia exhibition, as well as entertainment and appearances by African leaders and committed individuals in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Given the importance of the leadership that is needed to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, this year’s total prize of $200,000 will honor individuals in four categories: a spokeswoman who is HIV positive; a leader from the religious community; an institution of public health and/or public policy; and an organization committed to transforming traditional definitions of masculinity driving the spread of HIV/AIDS. An international jury, chaired by former United Nations Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, selected the nominated African leaders.

These four courageous individuals will be in New York City for the event and are available for interview. This is a unique opportunity to speak directly with some of the most bold and committed leaders on the African continent dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.

After diagnosed with HIV in 1993, Ms. Jacob became a visible spokesperson in the HIV/AIDS movement, educating and advocating for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). She assisted in founding the Service Health and Development for People Living Positively with HIV/AIDS (SHDEPHA+), created to provide a safe and open space for PLWHA to discuss issues and concerns. Ms. Jacob has written a training manual focusing on the psychological, medical, and social needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, available in both English and Swahili. She continues to publish papers on her experiences and recently started a training program on positive life with HIV/AIDS. As a woman in a society where women are not seen as equals, Ms.

Jacob’s tremendous courage has empowered others living with HIV/AIDS to come forth and become spokespersons.

Under the bold leadership of Bishop Dennis de Jong, the Catholic Diocese created the Integrated AIDS Programme in 1993 to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and provide care to those already infected or orphaned from AIDS. The program is designed to expand the capacity for home-based care and link communities to external support providing funding and technical expertise. A highly respected and charismatic leader, Bishop de Jong has brought integrity and forthrightness to the programs, allowing participants to explore issues of sexual behavior and personal responsibility rather than only promoting abstinence as the way to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Hiwot AIDS Prevention Care and Support Organization (HAPCSO) is a local grassroots organization seeking to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia by creating awareness of HIV/AIDS in the community and by working to change behavior.  It integrates HIV education into the local culture using drama, songs, workshops and seminars for students, teachers, women's associations and other community-based organizations.  Founded and led by Sr. Tibebe Maco, HAPCSO also facilitates care and counseling programs for AIDS orphans and patients.

Committed to creating a gender-just society in Zimbabwe, Padare/Enkundleni/Men’s Forum on Gender actively collaborates with men, women’s groups, and human rights organizations to promote gender equity. As a men’s organization, Padare examines the underlying male stereotypes that have lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS and encourages men to take responsibility for their own behavior as well as prevention and care of the epidemic. Padare asserts that the best way to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS is to target behavioral and attitudinal change in men.

For photographs and complete biographies of the four Africa Prize 2001 Laureates, please visit The Hunger Project website at www.thp.org.

###

The Hunger Project is a global strategic organization that is committed to the end of hunger, working in more than 2000 villages across Asia, Africa and Latin America. It takes action by galvanizing the skills, resources, and creativity of people in developing countries, enabling them to be primary actors who work for their own self-reliance. In recent years, it has launched the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative and the South Asia Initiative, programs which work to empower women - in agriculture and in local democracy - as key change agents for the end of hunger.

Home