{{The Ambassador of the United States of America to Rwanda Donald W. Koran recognized Rwanda’s entrants and award winners of the 2013 U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Poster Contest.}}
The contestants designed posters based on the theme “Working together for an AIDS-Free Generation.”
The awards ceremony took place August 14, at the U.S. Embassy’s American Corner at Rwanda Library Services where Ambassador Koran presented each contestant and winner with a certificate and prize for their participation.
Children and youth throughout Rwanda and in over 20 countries worldwide participated in the contest and shared their visions of an AIDS-Free Generation in each of their communities.
The two winners from Rwanda are David Niwewe, who was awarded second place worldwide, and Anoushka Goyal, who won first place within the seven to nine year old age group.
Niwewe and Goyal were joined and honored at the ceremony by the other Rwandan contest entrants: Kshitij Goyal, Alice Twahirwa, Claudette Uwase, and Assoumpta Umurerwa Isimbi.
Ambassador Koran acknowledged the importance of each participant’s artwork and the role that youth play in the fight against HIV/AIDS: “Your posters illustrate hope for something better – for a world where no one must live with or die from HIV/AIDS, for an ‘AIDS-free generation.’”
The contest was organized by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) to commemorate PEPFAR’s 10th anniversary. PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation to fight against a single global disease.
Through PEPFAR, the U.S. government has provided $18.8 billion in HIV/AIDS funding globally and over $500 million in Rwanda since 2009 to finance HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care programs that are supporting the achievement of an AIDS-Free Generation in Rwanda.
The U.S. Embassy is proud of the successful partnership between the United States and Rwanda in the fight against the disease and this ceremony highlighted the participants as part of Rwanda’s activities in HIV prevention among youth through interactive engagement and raising awareness.
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