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On the Web: http://www.globalgirlmedia.org/projects/kick-it-up

 10 HIV positive girls were trained as citizen journalists and the stories they have produced "are powerful reflections of the challenges these young girls face every day" 

These are real-life experiences shared by a group of teenagers as part of a campaign that states: 'A Global Girl reporter believes in the power of her voice to change the world'.

GLOBALGIRL MEDIA is an American-funded programme that aims to develop the voice and self-expression of teenage girls in historically disadvantaged communities by training them to become citizen journalists, harnessing the power of new digital media to inspire self-esteem, community activism and social change. 

The GGM programme supplies the equipment, education and support necessary to help girls create content that authentically reflects their lives and communities.

It was launched in June-July 2010, training 22 high-school girls, age ranging from 15 to 22 years old, in Soweto and 10 girls in inner-city Los Angeles, California to become new media citizen broadcast journalists for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with the support  of the U.S. Consultate Johannesburg, NIKE Foundation and ESPN.

In 2011 GGM trained 10 HIV positive girls with support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). They partnered with South African NGOs and organisations involved in after-school enrichment programmes for girls and HIV/Aids including the Olive Leaf Foundation, P.U.S.H, Ekasi Womens Arts Ensemble, the Rotarians of Johannesburg, the Star programme at the US Consulate in Soweto, the Teboho Trust and the Ubuntu Education Fund in Port Elizabeth, to source the girls who participated in the programme.

The girls received training and hands-on experience in journalistic ethics, story development, mobile journalism and composition, as well as technical training with HD digital video camera, sound, editing, and on-air media training and leadership skills at the Global Girl Academy, housed at the Ipelegeng Community Centre, White City-Jabavu Soweto.

The stories young GGM reporters produced "are powerful reflections of the challenges these young girls face every day", Tumi Mosadi, SA Programme Director, said in a statement explaining the initiative.

Amongst these stories are:

• Mandisa Madikane, who was raped at age six by a neighbour.
• Busi, a lesbian victim of corrective rape, died as a result of HIV/Aids and other complications following the assault. 
• Teen Debate: Evelyn Mokele engaged her high school classmates in a debate about sexuality, “condomizing”, and HIV, before revealing to them for the first time that she herself was HIV+

NEXT UP: THE UK AND USA

The reporters produced a compilation documentary featuring their stories, called 'Our World My Voice: A GlobalGirl Media South Africa Report', which was screened at the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg and at 10 neighbouring high schools during the week of World Aids Day 2011.

The documentary has been selected to be screened at the Youth Cultural Olympiad, part of the global Olympic initiative in the U.K in September 2012. Young film-makers, artists, actors and musicians representing 160 countries will be in Nottingham, England for 10 days of presentations, performances and exhibitions.

Eight GlobalGirl reporters have also been granted full press accreditation to report from the World Aids Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington DC July 23-27, 2012.

Comments

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Mon May 20 09:39:25 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 20, 2012

lidodaduvha11

again these westerners thinks they know everything, from doing documentary about joseph kony now they come with this documentary about our sisters, why are they not starting in US or UK.
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Apr 20, 2012

tlebebe

@lidodaduvha11 spot on.
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its as if there are no people in these countries with hiv/aids.
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Apr 20, 2012

MommaC

Oh how heartbreaking those videos are and how brave our young women are !!

I think it is a brilliant initiative which has so much potential to help heal these young women as well as making others in similar circumstances feel less alone. I hope that they bring out one for young men too as so many of them are also desperately scared and need to freee themselves


tlebebe
lidodaduvha11

READ the article. Unless your geographic knowledge is worse than an American's, you will know that California isn't in Soweto
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Apr 20, 2012

tlebebe

@mommac
yea i know this one' california is in your kitchen,
and the documentry ia about a group of teens from soweto
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Apr 22, 2012

mia88

ppl let's stop de rapings plz
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Apr 23, 2012

Headlesschick

lol this boys were not afraid of HIV/AIDS untill my sister reavelled her status to them now they are scared to death#bloodyagents#
HIV/AIDS is a reality and pipo are dying if they are in denial.
There are two choices in life : To accept the condition as they exist or accept the responsibility for changing them
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Apr 23, 2012

MommaC

tlebebe

Go get some Zambuk and limber up your lips so you can have another go at reading. I know it makes your lips tired but get out of the kitchen and give it a go.
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Apr 23, 2012

Maratehelele

applaud & respect to HIV+ girl....instead of watching repeats each day on TV incl nigerian movies, i wish SABC can air this kind of debates....REALITY SHOWS PLEASE!!
Stay focused my girl....
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Apr 23, 2012

tlebebe

mommac
stop hyperventilating. have some few sips of cold non alcoholic beverage,and take a stroll to destress.
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Apr 24, 2012

Lee-Ann

They will gather enough information about our teens then later say Africa is the highest in the world with HIV teenagers. We want to see their countries and their teens, we know enough already about south african teenagers.
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