PSI: News

Africa: Ashley Judd Tours PSI Programs

Spreading goodwill, raising awareness and funds and connecting with her faith, YouthAIDS Ambassador and PSI Board Member Ashley Judd spent three grueling weeks visiting PSI Africa programs in January.

Following an emotional and inspiring trip to PSI programs in Cambodia and Thailand last summer, Ms. Judd embarked on a tour of Kenya, Madagascar and South Africa to experience PSI's Africa programs first hand. The trip raised $120,000 for PSI HIV/AIDS prevention programs targeting young people.

Kenya
In the Nairobi slums, Ms. Judd witnessed young PSI peer educators demonstrating their outreach techniques with a street theater production. She commended the rising actors, and gave a few acting tips on how they might better engage their audiences.

Ms. Judd visited a voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) center where she met with counselors before addressing an HIV/AIDS prevention seminar of the All Africa Conference of Churches supported by PSI and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. She called upon churches to challenge cultural and religious practices that render young women vulnerable to HIV infection.

Outside Nairobi, Ms. Judd attended a community ITN demonstration with hundreds of women and young children. She later wrote this in her journal:

A large crowd of nearly 200 was gathered for our health lesson event. Women sat on the grass, either pregnant or holding babies, and everyone was very curious and attentive in spite of the equatorial sun at midday…None, when they arrived, used nets, and now all would go home with both a net and information about malaria, how it is transmitted, how not to become sick.

Madagascar
In Madagascar, VH1 filmed a documentary on Ms. Judd's work with YouthAIDS and the collaboration between PSI and the Global Fund. PSI/Madagascar is a principal recipient of funds from the Global Fund.

Ms. Judd met with Prime Minister Jacques Sylla and U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray who both pledged their support for PSI programs. The meeting culminated with the dedication of a military VCT center.

PSI's work with commercial sex workers (CSWs) was highlighted throughout the VH1 documentary, which will premiere in September 2005. Training Coordinator Dr. Rene Randriamanga, PSI/Madagascar's CSW educator, introduced Ms. Judd to seven women who have lived and worked under deplorable conditions for years. By the end of the week, Ashley had convinced the seven women to join her at the VCT center to be tested for HIV. This is the account from her journal:

The HIV story amongst these women has elements of uncertainty. They have received reproductive health and HIV education via our peer education programs, but having sex with strangers on the sidewalk obviously reflects that circumstances are so desperate that they cannot say no to that 15 cents, condom or no condom. However, when I sat inside one of the tents, easily the darkest moment of my life, the ground was littered with torn foil packets and damp condoms, which in its own way is good news.

All seven women tested negative for HIV/AIDS.

South Africa
In Cape Town, Ms. Judd assisted in the launch of a New Start VCT clinic. Ashley spent time in the Soweto slums, and bonded with a young boy named Lucky. She spent the afternoon with him and prayed at a local church service.

A highlight of the trip for Ms. Judd was meeting her personal hero, former Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The two had a private meeting and discussed Ashley's role as YouthAIDS ambassador. She left inspired.

He spoke about gender inequality, prejudice, the purpose of sex between married couples as an instrument of love, expression, and becoming more God-like, and the foolishness of advocating abstinence without a balanced approach that acknowledges that we do not yet live in a spiritual world in which ideal behavior is sensible to expect in everyone all the time (he made history 10 years ago by saying the church must stop condemning condoms as immoral, and has done public service announcements for PSI). I was respectful and rapt, and learned anew that no one, not even a person of his stature, experience, faith, and perspective, has the HIV/AIDS bullet, and that we all, governments, NGOs, FBOs, and corporations must powerfully rally around education and prevention, as it is our only hope.

— Jenny Mayfield, YouthAIDS, PSI/Washington

For more information:

• Visit YouthAIDS

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In a circle of prayer, Ashley and seven Malagasy CSWs hold hands as they await their HIV test results.