MAD - Making a difference

Our Youth Ambassador programme provides mentorship, experiential learning and economic opportunity to unemployed young adults. Youth Ambassadors are trained to deliver an evidence-based programme of creative interventions that unlock potential and encourage positive life choices for children and youth. Independent evaluation has shown the programme has significant positive impact on children’s emotional and social wellbeing[1] 

The Programme builds young leaders with direct connection to social challenges in their communities and inspires and equips young people to

• catalyse social change – gaining skills and social awareness that encourage active citizenship
• grow stronger – developing youth-led structures that provide ‘strength in numbers’, offer emotional support and build self-esteem
• make a difference – children teaching children, each activity achieving greater reach

Since the start of the programme in 2005 MADaboutART’s Youth Ambassadors have stood proudly on the world stage and got thousands of people around the world talking and thinking about HIV and AIDS

The Rainbow of Hope has travelled around the world. To London for World AIDS Day 2005, to the World AIDS Conference in Toronto (2006) and back home to Cape Town for World AIDS Day 2006. It now has a permanent home in our gallery at MADaboutART in Knysna, South Africa

In London, Youth Ambassadors were received by the South African High Commissioner

Boniswa Yantol, Youth Ambassador, delivered a keynote speech at the UNICEF/UNAIDS Forum on Children affected by HIV and AIDS in London (2006) alongside Dr Peter Piot, then Director of UNAID. Rieced Gainsford, Youth Ambassador, shared a platform with Hilary Benn, then Secretary of State for International Development

Youth Ambassadors presented peer-reviewed abstracts at international conferences in Toronto, Marseille, Cape Town, Mexico City, Vienna and Botswana

Youth Ambassadors won 3 international awards - two at the International AIDS Impact Conference in Cape Town and a third at the HIV Hero Awards in London. They also received a special award from International Red Cross for development of a logo for the Red Cross orphans and vulnerable children programme.