US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA1060

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001060 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/T/SV (HSEBSOW); IIP/G/WHA (JMANES; CBARONE); 
WHA/PDA (OHILTON) 
EMBASSIES FOR PAO/CAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, HO 
SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF SPEAKER ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION: 
NICOLE CHEETHAM, TRACKER #20444 
 
REF: (A) State 06234 (B) Tegucigalpa 02713 
 
SUMMARY: Nicole Cheetham, Director, International Division, 
Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based NGO, conducted an 
intensive and very successful U.S. Speaker program on the 
prevention of HIV/AIDS from February 22-27.  Her 
presentation on "Communities and Youngsters Taking Action to 
Prevent HIV," reached young audiences in Tegucigalpa, La 
Ceiba, Tela and the Afro-Honduran (Garifuna) communities of 
Sambo Creek, Corozal, Trujillo, Santa Fe, Truinfo de La 
Cruz, and Tornabe, on the northern coast of Honduras.  She 
reached many more through media events.  END SUMMARY. 
 
A.  Dates:  February 22-27, 2004. 
    Fiscal year: FY-04, Q2 
 
B.  Objective: Post fully met its objective to reach young 
audiences, especially the high-risk population in Garifuna 
communities, with a message on HIV/AIDS prevention.  The USG 
has identified Honduras as a priority country for HIV/AIDS 
funding. The program enabled the post to address how 
community-based programs work in the U.S. to promote change. 
MPP Strategic Goals: Human Rights, HIV/AIDS, Strengthening 
Democracy, Economic Development, and Mutual Understanding. 
 
C.  Activities to reach the objective: During her visit, 
Nicole Cheetham met in informal settings with young 
Hondurans working on prevention programs, discussing her 
theme of "Communities and Youngsters Taking Action to 
Prevent HIV."  In Tegucigalpa, she met with a group from the 
Honduran Scouts Association working on prevention programs, 
representatives from the Garifuna community, participated in 
a representational luncheon hosted by the PAO for NGO 
leaders who work on HIV/AIDS prevention. During the 
remainder of her program, which took place in local schools 
and community and cultural centers in the cities of La 
Ceiba, Tela, Trujillo and Garifuna communities along the 
north coast of Honduras, she engaged in open discussion with 
groups of students, teachers, parents, and community leaders 
and engaged in open discussion about the issues confronting 
youth and adults in preventing infection. The Press Section 
arranged a roundtable discussion with print media and local 
TV channels covered the program in La Ceiba and Tela, taking 
Ms. Cheetham's message to many thousands more. 
 
D.  Evaluation/Impact: Excellent. 
Nicole Cheetham, Speaker on HIV/AIDS prevention, takes 
message to most vulnerable audiences. 
 
Nicole Cheetham's program enabled Post to reach out to a 
diverse group of young people and adults with the message 
that HIV/AIDS is here to stay, but that the good news is 
that we know how to prevent getting it and Hondurans can 
avoid reaching the high infection rates that exist in other 
countries. Through this program, the post reached the young 
Afro-Honduran (Garifuna) population where the disease is the 
major cause of death.  Ms. Cheetham's program provided an 
opportunity to reiterate the message the entire community 
needs to get involved in preventing the disease and the 
danger of ignoring its existence. It is evident that people 
have the information on how to prevent the disease from 
speading, but they need to work on changing social patterns 
to avoid spreading it. 
 
Post highly recommends Ms. Cheetham for programs on HIV/AIDS 
prevention.  She has ample hands-on experience and adapts 
her presentations to her audience.  Her excellent Spanish, 
warmth, and pleasant personality facilitated an immediate 
rapport with her audience.  Ms. Cheetham conducted an 
intensive program with back-to-back presentations from one 
community to another, whether in a classroom, a gathering on 
a cool spot out in the open, or an air-conditioned municipal 
hall, always encouraging the participants to open up and 
conducting the participants to an honest information 
exchange. She is a true trooper. 
 
E.  Quality of U.S. Support and IIP Offices Involved: Very 
Good.  IIP/T/SV Helen Sebsow proposed an excellent candidate 
for this program. 
 
Pierce