The TRIAD Trust

1166 Washington St. #606
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 716-4357
Year Founded: 2007

Support This Charity

Visit website to make a donation directly

There are 5.7 million people living with HIV in southern Africa. In the Nkomazi region of South Africa, 50% of the population over age 15 is HIV+. The true number of those under 15 living with HIV/AIDS is unknown because less than 1% of children are ever tested—despite routine abuse by older members of the community. The numbers are overwhelming because they’re not just numbers. They’re people. While a tragedy of this magnitude can make people feel powerless, each one of us has the power to stop this epidemic.

It is this belief in the power of one that is behind The TRIAD Trust. By working with community stakeholders to identify and train local leaders to create and run sustainable arts, sports and media-based HIV education programs, TRIAD is empowering thousands of orphans and vulnerable children with the resources to make decisions that can stop the spread of HIV.

So once we train the local leaders, how do we help them to reach thousands of kids in a meaningful and sustainable way? Through TRIAD’s innovative ImprovED program. The TRIAD-trained ImprovED troupe is a group of local performance-based educators who work with children in schools and in TRIAD-supported youth sports leagues. ImprovED utilizes a unique improvisational technique that provides young people a stage to rehearse critical moments in their adolescent lives: deciding to become sexually active, having safe sex, getting tested for HIV, caring for a loved one who is dying, confronting friends who are using drugs and alcohol, and other relevant topics. This interactive approach creates a safe learning environment—in the classroom or on the field—in which thousands of participants take to the stage to find creative solutions to the challenges in their everyday lives.

And it’s working. In ImprovED’s pilot term, 88% of eligible students sought to learn their HIV status after completing the 8-week school based workshop. The 3000+ members of the local youth sports league engage in year-round weekly medical education based on ImprovED techniques. Every member of the league over the age of 15 will be tested three times a year through TRIAD’s free, anonymous, confidential testing program.

Equipped with facts about HIV/AIDS, skills to handle themselves at critical moments in their young lives, and knowledge about their status, thousands of participants in TRIAD’s ImprovED programs will exercise their power to stop the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Every single one of us has the power to stop this epidemic. How will you decide to help?