MANILA, Philippines – Travis McCoy, leadsinger for punked-up hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes, honors the BALUTI (Protect the Child from Infection) project, started by Filipino activists, with MTV International’s 2009 Staying Alive Foundation Award. As an ambassador to MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation, McCoy is currently visiting the Philippines to stir up some noise for the foundation and promote the global charity’s mission to encourage and support young people who are involved in HIV and AIDS aware, education and prevention campaigns.
McCoy, who was appointed ambassador of the Staying Alive Foundation in January 2009, is currently visiting grassroots HIV and AIDS prevention projects supported by the foundation in South Africa, India and the Philippines where he will see first-hand the high-impact outreach work of the young people who run them.
The Gym Class Hero vocalist met Alex Sarza, who runs the BALUTI project in Manila to see for himself the work they have been doing to help combat HIV infection, by working directly with gang members, drug users, out-of-school youth and youth in prostitution. BALUTI is a group of 20 sexually active youth who have been trained by Save the Children and the Parañaque City Health Office as peer educators. BALUTI was born in 2004 when a small group of peer educators realized that there was something unique about their backgrounds compared to most of their peers — they were already sexually active.
They realized that young people need more straightforward talk and practical advice to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As part of their work, they go into high schools and neighborhoods and use the ‘Give-Me-5 approach’ — five steps designed to deliver messages on safer sex, condom use, prevention of early pregnancy, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, prevention of HIV and AIDS.
The Staying Alive Foundation Awards are presented to individuals or groups who are relentless in their mission to encourage, educate and empower their peers in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Each Staying Alive Grant recipient receives a cash grant from the Staying Alive Foundation to enable them to realize a project associated with raising the awareness about HIV/AIDS. The Staying Alive Foundation awarded the BALUTI project their first grant in June 2008 and has just awarded them a second grant.
Commented McCoy: “It’s an honor for me to be the Ambassador for the Staying Alive Foundation — it’s a cause that’s very close to me. Having lost loved ones and seeing the toll it takes on people affected, including the people that love and care for them, it’s important we do whatever can within our power to fight this deadly and rapidly spreading epidemic. I strongly feel the best cure we have at this point is increasing education and building awareness. It’s how we use this information in the choices we make that will determine whether or not our generation will help make a change or ultimately make things worse.”
Commented Georgia Arnold, senior vice president, Social Responsibility, MTV Networks International and executive director, Staying Alive Foundation: “We are delighted to have Travis McCoy as our Staying Alive ambassador. He is set to be a fantastic male role model, inspiring and spreading positive messages to young men the world over.”
The trip’s website www.theunbeaten-track.com, is the go-to place for individuals eager to track McCoy’s travels, share his experiences and gain his perspective as he moves from one country to another.