In this October 2024 edition of the AJANews Newsletter, we recognize Pink Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer, including its early signs, symptoms, and the importance of education to dispel myths, address fears, and counter misinformation. According to the WHO, breast cancer claims the lives of more than 500,000 women worldwide every year. In resource-poor settings, majority of women with breast cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in low survival rates.

This month, we are also celebrating the 2024 International Day of the Girl, observed on October 11 under the theme “Girls’ Vision for the Future.” UNICEF estimates that 34 million girls in sub-Saharan Africa are out of secondary school. The 2023 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report highlights that in all African regions, more girls than boys are out of secondary school, with gender disparities worsening as children move up educational levels, favoring boys over girls. This year’s theme therefore emphasizes the urgent need for action and embodies hope, driven by the power of girls’ voices and visions for their future.

More than forty years into the HIV response, adolescent girls continue to account for 3 in 4 new HIV infections among adolescents. Africa remains the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic, with adolescent girls and young women disproportionately affected. In response to this alarming statistic, the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) stands in solidarity with girls living on the margins and in conflict zones. AJAN is committed to supporting girls in the 18 countries where it operates, promoting their rights and dignity, particularly their right to education, and equipping them with the skills and tools to realize their fullest potential.

Images above from our AJAN Archives: Second image on the left captures young girls studying at Saint Joseph Development Programmes (SJDP) in Kangemi, Nairobi, Kenya; third image features secondary school girls during an event hosted ABE, Burkina Faso.

It is essential to recognize that adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years but also as they mature into women. With adequate support during their adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world as empowered individuals today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders. A future free from HIV and cancer for girls is possible, but only if the global community works together.

This October edition, AJAN introduced its AHAPPY Training of Trainers (ToT) program to the Prison Catechists in the Coastal region, aiming to instill hope among vulnerable young people behind bars. In this issue, you’ll also read about the progress of the Youth Empowerment Program, led by the Jesuit Urumuri Centre, which is open to Rwandan and Burundian youth. AJAN would like to take this opportunity to wish all candidates undertaking their national examinations in Kenya—at St. Joseph Development Program in Kangemi and St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School in Kibera—the very best of luck.

By, Dennis Owuoche,

AJAN Communications Officer.