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Imagine... that you've heard there is a deadly disease called AIDS, but you don't know what it means. Imagine that the word "AIDS" itself is so frightening that people around you won't even say it, but use riddles instead. To avoid speaking the feared word, they say "six plus two" (which equals "eight," which sounds like the acronym "AIDS"). Imagine... that you hear mixed messages about AIDS: that it is witchcraft or poison; that it has been manufactured by western countries to wipe out populations in developing countries; that it's not really AIDS at all, but typhoid or malaria; that you can rid your self of it by having sexual intercourse with children. Imagine... that you live in a continent where over 10,000 new people are infected with HIV daily. If you are a man, imagine... that your culture expects you to have multiple partners as "proof" of your status as virile man; in fact, one of the signs that you are living the good life is that you have several young college or university girlfriends. Imagine that you prefer not to use condoms with girlfriends or your wife - and even if you are willing to use a condom, you wouldn't be able to afford one. If you are a woman, imagine... that cultural tradition forces you to accept sexual partners with multiple sexual partners; imagine that you dare not ask your partner to wear a condom, for fear of being accused of infidelity or infection - or worse, for fear of being beaten. Imagine... that for a good part of your life, you will exchange sex for money to buy clothes, feed your baby, pay for college or university expenses. Imagine that you're an African child... and the likelihood that your parents will die of AIDS increases every day. Now imagine that you have the opportunity to partner with others around the world to bring Africans hope and health... PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT was founded by Harriet "Anike" Nokuri after seeing AIDS devastate her extended family and her former schoolmates and teachers in her home country of Cameroon. After two decades of education and professional work in Canada and the United States, Ms. Nokuri decided she wanted to use the advantages she had gained to help with Africa's biggest health and development challenge. Today, in collaboration with African expatriates in the United States, American friends, and Cameroonians, Partners in Development is working to educate, empower, and serve those most at risk of HIV infection by:
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