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Man Utd joins HIV crusade
By Xu Wenwen |
July 28, 2009, Tuesday
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PREMIER League champion Manchester United presented 100,000 pounds (US$164,581) to an HIV prevention campaign in Hangzhou over the weekend.
Arriving in Hangzhou for the culmination of their pre-season Asia tour, Manchester United players Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick, along with Manchester United director Phil Townsend and Manchester United Foundation CEO John Shiels joined UNICEF at a press conference to highlight the vital role of education in preventing the spread of HIV among young people.
They played two games at the press conference. In the first, which was played by Berbatov, Carrick, Shiels and 12 middle school children from Shanghai, blue, yellow and red stickers were stuck on each player's forehead to distinguish them into healthy, low risk and high risk groups. Players can only see the color of others, not their own. According to the rules, blue or healthy people could shake hands with everybody and get handshakes from others, while yellow or low-risk people could only offer to shake hands with others, but would not get handshakes from others. The red or HIV people could not shake any hands.
Afterward, the players expressed their thoughts.
"I'm disappointed as everybody isolated me," says a boy surnamed Chen, who had a red sticker. "It was uncomfortable that no one wanted to shake hands with me."
Carrick, who was yellow, says: "I didn't like it that I couldn't shake with the red people."
Shiels says: "It's easier to join a big group that everybody doesn't shake with the red one, but the one who stands out to shake with him must have big courage and he will be a real leader in the future. The reds need support, not isolation."
This game was adopted from a guidebook on fighting AIDS for young people that was part of the "Skills for Life in a Box" program by UNICEF and the Chinese government.
"The program features multimedia textbooks and sports stuff that uses games to teach children about AIDS prevention and negotiating skill practices," says Zhang Lei, a UNICEF official.
'Skill for Life'
The "Skills for Life in a Box" is part of a 10-year initiative between UNICEF and the Chinese government. The project helps children develop skills to prevent transmission of HIV, reduce stigma and end discrimination against people affected by HIV and AIDS.
According to a report issued by UNICEF, young people between 15 and 24 now account for 45 percent of all new HIV infections globally. In Asia, 80 percent of all infections occur under 24. In China, the number of new HIV infections rises 30 percent each year. Every 10.5 minutes a person is newly infected with HIV.
"Young people are accounting for a growing number of new HIV infections, and in many cases simply because youngsters don't know how to protect themselves. Educating young people about HIV prevention is essential," says Dimitar Berbatov, Manchester United player and UNICEF's Bulgaria Ambassador. "This is why we are here today - to support UNICEF's work and to encourage young people to learn the facts about HIV."
After the game, Manchester United director of communications Philip Townsend, presented a 100,000-pound cheque on behalf of Manchester United for the "Skills for Life in a Box" initiative.
"As a club we make a point of using our pre-season tours as an opportunity to see and support the work of UNICEF," Townsend says. "At Manchester United we have always been committed to young people, which is why in 1999 we teamed up with UNICEF, the leading children's organization. We remain as committed now - in the 10th year of our 'United for UNICEF' partnership - as we where then, and we fully support UNICEF and the government's work to protect young people from one of the greatest challenges, AIDS. We call on others to do the same."
To support UNICEF UK's HIV prevention campaign "Live Free of HIV" visit www.unicef.org.uk/unite or call 0800-037-9797.
Arriving in Hangzhou for the culmination of their pre-season Asia tour, Manchester United players Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick, along with Manchester United director Phil Townsend and Manchester United Foundation CEO John Shiels joined UNICEF at a press conference to highlight the vital role of education in preventing the spread of HIV among young people.
They played two games at the press conference. In the first, which was played by Berbatov, Carrick, Shiels and 12 middle school children from Shanghai, blue, yellow and red stickers were stuck on each player's forehead to distinguish them into healthy, low risk and high risk groups. Players can only see the color of others, not their own. According to the rules, blue or healthy people could shake hands with everybody and get handshakes from others, while yellow or low-risk people could only offer to shake hands with others, but would not get handshakes from others. The red or HIV people could not shake any hands.
Afterward, the players expressed their thoughts.
"I'm disappointed as everybody isolated me," says a boy surnamed Chen, who had a red sticker. "It was uncomfortable that no one wanted to shake hands with me."
Carrick, who was yellow, says: "I didn't like it that I couldn't shake with the red people."
Shiels says: "It's easier to join a big group that everybody doesn't shake with the red one, but the one who stands out to shake with him must have big courage and he will be a real leader in the future. The reds need support, not isolation."
This game was adopted from a guidebook on fighting AIDS for young people that was part of the "Skills for Life in a Box" program by UNICEF and the Chinese government.
"The program features multimedia textbooks and sports stuff that uses games to teach children about AIDS prevention and negotiating skill practices," says Zhang Lei, a UNICEF official.
'Skill for Life'
The "Skills for Life in a Box" is part of a 10-year initiative between UNICEF and the Chinese government. The project helps children develop skills to prevent transmission of HIV, reduce stigma and end discrimination against people affected by HIV and AIDS.
According to a report issued by UNICEF, young people between 15 and 24 now account for 45 percent of all new HIV infections globally. In Asia, 80 percent of all infections occur under 24. In China, the number of new HIV infections rises 30 percent each year. Every 10.5 minutes a person is newly infected with HIV.
"Young people are accounting for a growing number of new HIV infections, and in many cases simply because youngsters don't know how to protect themselves. Educating young people about HIV prevention is essential," says Dimitar Berbatov, Manchester United player and UNICEF's Bulgaria Ambassador. "This is why we are here today - to support UNICEF's work and to encourage young people to learn the facts about HIV."
After the game, Manchester United director of communications Philip Townsend, presented a 100,000-pound cheque on behalf of Manchester United for the "Skills for Life in a Box" initiative.
"As a club we make a point of using our pre-season tours as an opportunity to see and support the work of UNICEF," Townsend says. "At Manchester United we have always been committed to young people, which is why in 1999 we teamed up with UNICEF, the leading children's organization. We remain as committed now - in the 10th year of our 'United for UNICEF' partnership - as we where then, and we fully support UNICEF and the government's work to protect young people from one of the greatest challenges, AIDS. We call on others to do the same."
To support UNICEF UK's HIV prevention campaign "Live Free of HIV" visit www.unicef.org.uk/unite or call 0800-037-9797.
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