D. Geraldo Frazer
The Canadian Lyford Cay Foundation RBC scholar D. Geraldo Frazer is the Founder and Executive Director of a new, not-for-profit community outreach organization committed to raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexual health through a variety of innovative programmes and services.
‘The Safe Sex Initiative’ (TSSI) primarily focuses on preventing the spread of STDs among those who are most prone to infection — including young people — through education and advocating consistent condom use. As part of its overall mandate it also supports abstinence / being faithful to one partner, urges individuals to get tested if they are unsure of their status, discourages intravenous drug use and promotes compassion for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The group recently received a $7,000 grant from Lyford Cay Foundation, Inc. to assist in the purchase and mass distribution of condoms at several clubs and bars in New Providence with which TSSI has established ongoing partnerships.
“We thought it was important to support The Safe Sex Initiative because HIV/AIDS is such a critical issue in The Bahamas, and this is a group of young Bahamians who feel that they will be able to successfully get the message out by going into the places where young people gather, and if the message is coming from someone their own age, that they are more likely to listen,” said Suzy Robinson, Chair of the Foundation’s Gifts and Grants Committee.
TSSI has also received support from The AIDS Foundation and The HIV/AIDS Centre.
Geraldo, 20, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics and business at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, where he has launched an organization similar to TSSI on campus.
He first became passionate about HIV/AIDS as a child when his uncle fell ill and died from an opportunistic infection brought on by AIDS.
“I was quite young at the time, I didn’t even know what AIDS was, but I knew that it caused a lot of emotional and financial damage in the family,” he said. “Perhaps that is why I decided to take the prevention route — I have great compassion for people living with HIV/AIDS and I would rather help prevent the disease because I know the pain that it can cause.”
TSSI has more than 60 volunteers, primarily younger persons, and has distributed in excess of 10,000 free condoms to date.
Last March, the group held its first National Essay and Poetry competition for high school and college students, who were given the opportunity to choose from a range of topics related to HIV/AIDS and sexual health. TSSI is now preparing to branch into two new educational facilities, Bahamas Baptist Community College and The College of The Bahamas, as well as working towards expanding its outreach programmes to impoverished areas of New Providence and other islands.
“We take our resources to the people, we don’t ask them to come to us,” said Geraldo. “And that’s important; more people will be receptive to us if we go into their community where they are more comfortable. And try to talk to them, or try to get them tested. Because of national and international education efforts, awareness has increased and the stigma surrounding the disease is being lifted, but there’s still so much more that needs to be done.”
Photo by Tim Aylen.
