An Educational Resource for Young People

Grades 6-8

AIDS is no longer just a disease; it is the No. 1 health issue facing our world today. How do we make sense of the AIDS pandemic with young people who will increasingly face its impacts in their own lives and lifetimes?

The Circle of Friends DVD tells the stories of young people living in Nthondo, Malawi, Africa, whose lives and families have all been impacted in some way by HIV and AIDS, and of young people in Romania, who are all living with HIV. The stories of these families bring human faces to the issue and help young adolescents experience how others are responding, one community at a time.

The Circle of Friends Leader’s Guide is designed to help younger adolescents explore the challenges faced by those living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Activities provide facts and knowledge, draw out opinions and perspectives, provoke discussion, and take the participants deeper into the challenges of stigma and discrimination faced by young people living with HIV and AIDS.


The Circle of Friends curriculum helps young adolescents:

· learn about the demographic, economic, and social aspects of Malawi, Africa.

· learn about and discuss the impacts of HIV and AIDS on communities and families.

· learn about preventative and responsive community actions for dealing with HIV and AIDS.


This resource includes more than four hours of curriculum activities.