Apapamo had her heart set on working in a bank until she discovered her true vocation of counseling young people about HIV. That service is not widely available in her home state and she dreams of being the one to make it happen.

Apapamo is one among many youths now equipped with the tools to fight the spread of HIV. She’s been trained in HIV awareness thanks to a Global Fund-financed program that’s reached nearly 30,000 youngsters throughout the country.

All university graduates in Nigeria are mobilized for community service in states far from their home. The program – known as the National Youth Service Corps - helps cross-cultural understanding. The year-long placement tends to be in the police, army, security service or in education.

All participants attend an orientation camp of around a week. A day-long training – financed through the Global Fund – is given about reproductive health and HIV prevention. Those who wish can volunteer to undergo extra training in order to share that awareness by becoming peer educators.

In Nigeria it is still taboo for parents to discuss sex with their children. That’s why it’s important for youth to be able to counsel each other on the facts of life.

Apapamo found a sense of purpose at the National Youth Service Corps camp.

“Before the training I thought I was going to camp to enjoy myself. I didn’t want to be involved in any activity, just to be away from home, a time to learn about other peoples’ cultures, just enjoy myself. Then I got to camp and I saw this and I said ‘yes I want to do this’ and I volunteered to be part of that project.”

Apapamo trained as a Peer Educator Trainer. She now gives advice to young girls at the school she’s stationed in and, in addition, she trains them to take the message further into the community as peer educators.

Listen to Apapamo describe what she says when she counsels girls and her dream of bringing peer education to those who don’t have it back home.