We are proud to let you know how our five 2024 IAS Youth Hub Grantees are making a difference through their dedication to advancing the HIV response. We are also delighted to announce the 2025 cohort.
The Youth Hub of IAS – the International AIDS Society – supports five Young Leaders with seed grants of USD 10,000 each to scale up HIV-related innovation projects that respond to a locally defined need. To find out more, visit the Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme.
Meet the 2024 cohort
Muhammad Amir Haziq Zakria with “Protest to Perform”
Amir, a final-year medical student at the University of Malaya, Malaysia, is a committee member of the E.R.A.S.E project, which educates young people on HIV and sexual health while raising funds for HIV treatment.
In 2024, he spearheaded “Perform to Protest”, a theatre-based advocacy project, funded by the IAS Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme. In collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Men’s Chorus (KLMC), he created the musical, “Life is…”, highlighting the lived experiences of young key populations and drawing an audience of over 700 people. This initiative was selected based on its creative approach to navigating restrictive protest regulations. The pre- and post-event surveys showed that the musical increased audience HIV knowledge by 33% and fostered supportive attitudes among 73% of young people toward key populations and individuals living with HIV. Members of the audience were also offered HIV screening, consultations and linkage to care.
By blending performing arts with public health messaging, the initiative aligned with the Youth Hub’s mission to support creative, youth-led solutions that make the HIV response more inclusive and engaging.
Babu Seenappa and the “Positive Running Program”
Babu Seenappa co-founded the “Positive Running Program” in 2021 through his non-profit organization, the RISHI Foundation, to promote fitness and self-reliance among children and adolescents living with HIV. By integrating structured physical activity into life early, the programme fosters lifelong health, resilience and empowerment.
With support from the Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme, Babu enrolled 116 children and young people (from seven to 18 years) living with HIV in southern India. The project led to a 10% improvement in the children and young people’s physical aptitudes and increased their knowledge of managing anxiety, depression and stress from 20% to 85%. A dedicated camp addressed gender-specific needs, equipping girls and young women with leadership and health insights. In December 2024, Babu and his team organized “Footprints Run”, a 5-10km run to raise awareness about orphans and disadvantaged children. Over 800 runners, including 336 children living with or affected by HIV, participated.
The IAS Youth Hub Seed Grant funded this initiative because of its focus on the well-being and quality of life of children and young people living with HIV, a critical but often overlooked aspect of the HIV response. By empowering children and young people through sports, the project breaks stigma, fosters community inclusion and instils confidence in young people living with HIV. Its community-driven model aligns with the Youth Hub’s mission to support youth-led, evidence-driven solutions in the HIV response.
Goodness Odey and “The Gambia SHE Project”
Goodness is a public health professional, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocate and researcher. In 2022, she received the Princess Diana Award, the highest recognition for young people engaged in social action, and the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP22) Trailblazer Award for her commitment, leadership and innovative contributions to advancing SRHR.
As part of Goodness’s “The Gambia Sexual and Health Education (SHE) Project”, she conducted workshops for 100 young mothers and 24 healthcare workers and organized community dialogues reaching over 600 participants across 15 communities. As a result, 90% of young mothers demonstrated correct knowledge about SRHR, including HIV prevention; 85% of community leaders gained correct knowledge and positive attitudes towards SRHR and HIV destigmatization; and 95% of healthcare workers demonstrated correct knowledge and skills in the provision of youth-friendly SRHR services. The Society for the Study of Women’s Health will incorporate “The Gambia SHE Project” into its ongoing “Shifting power in maternal health” project in the Nianija District, ensuring continuous engagement.
The IAS Youth Hub funded this project due to its approach to addressing gender and health inequities in an underserved target population: young mothers. By equipping young mothers with knowledge, strengthening healthcare capacity, and challenging harmful norms at the community level, this initiative aligns with the Youth Hub’s mission to support scalable, youth-led interventions that create lasting change.
Goodness’s work demonstrates the power of grassroots advocacy in shaping policies, transforming communities and ensuring that young people are at the forefront of the HIV response.
Iva Shkoda and the “Chatbot for young people living with HIV in Belarus”
In 2018, Iva founded Belarus’s first youth initiative uniting young people with HIV and activists, leading projects against discrimination. She has coordinated programmes, trained in three online courses on HIV and sexual and psychological health, and organized the first support group retreat with a psychologist for young people with HIV in Belarus. Due to state repression, Iva was forced to flee Belarus in 2022 and now lives in Germany.
Iva developed the youth-friendly chatbot, named “WIchat”, with the support of the Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme, and as of December 2024, it had 1,215 users. It primarily provides informational support on living with HIV, STIs and psychological health, along with free, confidential psychological and legal assistance. Through this legal assistance, a couple from Belarus was able to update their recorded HIV stage on the state’s database, which allowed them to adopt a child.
By addressing the context-specific constraints of young Belarussian people, Iva’s project reflects the Youth Hub’s mission to support young people in the creation and implementation of innovative and effective projects meeting the needs of young people where they are.
Princess Jauan Durbin and the “Atlanta Kiki Leaders Collective Fellowship”
Princess Jauan Durbin is an emerging global health leader dedicated to educating and empowering young people worldwide on the best sexual health practices. They have participated in several fellowships, including Thrive S.S. Project Innovate, the KIPP Accelerator Leadership Fellowship, and the National Minority AIDS Council Emerging Leader Fellowship.
Through their project, the “Atlanta Kiki Leaders Collective (AKLC) Fellowship”, which they implemented through the Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme, Princess trained four fellows as HIV Prevention Certified Providers and PrEP Navigators and organized community events engaging 320 participants in Atlanta, US. The project concluded with The Embassy Ball at Atlanta City Hall, which amplified community engagement and provided access to PrEP and DoxyPEP education. People from 50 cities across the US have expressed interest in replicating this initiative in their communities.
The Youth Hub Seed Grant selected this initiative because it was created and implemented by and targeted at key populations, whose initiatives are often underfunded. Rooted in the Kiki Ballroom scene, it highlights the rich history, community-building, creativity, joy and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. It perfectly embodies the Youth Hub’s motto: By young people, for young people.
Princess is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Health Equity at Meharry Medical College’s School of Global Health, where they are focused on person-centred care and the political determinants of health. They have also been a keynote speaker for Global Black Pride and the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting. They were invited to speak at the White House’s “Rising Leaders Summit: Shaping the Future of HIV Today”. Additionally, Princess is a ViiV Healthcare Youth Ambassador and serves as a Community Board member for the Atlanta chapter of U.S. Business Action to End HIV.
We are excited to see what’s in store for our 2025 cohort!
Meet the 2025 cohort
Asha Ulusow is an advocate, researcher and programme/service creator dedicated to addressing systemic gaps in healthcare and support services for Black and Indigenous young people in Canada. Her project is a two-day event designed to create a healing space for Black and Indigenous youth. It will provide access to culturally relevant care, mental health resources and legal and community support while addressing critical issues like health disparities, poverty and criminalization.
Charlotte Ndum Ayeah is an SRHR advocate focusing on HIV awareness and prevention. Her project, “Storytelling for HIV Awareness”, harnesses the power of personal narratives from young people living with HIV. She aims to inspire change, promote compassionate understanding, and drive policy reform for a more inclusive and resilient healthcare system in conflict-affected communities in Cameroon.
Marco Barracchia is a medical anthropologist and global health scholar with experience in 12 countries across five continents. He is currently coordinating an international project addressing migrants’ structural barriers to HIV-STI services in Italy and assessing the feasibility of technology-enabled interventions for HIV-STI prevention. His project, the first-ever Digital Youth Academy, empowers 15 young leaders to become Sexual Health Ambassadors and transform sexual health education through digital platforms with the support of Brescia Checkpoint.
Mohammed Subhi is a comic artist and passionate activist dedicated to SRHR, gender equality and community engagement in Iraq. His project, “Through Our Eyes”, leverages the power of illustration to share anonymized personal narratives of people affected by HIV. By transforming these stories into compelling visual art, he aims to challenge stigma, dispel misinformation and create safe spaces for open dialogue.
Ruth Oladele is a Project and Administrative Officer and the Director of the HIV Research and Advocacy Department at the Slum and Rural Health Initiative. Her project, “INCLUDE”, aims to provide at least 1,500 adolescents with disabilities with HIV self-testing and counselling services in Nigeria.