The Moremi Initiative, a women’s leadership programme in Africa, in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), is calling for the submission of art works that address the call to end the incidence of HIV and AIDS in Ghana.
The arts competition, dubbed ‘#Art2EndAIDS Competition’, is an initiative under the ‘Ghana Protect The Goal Campaign’ which is aimed at addressing – ‘On the Fast Track to End HIV/AIDS’, a global UNAIDS strategy.
Launched during the commemoration of the ‘Zero Discrimination Day’ in Accra, the contest is to heighten awareness and promote the advocacy and leadership of the youth on HIV/AIDS issues, challenges and reduce stigma and discrimination in an open dialogue.
Young people in Ghana between the ages of 12 to17 and 18 to 25 years can submit paintings, drawings or sculptures on an HIV/AIDS theme concerning young people, adolescent boys and girls and accompanied with a short one-paragraph description of the piece as entries for the competition.
Georgina Ofori, Communications Manager at Moremi, speaking at the launch of the art competition, stated that stigmatisation and discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS was detrimental, hence the need for the competition to create the needed awareness.
She said the pieces could be submitted directly at their office or sent through their registered mail- Moremi Initiative.
Ms Ofori added that winners would be selected for each age category and would receive special awards for their work, and 25 selected art pieces for each category would be exhibited in ongoing exhibitions across the country.
“There are many ways to submit your entry. Submit directly to our office in person; or through regular post or registered mail. (Address for hand delivery or registered mail: Moremi Initiative, 1 Cocoa Street, East Legon, Accra. For regular post: P. O. Box C5604, Cantonments-Accra),” she said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri