YouthAIDS Ambassador Anna Kournikova Visits Russia

On October 5-9, tennis star and YouthAIDS Ambassador Anna Kournikova visited Yekaterinburg, Gatchina, St. Petersburg and Moscow to highlight the importance of healthy lifestyles and HIV prevention among Russian youth.  The trip was organized by Population Services International (PSI).  PSI and their local branch, the Center for Social Development and Information, implement the USAID-funded Prevent AIDS project in Russia and Kournikova visited several USAID-supported youth centers during her trip.  In Yekaterinburg, U.S. Consul General Tim Sandusky joined Kournikova on visits to several vocation schools that have adopted a comprehensive HIV and drug abuse prevention program created by PSI with USAID support.  The replication of this model was supported by the regional ministries of education and health, as well as several private companies.  Kournikova, CG Sandusky and representatives of PSI met with students, teachers and social workers and also planted trees on the grounds of the most recent school to launch the program in celebration of international cooperation for the healthy future of youth. In Gatchina (Leningrad Oblast), Kournikova participated in a roundtable at the City Administration, where she spoke about the importance of healthy lifestyles and HIV prevention and highlighted the work of PSI and USAID.  Other participants in the roundtable were from the municipal administration, local NGOs, and youth groups.  Kournikova also visited the Gatchina Youth Training Center, where the USAID/PSI prevention model was first piloted, and met with local teenagers who shared their personal stories.  In St. Petersburg, Kournikova was joined by both U.S. Consul General Sheila Gwaltney and Vice Governor Ludmila Kostkina to cut the ribbon at the opening of a USAID-supported Youth Social Center in the Admiralteisky District.  Following the opening ceremony, Kournikova chatted with youth at the center while Gwaltney and Kostkina spoke with the media about the success of U.S.-Russian cooperation in St. Petersburg and the importance of continuing such joint efforts.  Kournikova also attended a parkour demonstration where youth from a local sports club performed an exhibition of this physically-demanding sport.  Finally, Kournikova travelled to Moscow where she joined USAID/Russia Acting Mission Director Jonathan Kamin, First Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma's Security Committee Mikhail Grishankov, and representatives of PSI at an ITAR TASS press conference on health programs for youth.  All the speakers emphasized the success of international cooperation in this area and the need to strengthen public-private partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles.  In her statement, Kournikova said that "I think these programs are really working, making progress.  I could tell by the hope I saw in the kids' eyes.  We can help young people to make the right choice, the healthy life choice.  There are so many healthy alternatives: you can start doing sports, painting or become socially and politically active."  Kournikova then visited the U.S. Embassy where she sat down with Ambassador John Beyrle for a videotaped conversation about HIV and youth.  The footage will be posted to the Ambassador's video blog on Livejournal.com and other social networking sites.

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