The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to rage throughout the globe with an estimated 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2005. More than 10 million of them are young people between the ages of 15 to 24, of which Sub-Saharan Africa has almost 2/3 of all young people living with HIV/AIDS – roughly 6.2 million. 

To curb the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS in youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, Salesian Missions has been implementing the Life Choices Program in three countries: Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.  Life Choices targets youth ages 10 to 19 with core messages of abstinence and be faithful (AB) to prevent HIV infection. The program also benefits the youth by employing a multipronged approach to HIV/AIDS prevention. This approach not only offers youth health education on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), but also offer life skills training, recreational activities, sports, youth camps, counseling, job placement, and parental/teacher/community support.

To date Life Choices has reached over 47,000 youth. At the end of the program, the program will reach over 150,000 youth in all three countries. Yet, because the program is being implemented in public and Salesian schools, Life Choices aims to have an impact on youth beyond 2010.