Zambia (MNN) — A White House official, Jay Hein, from the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives recently attended a youth rally in Lusaka, Zambia.
The rally called "Purity Beyond Abstinence" was sponsored by World Hope International, and it is about more than preventing the contraction and spread of the HIV/AIDS. It also focused on living a
life of purity because it pleases God's heart.
Many of those youth have likely seen the effects of HIV/AIDS all around them. Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned because his or her parent dies from the disease.
Hein was impressed by the hundreds of youth who sang and danced and laughed but also took a serious stand for living pure lives. He shared many positive things about the work that is being done to prevent HIV/AIDS. The teens learned that in the face of the sexual pressures that poverty creates, they must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them and help take control of their lives.
Finally, they were all introduced to Reach4Life,a year-long program for AIDS prevention in southern Africa.
The event was part of HopeFest, a series of events designed to educate youth about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent themselves from contracting HIV. The next HopeFest will be held in June 2008.
