"Tracking the Monster": Ashley Judd & India.Arie

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--ryan



VH1 News Presents:
Tracking the Monster: Ashley Judd And India.Arie Confront AIDS in Africa


Tuesday Aug. 23
8/7c PM





This VH1 News documentary chronicles two emotional journeys to Africa by Golden Globe nominee Ashley Judd and Grammy winner India.Arie. They travel to the front lines of the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Through their eyes and in their own words, Ashley and India.Arie tell the stories of lives forever changed by the pandemic and witness how the disease is decimating communities in Kenya and Madagascar. Their week of volunteer work was in association with local projects funded by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

In the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, India.Arie assists KENWA (the Kenya Network of Women with AIDS), a grassroots, community-based organization founded in 1993 by five women living with HIV/AIDS. It's now supported mainly by the Global Fund. Accompanied by her mother Simpson, India.Arie joins community health workers in their daily rounds to care for AIDS orphans, and to offer comfort, physical care and counseling to individuals living with the disease. Admittedly na‹ve about AIDS prior to her departure, she feeds, hugs and listens to African people to try to ease their suffering.

Madagascar is a country with a low prevalence of AIDS but the ominous signs are there.

For Ashley, the YouthAIDS Global Ambassador, her five days on the island is a race against time. The country's attitude surrounding the disease is similar to that of the USA in the early 80's - denial, stigma and fear. Ashley joins local YouthAIDS staff as a peer educator, helping sex workers and adolescents understand the importance of being tested for HIV, and of modifying their behavior to best protect themselves. In Antananarivo, the country's capital, Ashley and her friend, Moyra Mulholland, experienced the tough street life of many young women who are most at risk of HIV infection.

Different countries. Different experiences. United by those victims who show remarkable courage and stamina in the face of the crisis. Through two journeys, VH1 News Presents: Tracking the Monster reveals the broad story of the global AIDS crisis -- and the fact that no matter where you go, the real enemy is ignorance. And the common cure is understanding.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created in 2002 to dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases. The Global Fund attracts, manages and disburses resources to developing nations in their fight against AIDS. The Fund works closely with the 129 countries providing assistance during development and implementation of prevention, treatment, and training programs. Out of every dollar donated, 98 cents goes directly to the cause.

YouthAIDS, an HIV/AIDS education and prevention initiative of the global health organization Population Service International, targets young people between the ages of 15-24 with positive, upbeat messages of abstinence, delayed sexual debut and protected safer-sex. YouthAIDS uses media, pop culture, music, theatre and sport to reach 600 million young people in 60 countries with life-saving messages, products and services. www.youthaids.org.