On June 11, 2008, Yakeba was awarded the Red Ribbon Award by UNAIDS, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The award is given every two years to celebrate outstanding community leadership and action in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Following a call for nominations launched on World AIDS Day 2007 from Mexico City, Geneva, New York and Colombo, over 550 nominations were received from 147 countries across the globe. A Technical Review Committee of experts in the community response to HIV selected 25 community-based organizations demonstrating remarkable efforts in terms of innovation, impact, sustainability, strategic partnerships, gender sensitivity and social inclusion. The innovative and sustainable approaches taken by the 25 winning organizations to provide HIV prevention, care, treatment and support to people living with HIV give inspiring evidence that effective community leadership is an essential component in the response to the global epidemic.
“We have brilliant examples of community action and leadership across the globe. However, most of them are unheard and unsung. The Red Ribbon Award is a way to recognize and honor them,” said Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of UNDP’s HIV/AIDS Practice.
Yakeba was one of 7 winning organisations in Asia and the only one in Indonesia.
Yakeba’s founder Bob Monkhouse, along with Ayu Fatmawati, accepted the award from Her Majesty the Crown Princess of Norway.
Red Ribbon Award Winners, 2008
Africa
- Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights (Ghana).
- Coalition of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (Malawi).
- Consol Homes (Malawi).
- FIMIZORE (Fikambanana Miaro ny Zony Rehetra) (Madagascar).
- Mama’s Club (Uganda
- Ntankah Village Women Common Initiative Group (Cameroon).
- Power Positive Support Community Based Organization (Kenya).
- Sanerela + – South Africa).
- Voice of Roses (Kenya).
Asia-Pacific
- Empower Foundation (Thailand).
- National Federation of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (Nepal).
- People Like Us (PLUS) (India).
- Sanghamitra (India).
- Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust (India).
- Social Action for Women (Thailand).
- Yayasan Kesehatan Bali (Yakeba) (Indonesia).
Latin America and Caribbean
- ASONVIHSIDA (Nicaragua).
- Asociación Civil Amavida (Venezuela).
- Fortaleciendo la Diversidad (Mexico).
- Grupo De Amigos con VIH (Mexico).
- Promoteurs Objectif Zéro Sida (POZ) (Haiti).
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- The Estonian Network People Living with HIV (Estonia)
- Orlovskaya Regional Non-profit Organization against AIDS, Phoenix PLUS (Russia).
Middle East and North Africa
- Association de Lutte Contre le Sida (Morocco).
- Iran’s Mashhad Positive Club (Hamyaran Mosbat).