HIV is everyone’s business

She said one of the reasons the school was chosen for the visit was for its work in schools to prevent HIV/AIDS. The school started an HIV prevention programme — The Responsibility is Mine (TRIM), and introduced abstinence clubs. Sealey said the UN would like to partner with the school.

She said UNAIDS worked with many organisations because “HIV is everybody’s business.” Every person in the Caribbean had to take responsibility for their lifestyle to halt the spread of HIV. Sealey commended the International Cricket Council for partnering with the UN system to visit schools.

She thanked the cricketers for going out of their way to visit schools. Sealey said they were good role models for their “dedication and commitment to a passion. Sometimes they are up, sometimes they are down and they have to go out there and produce and be positive. That is what life is about.”

Karin Sham Poo, UNICEF special envoy, said cricket players, coaches, and managers were very important and effective agents in fighting stigma and discrimination.

The Bangladesh and Bermuda cricket team players received a standing ovation when they were escorted into the assembly hall by students of the school. Giving a few remarks, Bangladesh’s captain Habibul Bashar thanked UNICEF for the opportunity to be part of its programme.

He told students the world was a wonderful place and they should not do anything that would prevent them from enjoying life.

During the question session, one of the questions asked was how sports could be used to educate about HIV/AIDS, 21-year-old Bangladesh batsman Shahriar Ahmed said players could be exemplars since “when you do something good, people follow” and people also listened “when you say good things.”