Changing the way that young people view opportunity is a priority for HIV prevention. Young people have got the message about HIV, but this knowledge is not translating into action to bring about real declines in infection with HIV.

Without a sense of opportunity – no choice, no support, no chance of breaking out of their current circumstance – research shows that young people are far more likely to tolerate high levels of personal risk, specifically sexual risk that is putting them at risk of infection with HIV, other STIs and teen pregnancy.

Nakanjani, loveLife’s current national media campaign, was launched in 2011 to inspire and motivate young people to take charge of their health, lives and futures – by taking small steps every day to realise their goals and aspirations.

Youth slang for “keep on moving forward no matter what”, Nakanjani encapsulates the sense of resilience, personal enterprise and creativity that is needed in the face of very real life challenges – from poverty to unemployment –if young people are going to effectively stand up to the drivers of HIV.

Rather than settle for their situations or be immobilised by setbacks, the campaign is a call to action for young people to become part of a movement of youth who are actively taking control of their destinies by finding creative solutions to those challenges – and who actively seek out opportunity in the collective effort drive down HIV infection rates in South Africa.

Nakanjani serves as a trigger for this sense of perseverance and look-for-opportunity mindset, as well as to foster a groundswell of youth activists who inspire, affirm and motivate change in each other.

As with all of loveLife’s high-powered multi-media campaigns, Nakanjani is supported by loveLife services and unpacked through the organisation’s various media products and personal development, life skills and healthy sexuality programmes implemented daily by loveLife’s network of peer educators and youth volunteers across the country.

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