SPW is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that recruits and trains young adults (aged 18-28) as volunteer Peer Educators, to lead programs that address urgent health and environmental issues in Africa and Asia.

SPW currently has more than 800 volunteer Peer Educators in the field reaching 400,000 young people each year at an annual cost of just $9 per child.

Our Vision:

That young people's energy and talents are valued and harnessed so that they take a lead role in the development process.

Our Mission:

To mobilize young volunteers to empower rural youth to take control over their own lives and shape the future of their communities.

The Issues:

• Young people make up 30 per cent of the world’s population; 85% of whom live in developing countries. 59 million young people in the developing world are unemployed. Opportunities for a good education and career are extremely limited, exacerbating the health and environmental risks that young people face daily.
• 11.1 million young people in developing countries between the ages of 15-24 are currently living with HIV and AIDS. It is estimated that 60% of all new HIV infections occur in this age group.
• Preventable illnesses, like HIV, malaria and diarrheal diseases, cause millions of deaths each year, and millions of families lack information about how to protect themselves.
• Rural communities throughout the developing world suffer from environmental degradation and poor use of community resources. Deforestation, lack of access to safe water and inadequate sanitation cause ill health and exacerbate poverty for millions in the developing world.
• Successful HIV prevention, health promotion and sustainable resource usage can only be accomplished by addressing issues holistically with sustained long-term efforts.

Our Response:

Trained young people, living for long periods of time in rural communities, are best positioned to communicate life saving information, demonstrate Appropriate Rural Technologies and lead comprehensive behavior change programs that bring about improved livelihoods for young people and their families including:

• Lower HIV infection rates
• Better health outcomes
• Improved use of community resources
• Increased school attendance