Team
In line with the aim of supporting leadership in the response to HIV among young people most affected by HIV, HYLF is governed by young people through the Steering Committee and facilitated by young staff at the Secretariat.
Steering Committee
Maria Alekseeva, Russia, GNP+: Maria started volunteering in Russia in the HIV field as a peer trainer (primary and secondary prevention and working with the Social Exclusion of Young People Affected by HIV/AIDS (SEYPA project by Every Child). She worked as an Informational Manager of the community initiative “Simona+” to monitor access to and quality of treatment for people dependent on drugs and living with HIV and TB in Russia. From February to December 2010 she worked with International Treatment Preparedness Coalition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia -ITPC EECA as a Mass Media Officer.
Her current volunteer position is as an Advisory Group member of the Y+ Programme run by The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+). The Y+ Programme is driven by and for young people living with HIV( YPLHIV) and is committed to scaling up YPLHIV involvement in the HIV response. The Y+ Advisory Group are a group of YPLHIV representing diverse regions, sexualities, populations and modes of transmission. They believe that a safe and supportive environment for YPLHIV is needed for them to effect changes in their own lives.
Maria has a Masters Degree in Marketing and Advertising. She graduated from Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts. Maria has been living with HIV for nine years.
Emily Carson, U.S., GYCA: Emily is the current Youth Programmes Coordinator for the Washington, D.C. International AIDS Conference in 2012. She has been working with HIV for 8 years, starting by developing high-school education programs for her peers. That led to a position on the Board of Directors of The Alliance for Living in New London, Connecticut. Emily worked at the Alliance for living as an Intern as well as a Board Member representing the Youth Voice of HIV in the Community. She has worked internationally with local organizations dealing with the social impact of HIV/AIDS in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and India. Emily predominantly works with issues surrounding the LGBTQ communities and people struggling with addiction. She is a peer educator and works with youth to develop projects that are important to their communities and realities. Recently, Emily has begun taking part in conferences and speaking engagements on youth involvement and training youth to engage themselves in the HIV epidemic. Emily moved to Toronto in 2009 and is currently attending The University of Guelph-Humber for Media and Journalism. She is active in local AIDS organizations and LGBT and political organizations in both the United States and Canada.
Muge Cevik, Turkey, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights: Muge is an enthusiastic young physician with seven years experience in the field of reproductive and sexual health including HIV regarding social and political concerns as well as research matters. She has been giving training programs on SRHR to young people and as well as advocating for comprehensive sexual education in Turkey with several organizations. Additionally she has coordinated projects locally and nationally on stigma and discrimination towards PLHIV in medical settings and access to health-care services by vulnerable populations with PLHIV and LGBTQ Networks in Turkey. She has been Liaison Officer for Reproductive Health issues including HIV in IFMSA where she had chance to collaborate with quite a few international organizations such as UNAIDS, UNFPA, WHO, FIGO and others. She has participated in several meetings and consultations arranged by UNAIDS, WHO and UNFPA. She was a member of the IGLYO training team for a study session on LGBTQI access to health-care and a member of Vienna Youth Force and a supporter, advisor and board member for a number of other organizations. In addition to all social efforts that she was undertaking, she coordinated an advocacy project to change the medical curriculum in Turkey to improve the wellbeing of PLHIV through creating a non-discriminatory environment within medical settings based on a cross-sectional study that was done by her team.
Stephen C, Nigeria, MSMGF: Stephen started his activism work as a peer-educator and was trained by the Lagos State government in Nigeria through the National Youths AIDS program. He went on to volunteer for some organisations in Nigeria that worked with young people on development issues with a focus on HIV. Stephen started his international work with the Youth Coalition, where he worked internationally on the sexual and reproductive rights of young people; he also was for 2 years a member of the UNFPA Global Youth Advisory Panel, advising the UNFPA on programing for young people in developing countries. Stephen is the Executive Director of the Youths 2gether Network in Nigeria, the only LGBTQ youth organisation located in Eastern Nigeria. He also has a diploma from the RFSU/RFSL LGBTQ human rights training program which was funded by the Swedish International Development Agency.
Anita Krug, Vietnam, Youth RISE: Anita is the International Network Coordinator for Youth RISE. Prior to this appointment, she was an International Working Group member for the youth led network that aims to increase youth involvement in drug policy decisions at all levels, and advocates for effective harm reduction services for young people. She has been working with HIV and harm reduction issues for approximately 7 years, and has experience working on the ground with young injecting drug users in Australia and has conducted research on substance use and harm reduction issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Anita also works with the NGO AIDS Accountability International, where she coordinates a Youth Initiative which aims to strengthen the capacity of young people to hold their leaders accountable. She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and Masters degrees in Political Science and International Public Health.
Jaevion Nelson, SC Chair, Jamaica, JYAN: Jaevion is the Executive Director of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), a youth-led leadership and advocacy organization based in Kingston, Jamaica. As a 2009/2010 Chevening Scholar, Jaevion completed an MSc in Social Development and Communication at the University of Wales, Swansea in the United Kingdom. He holds a BSc in Management Studies with special emphasis on Marketing from the University of the West Indies. Jaevion is also the Programme & Advocacy Coordinator at the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC). He is experienced on issues relating governance, sexual reproductive health and rights, advocacy, violence prevention campaigning, human rights and youth rights and participation. Previous positions include: journalist at the Gleaner Co. Ltd.; Teacher at the Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha” and Programmes Officer & Campaign Coordinator at the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), where he managed two national peace campaigns.
Jaevion has being a young activist for over seven years and has represented his organisations and Jamaica in a number of important fora. Some of the organisations he has been involved with include the York Town Community Development Committee, Terrence Higgins Trust (UK), Ministry of Education Public Education Work Group on Behaviour Modification, TakingITGlobal, South-North Youth Policy Project, Caribbean Youth Summit Association, National Youth Parliament Planning Committee, and Jamaica National Commission for the UNESCO Youth Committee.
Attapon Ed Ngoskin, Thailand, ITPC: Ed has been engaged with a wide range of activities focusing on HIV treatment, human rights, HIV communication and youth. He joined the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) in 2007 as a Communication Assistant, and in 2009 became part-time with ITPC to also support national level capacity building for the Treatment Monitoring & Advocacy Project. In May 2008, he coordinated campaign activities for the Global Aids Week of Action. Ed volunteered with United Nations Development Program in Slovakia in 2009 and assisted the team in writing, designing and translating several HIV-related research projects. He has actively participated in campaigns against xenophobia in St. Petersburg. Mr. Ngoksin speaks fluent Thai, his native language, and Russian for which he received training in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Russia between the years of 2003 – 2006. In 2007, he finished his Bachelor of Arts in Russian language with summa cum laude, the highest honor degree from St. Petersburg State University.
Taiwo Oladayo Oyelakin, Nigeria, APYIN: Taiwo is from the Association of Positive Youth Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN). APYIN was founded to provide care and support to young people infected with HIV; empower them with adequate knowledge on sexual reproductive health and rights issues and prevent further spread of HIV infection among young and the general population in Nigeria. The empowerment takes into consideration the social, economic, religions, sexual differences and physical challenges associated with sexuality and reproductive health especially as it relates to young people. Gender mainstreaming across these thematic areas is also a priority for the network. Over the last six years, Taiwo has contributed actively in youth participation and development both within Nigeria and in the diaspora. At the International AIDS Conference, Taiwo presented four abstracts.
Anzaira Roxas, Philippines, Y-PEER: Anzaira is a Registered Nurse & Midwife in the Philippines and currently represents Youth Peer Education Network (Y-PEER). Y-PEER is a groundbreaking and comprehensive youth-to-youth initiative pioneered by UNFPA. Y-PEER is a network of more than 500 non-profit organizations and governmental institutions; its membership includes thousands of young people who work in the many areas surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. She was also involved in FPOP as an Adolescent Reproductive Health Advocate since 2002. In 2009 she was involved in the project, Reproductive Health and Rights Advocacy, Protection and Services for Overseas Filipino Workers (RHAPSODY) it was a two-year project that aimed to increase awareness on SRHR/ HIV and AIDS and improve access to reproductive health care services of Overseas Filipino Household and Service Workers (OFHSWs), more popularly known as domestic helpers or workers, and the families they left behind in the Philippines. She became the Focal Point In-Charge of Y-PEER Pilipinas last 2010 and continuously providing capacity building on SRHR and HIV and AIDS to young people. She was also a Project Staff of Youth Friendly Services for Young People’ Sexuality in the Philippines (YES4YES), a two-year project that aimed to improve Youth Friendly Service (YFS) delivery and contribute to the development of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and peer education modules and manuals.
Thierry Schaffauser, France, NSWP: Thierry represents the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP). Thierry identifies as a queer, drug user, migrant and sex worker living in London. He started working on the streets in Paris and works currently as an escort and porn actor. He’s been involved within the HIV movement since he joined Act Up-Paris at the age of 18. Theirry’s done a lot of activism with Act Up during the past six years, and continues currently as president of the sex workers’ section of his trade union, the GMB, and as European director of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects. He has organised different Pride events, public actions, lobbying and advocacy work. Thierry is also the author of a book called “Fieres d’etre Putes” and of different articles in The Guardian, Le Monde and Liberation.
Vladimir Veljkovic, Serbia, IGLYO: Vladimir has been working as an LGBTIQ activist since 2000, supporting different feminist campaigns in Yugoslavia, through voluntary work, and through his involvement in important public events, such as the attempt to organize the first LGBT Pride Parade in Belgrade in 2001. He has always co-operated with different civil organizations and movements in the field of human rights, and in 2009 he was on the Organizational Board of Belgrade Pride, together with colleagues from LABRIS and GAYTEN. He was among the founders of GAYTEN-LGBT and SPY – Safe Pulse of Youth, which are LGBTIQ organizations working for promotion and protection of LGBTIQ human rights, health and culture. During his work in SPY, he successfully implemented health programs among LGBTIQ persons together with colleagues, where the main achievements of the organization were establishing outreach network in Belgrade and several other cities in Serbia, as well as counseling center for LGBTIQ persons in Belgrade. Nowadays, Vladimir works in RAINBOW association, which is an LGBTIQ NGO that has developed a strong network for its regional work in western Serbia.
Staff
Michael Quan, Financial Advisor: Michael Quan joined HIV Young Leaders Fund (HYLF) during Fall 2010. He oversees HYLF’s finance and accounting. Michael has over ten years of financial and accounting experience. He began his career in finance and accounting at Reuters America, Inc. where he served as the project accountant for Reuters’ $350M leasehold project known as 3XSQ . Afterwards, he started his journey through the non-profit sector at Gay Men’s Health Crisis. At GMHC, Michael oversaw the finances for several HIV epidemiology studies and an HIV community health initiative called TEACH. Michael also worked for other US-based non-profits such as Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Public Health Solutions, Wildcat Services Corporation, the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, and ITPC/Tides Center. Michael has an AAS in Accounting and is currently seeking his MBA at CUNY. Michael aims to create strong financial structures and policies at HYLF in order to help them achieve its mission.
Caitlin L. Chandler, Director: Caitlin first became involved with youth HIV issues in 2003 through the NYC Student Initiative for AIDS, a youth-run nonprofit raising funds for treatment programs. Caitlin was the Marketing Director and a member of the Board of Directors for the organization. From September 2006 – March 2008, Caitlin was the Capacity-Building Program Officer for the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, where she taught GYCA’s e-courses in Project Management, Political Advocacy, and Grantwriting/Fundraising. From March 2008 – December 2009 she worked for aids2031, where she coordinated the 2009 aids2031 Young Leaders Summit in Oslo. She has published writing in different publications; most recently her article “Creating a Different International HIV Response for Young People” appeared in Global Public Health in December 2011. Caitlin spent four months in Accra, Ghana studying abroad and while there volunteered at the West Africa AIDS Foundation, a health clinic and community center for people affected by HIV. She also interned with Médecins Sans Frontières’s Access to Essential Medicines Campaign. Caitlin graduated from New York University with an honors BA in History and Comparative Literature.
Reshma Pattni, Program and Operations Consultant: Reshma joined the HYLF team in early 2012. Before coming to HYLF, Reshma worked at the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA), serving as capacity-building Program Officer from March 2008 – October 2009 and Program Director from October 2009 – August 2011. There she led GYCA’s dynamic staff and network in implementing a variety of youth-focused initiatives and supporting youth-led activism globally. She was also the youth representative on the Global Steering Committee of the Worlds AIDS Campaign from April 2009 – December 2011. Prior to that, Reshma worked as a Research Assistant at the Vera Institute of Justice with a team that explored issues regarding the enrollment of New York City foster children in clinical trials for pediatric AIDS treatment. Additionally, from August 2006 – June 2007 she held the position of Program Coordinator at iMentor, a youth e-mentoring program working in underserved areas of New York City. Reshma was a founding member, and served on the Board of Directors, of Girls International Forum (GIF), a non-profit organization that works to inspire and empower girls to be active in changing policies that affect them. Reshma spent 4 months studying in Jamaica as part of a Gender and Development program, and graduated from Swarthmore College with a BA in Psychology. Spending time working with young leaders around the world, Reshma developed her passion for guiding youth towards taking an active role in changing their communities and the world.
