The Scout Association in South Africa has run an HIV/AIDS awareness programme for some time which has been commented on favourably by many people. HIV/AIDS is a very serious health problem in South Africa and it is also a serious social problem, which is increasingly affecting young people. It is important that young people are aware of how the disease is caught, know how to protect themselves from acquiring it, but also know how to counsel friends and peers and how to care for people in their communities and families who are HIV positive. Scouting in South Africa feels that it can make a huge statement in its communities by taking this project as its Gift for Peace to celebrate the Centenary of Scouting – in the country where the idea of Scouting originated.

Providing training for adults and young people is the backbone of the project. At least:
• 180 adults will be trained in HIV/AIDS peer education techniques
• 1,440 Senior Scouts will be trained to have discussions with other Scouts and with friends in at school and in their local communities
• 2 National Seminars will be organised
• 14 Provincial Seminars will be organised and each event will be for 1,000 Scouts. These events will be held in areas where there is a high incidence of HIV/AIDS.
• 1 December (World Aids Day) will be a focus for a special event for all the Scout Associations in the Southern Zone.
• Each Scout working towards his of her Sprinbok Badge (the top Scout Award) is encouraged to do their community service in an AIDS institution e.g. An orphanage or a clinic.
• Scouts can work for an HIV/AIDs awareness badge which requires that they:
1. Have a basic understanding of: what is AIDS, how you get the disease, other sexual diseases, how you can protect yourself, why it is important to say 'no' to unsafe practices, AIDS is incurable.
2. Design their own emergency card with all the HELP LINES.
3. Discuss two ways in which they can care for a friend that is ill.

The South African Scouts approach to HIV/AIDs awareness is in line with advice given by UNAIDS – the United Nations programme established as the main advocate for worldwide action against HIV/AIDS. It's approach is to:
• Prevent the spread of HIV.
• Provide care and support for those infected and affected by the disease.
• Reduce the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV/AIDS.
• Alleviate the socio-economic and human impact of the epidemic.

The programme continues to go from strength to strength and has been the inspiration for the Africa Region Red Ribbon badge programme, which has been taken up by other Scout Organizations.