On May 26, 2005, AHI played host to the Ford Foundation Vice President, Dr. Natalia Kanem. Accompanied on the visit were Dr. Adhiambo Odaga, the representative of the Ford Foundation in West Africa and Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi of the Ford Foundation Office for West Africa. The visit, which was her first to AHI, took her to the various units of the organization.

	Dr. Natalia Kanem being shown some resource materials by AHI Programme Assistant, Mr. Francis Akpan, while Youth Assistants, Mr. Olaolu Olusesi and Mr. Christopher Adeboye look on.

Dr. Kanem also met with young people comprising peer educators from various NGOs, including Health Matters International, Community Life Project, Youth-To-Youth Initiative, Nigeria Youth AIDS Programme, Pathfinder International, Development Research and Action Network, and Youth Action Rangers of Nigeria. and Action Health Incorporated (AHI).

The round-table discussion facilitated by Ms. Feyi Fowowe, a past AHI peer educator, aimed at highlighting the challenges of growing up and proffering solutions to the various challenges young people face.

Some of the challenges discussed include inadequate access to qualitative information especially sexuality education, parental pressure, poverty, negative media influence and peer pressure amongst others.

At the end, solutions to these challenges were proffered to include, the need to reorientate religious leaders on sexuality issues, provision of vocational skills training for young people, promotion of good moral values and positive information by the media, expanding the number of community-based youth oriented programmes, and training parents to communicate better with their children on sexuality issues.

Dr. Kanem showed her appreciation to the young people who attended the meeting, especially for coming out boldly to make their perspectives about the challenges they face while growing up known.

According to Mr. Christopher Adeboye, AHI’s Youth Assistant and one of the young people who attended the meeting, “Dr. Kanem really made us to feel relaxed as a result of her simplicity. We were also able to discuss freely as she encouraged us to air our views on some of the challenges being faced by the young people in our society.”

Also present at the discussion were AHI's Executive Director Mrs. Nike Esiet, Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi of the Ford Foundation Office for West Africa, Dr. Tiemoko, Director of AHI’s Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre and Dr. Uwem Esiet, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of AHI and a co-founder.

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