On World AIDS Day, Dr. John interviewed Michael Boampong from Ghana over the phone. They discussed what events Michael and his group participated in. You can listen to that interview below.

Michael Boampong's bio:

My name is Michael Baompong. Before I came to the University of Cape Coast, I took a year off from school in an effort to start a start a youth led intervention program that I geared towards the realization of the UN Millennium Development Goals.  My subsequent nomination as a UN Millennium Campaign Advocate by Global Youth Action Network (an initiative which was later “put on hold”) for the UN Millennium Campaign has given much credibility to my work at making the world a happy one by the year 2015. What began as a small initiative has become a non-profit called Young People We Care in Ghana. The primary mission goal of Young People We Care (YPWC) is to work in an integrated manner by educating, motivating and getting the youth involved in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).Our goal is to create a more knowledgeable, comprehensive, skilled and understanding generation of Ghanaian citizens while at the same time inspiring youth to take effective action on the MDGs.Our philosophy is that through participating in learning partnerships, youth are inspired to take positive action.

Michael Boampong addressing the pupils of the University JSS

I am an undergraduate student of the University of Cape Coast. In my free time, I like to surf the net and also spend time with my friends whilst making inputs for my organization and its activities. I speak English very well and most of my country’s local languages. Someday I hope to speak French and I plan to enroll in a language institution to learn French. I was recently nominated by the Task Force Committee of the UN –Non Governmental Liason service to present a paper on Migration and Development  to the UN Headquarters in New York  City USA at the 12th July 2006, Informal Interactive Hearings of the General Assembly
(http://www.un-ngls.org/site/article.php3?id_article=118) (Click on the name Michael Boampong).

Currently I am an Editorial and Taskforce Member of the UN Human Development Report (A Book Project that has been contracted to Peace Child International (PCI). I am also a Project Ambassador from Ghana for the One World Youth Project.

.I am very active in community service. Issues about the MDGs are important to me because I believe it is the best chance for eradicating extreme poverty, bringing smiles in the faces of dejected people like People Living with HIV/AIDS, in our generation. With training an E-course (Project Management and Grant and Proposal writing) that I took under Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, in 2006 I have been able to organize a series of programmes and forums on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).One of the forums was of the  theme “Student Coalition A powerful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis” .This was aimed at getting the my contribution and that of the youth towards the realization of the Goal Six of the MDGs.The UN Millennium Campaign “STAND UP” event that  was hosted by YPWC also drew  about 1257 participants who stood up against poverty and for the MDGs.

This was taken after Michael Boampong organized a program for Youth for Human Rights at the University of Cape Coast