A memorandum of cooperation for 2025 was signed between the Salem Social City and the Shymkent AIDS Prevention and Control Center. This important event continues to strengthen cooperation and mutual efforts in the prevention of HIV infection, especially among the younger generation. One of the key areas of the Center's activities is informing the population about ways to prevent sexual transmission of HIV.
The AIDS At Risk Expedition, which began in April 2013 at Salem Social City, was developed by Crossroads, a Hong Kong-based charity that actively implements innovative approaches to solving global problems, and its activities are based on the wisdom of the popular proverb: “To understand a person’s life, you need to walk a mile in their shoes.”
The project is aimed at developing empathy and compassion for people living with HIV and allows one to deeply experience the experience of a person who finds himself in a situation related to infection with this virus.
The project participant listens to the story through headphones and walks through rooms reproducing various scenes. He is given the opportunity to experience feelings, thoughts and experiences in key episodes of young people's lives, from the first steps in smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs, casual sex to the doctor's office at the AIDS center. In general, participation in the project helps to feel the reality of the life of people living with HIV, to learn more about the disease, stigma and discrimination. And the project itself teaches young people to show empathy and compassion, and also deepens their knowledge in this area.
"We are grateful to the AIDS Center for their openness and cooperation. Thanks to this partnership, hundreds of city students were able to take part in the project. And although students usually come with some skepticism, after completing the "AIDS Expedition to the Risk Zone" they leave deeply shaken. The emotional effect of participating in the project significantly exceeds all expectations. The behavior and attitude of the participants change, and they realize the importance of safe behavior and responsibility for their lives. We once again express our gratitude to the AIDS Center for productive cooperation! Together we are doing an important and necessary thing for our city and for the future of youth!" - noted Anton Fix, a specialist in promoting social projects of the social town "Salem".
