BMW Group Joins Forces with LoveLife to Fight HIV and AIDS.

[totalmotorcycle]

BMW Group Joins Forces with LoveLife to Fight HIV and AIDS.
December 1, 2006 - BMW Press Release - Total Motorcycle - www.totalmotorcycle.com



Johannesburg/Munich. In a significant further commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS, the BMW Group has initiated a joint project with the LoveLife Trust. Together, the two organisations will facilitate the construction of a Youth Centre in an underprivileged community near Knysna. Planning for the Centre has already begun and the proposed official opening will take place on Youth Day, 16 June 2007, an appropriate day with great meaning for the Youth and the people of South Africa.

LoveLife manages 16 multi-purpose youth centres across South Africa. These "Y-Centres" provide motivational and educational activities, youth-friendly clinical services with a focus on HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention, as well as sports and recreation facilities. The centres serve as regional hubs supporting LoveLife's outreach services.

The BMW Group LoveLife Y-Centre in Knysna will be built in a large informal settlement of over 50,000 people which overlooks the main town. The Centre will be built close to the local school and library, which are currently the only other facilities available for young people in the area.

"This investment by BMW in the youth of South Africa is a clear statement of confidence in their future", explains LoveLife CEO Dr David Harrison. "We have a real opportunity in that only one in thirty 15 year old South Africans are HIV positive. If we can keep our next generation of young people HIV-free, we will change the long-term future of our country within a decade."

"There is strong evidence that sustained, face-to-face participation in strongly motivational HIV prevention programmes can reduce new HIV infection," says Dr Harrison. "The BMW Group LoveLife Y-Centre epitomizes the type of healthy lifestyle that will enable teenagers to stay free of HIV."

LoveLife promotes healthy, HIV-free living among South African teenagers. Organised under the auspices of the LoveLife Trust, LoveLife combines a sustained, high-powered multi-media campaign with nationwide community-level outreach and support programmes for youth.

LoveLife's programs are implemented by a national youth volunteer service corps known as groundBREAKERS in partnership with more than 150 community-based non-government organisations, 4000 schools and 500 government clinics across South Africa. Major funding for LoveLife is provided by the South African government and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by corporations, such as the BMW Group, operating in South Africa.

BMW South Africa has been recognized world-wide as having one of the most advanced in-house HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. The success of this program is grounded in three important principles - a firm commitment to fight against HIV/AIDS, an effective, confidential testing program and the creation and maintenance of a culture of trust amongst employees. In formulating the company's HIV/AIDS policy BMW consulted broadly with its associates through an intensive interactive study and created in-depth awareness of the pandemic amongst the workforce.

"We have worked hard to ensure that we address fears and have sought to design a tailor-made program to suit our peoples' needs and the needs of the communities in which they live," says Richard Carter, General Manager: Communications & Public Affairs of BMW SA. "The BMW Group views the cooperation with LoveLife as an opportunity to actively participate in the broader fight against the HIV epidemic in South Africa. The LoveLife campaign is not just a safe sex campaign it's a concerned national movement led by South African youth, promoting a positive HIV-free lifestyle."

The joint venture with LoveLife further indicates the strong commitment of the BMW Group to the fight against HIV/AIDS. "There is one principle that guides the BMW Group throughout the world: we assume responsibility for the wellbeing of our associates, their families and the societies within which we operate," said Konstanze Carreras, Head of Social Responsibility of the BMW Group.

"We hope that this centre will enable young people to enjoy their youth and make informed personal decisions that will positively impact on their own future and positively influence the future of our nation," Richard Carter concluded.