About Us

Watusayin.com is funded by USAID through World Learning. This website provides an online space for youth to acquire the skills and motivation to reduce risky sexual behaviors and thus reduce risk of HIV and/or STI infection. While it was developed primarily for persons between the ages of 18 and 26 years, it provides information education communications for all who would like to eliminate risky sexual behaviour, and creates and awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS.

This website is the official property of the Bahamas Red Cross Society, and is managed through the American Red Cross funded HIV Prevention Education Unit (CHAP Project – The Caribbean HIV and AIDS Project). The lead manager of this project is the Project Coordinator, and the team comprises CHAP Field Officers and Peer Educators. For more information, contact us at info@watusayin.com, or by telephone at 242-322-9451 or 2.

The Watusayin.com secretariat is located at the Bahamas Red Cross Society Head Quarters on John F. Kennedy Drive, New Providence, and The Bahamas.

BAHAMAS RED CROSS LAUNCHES WEBSITE

The Bahamas Red Cross Society, in conjunction with its partners, USAID and WORLD LEARNING, is pleased to advise of the launch of a new online safe space for Bahamian youth ages 18 – 29 years.

“WATUSAYIN.COM” is The Bahamas’ newest media brand in the national response to HIV and AIDS among this most vulnerable target audience, and the Bahamas Red Cross is pleased to partner, and to serve as the trusted custodian of the 90,000.00 US Dollar grant provided by USAID and World Learning for this project.
The processes of coordination began with a stakeholder analysis which was conducted by the Project Coordinator, staff and volunteers of the American Red Cross Funded Caribbean HIV and AIDS Project (CHAP), a unit within the Bahamas Red Cross Society.
The project itself is driven by a mass group of volunteer Peer Educators, who as a result of their weekly interventions, proposed the establishment of this website to be used as a referral site for persons to obtain more information about Healthy lifestyles and relationships, tips to reduce susceptibility to contracting HIV and general information about HIV, AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections.
The Bahamas Red Cross, in commemoration of World AIDS Day 2012, launches it’s website “WATUSAYIN.COM” in a reception at the Society’s Head Quarters on John F. Kennedy Drive, in the company of a number of partners in the field of HIV and AIDS, inclusive of officials of USAID and World Learning. The brief launch reception will be carried via live stream on the website. Members of the public are encouraged to join us via www.watusayin.com.
The President of the Bahamas Red Cross, Mr. Craig A. (Tony) Gomez; Director General, Mrs. Caroline Turnquest and the principals of the Society extend sincere appreciation to all partners in the process, and the staff of the CHAP unit for their hard work and dedication in this process. Further, he is grateful to USAID and World Learning for their commitment and trust in the society, resulting in this project that we estimate will impact over 20,000 young Bahamians.

 

Caroline Turnquest

Director-General
Bahamas Red Cross Society
Phone: (242) 323-7370
email: cturnquest@bahamasredcoss.com

Andrice Strachan

Bahamas Red Cross
Phone:(242) 323-7370
email: andrice.strachan.brc@gmail.com

Word From John Darville

The Bahamas Red Cross Society’s HIV Prevention Education Unit is pleased to provide for you this website as a social media based contribution towards the reduction of new incidents of new HIV infections. Via this website, beneficiaries may learn very important myth busting information regarding HIV prevention and general healthy lifestyles.
At the Society, we thrive on strategic partnerships that would help to make projects like this possible. As such, I would like to first single out USAID and World Learning, our donor and funds management agency respectively. The team at World Learning, specifically, Ms. Charo Walker (Project Officer for Jamaica and The Bahamas), provide us constant technical support for this project, and we are most grateful.
Additionally, I would like to single out the contributions of Ms. Amanda Lewis, whom I succeeded as Project Coordinator, who made the initial application to World Learning for the funding for this project. Our Director General, Mrs. Caroline Turnquest is also very supportive of this project, and we are grateful for her guidance as usual.
To our beneficiaries, please enjoy all that is available on this website. Brilliant young persons are busy working behind the scenes to make this website as attractive and exciting as possible. Coming soon will be our Call-in Centre, should you have any questions, and also an interactive Learning Centre, where you may complete more in-depth training segments on relevant topics, following which, you may visit us at the Red Cross for a Certificate of participation.
Once again, welcome to the site..DIG IN, find out what we sayin!

Word From USAID

In an interconnected world, instability anywhere around the world can impact us here at home. Working side-by-side with the military in active conflicts, USAID plays a critical role in our nation’s effort to stabilize countries and build responsive local governance; we work on the same problems as our military using a different set of tools. We also ease the transition between conflict and long-term development by investing in agriculture, health systems and democratic institutions. And while USAID can work in active conflict, or help countries transition from violence, the most important thing we can do is prevent conflict in the first place. This is smarter, safer and less costly than sending in soldiers.
USAID extends help from the American people to achieve results for the poorest and most vulnerable around the world. That assistance does not represent a Democratic value or a Republican value, but an American value; as beneficiaries of peace and prosperity, Americans have a responsibility to assist those less fortunate so we see the day when our assistance is no longer necessary.
USAID invests in ideas that work to improve the lives of millions of men, women and children by:
• Investing in agricultural productivity so countries can feed their people
• Combating maternal and child mortality and deadly diseases like HIV, malaria and tuberculosis
• Providing life-saving assistance in the wake of disaster
• Promoting democracy, human rights and good governance around the world
• Fostering private sector development and sustainable economic growth
• Helping communities adapt to a changing environment
• Elevating the role of women and girls throughout all our work

Remember

There is still no cure or AIDS, Protect Yourself

There is still no cure or AIDS, Protect Yourself

There is still no cure or AIDS, Protect Yourself

There is still no cure or AIDS, Protect Yourself

There is still no cure or AIDS, Protect Yourself
There is still no cure or AIDS, Protect Yourself
Message from Dr. Caroline Turnquest, Director General of The Bahamas Red Cross

On behalf of our President, Mr. Craig A. (Tony) Gomez, I am pleased to offer first our appreciation to USAID and World Learning for their generous grant in support of this website.  This is a well thought out space, made available for young people; a place where you can literally hang and receive good solid accredited information empowering you to live healthy risk free lives.  At the end of the day, healthier living is up to you.

Choose life, live healthy, protect yourself, and stray from risky behaviour.  Take full advantage of what we have to offer.  I take also this opportunity to say that at the Red Cross, we are always in need for volunteers.  Please come and join our team, help us save another life!

Thank you, and enjoy the site!

Purpose of WatUSayin

This website was designed for the average youth resident in The Bahamas between the ages of 18 and 29 years. Its intent is to provide these young people with access to healthy lifestyles information that would help to reshape their thinking process around risky sexual behaviour, in an effort to help in the reduction of new incidents of HIV. Additionally, we seek to expose a cadre of young persons to a greater technical working in administering activities that contribute to the National HIV AIDS response, through peer counseling, online training, and website technical management. This website features:

    • Myth busting information about HIV and AIDS

    • Learning modules that provide participatory certificates at the end of each segment

    • Life call-in features, with phone services manned by trained peer counselors

    • Updates on events and activities carried out by the Bahamas Red Cross Prevention Education Unit

    • Information on our donors

    • The promotion of opportunities for further exposure and training and a link to a Facebook and twitter social media platform.


This website was officially launched on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2012, and is being maintained by the Project Coordinator and Staff at the Bahamas Red Cross’ Prevention Education Unit, Nassau, Bahamas.

Word from World Learning

Advancing Leadership for 80 Years – World Learning is a nonprofit organization advancing leadership in more than 60 countries. We envision a just world, driven by engaged citizens and thriving communities. To achieve this goal, our mission is to empower people and strengthen institutions through education, exchange, and development programs.

Education – Our study abroad programs offer American high school and undergraduate students the chance to have immersive, life-transforming experiences in more than 50 countries. The Experiment in International Living offers three- to five-week summer programs that immerse high school students in other cultures and languages. SIT Study Abroad provides undergraduates academically-rich, semester, summer and academic year programs with opportunities for field research and International Honors Program comparative study. Our accredited SIT Graduate Institute offers internationally focused, full-time and low-residency master’s degrees, as well as certificate and professional development programs.

Exchange – World Learning brings emerging leaders from 140 countries annually to the United States for International Exchanges. We offer short-term learning experiences for individuals seeking professional development through links to US and international colleagues, new insights, and a broader view of core US values and culture. Academic exchanges place international students in US colleges and universities to strengthen their leadership and career-specific skills while they explore US culture. Young people from around the globe learn about leadership, current issues, and peace-building on World Learning youth programs.

Development – Our International Development Programs prepare communities worldwide to effectively address critical issues such as poverty and exclusion, youth participation, educational access and quality, the spread of HIV/AIDS, the marginalization of women and children, and government accountability. We work with our local partners to identify specific needs, resources, and challenges—valuable local context that informs the design and implementation of custom development activities. This approach ensures that our partners invest deeply in projects and provide the local leadership required to ensure their long-term success.

  WatUSayin Commercial