Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac

Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac is non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1996 with aim to fight AIDS. Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac is organization of young people striving, with any action take, to prevent new HIV infection and help people who already live with HIV. The Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac also directs its work towards the matters of reproductive health, young people’s rights, prevention on substance use and support the active participation of youth in their communities. Vision is society in which are young people preventively oriented, diversity is respecting without questions and society in which young people are equal partners in all aspect of life. From its beginning the organization is working with youth and for the youth. One of the most important program developed almost 20 years ago is peer education program. By recognizing non-formal education in 90s as one of the most powerful tools in working with youth, the organization had and used a chance to improve its work. Nowadays, Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac has fully developed curriculums for education of young people and developing their skills. Quality in working with youth and youth work is recognized on national level by National Association of Youth Workers (NAPOR www.napor.net). The organization is accredited for using and improving standards of youth work in a first national round of accreditation of NGOs in 2011, and continuously keeping up with standards. Beside of NAPOR, Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac is also a fully member of National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS, www.koms.rs), member of non-formal network Association of youth NGO in Kragujevac and an official partner to many public institutions regarding to working with vulnerable groups, HIV prevention and education of youth. The Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac has experience in working with vulnerable groups, due to the five years drop in centre conducting for sexual workers and program that centre is offering for them (social, legal, medical assistance). One of the main goals of establishment of drop in centre are strengthening HIV prevention and ensuring equal rights for everybody.