The MTV Staying Alive Foundation is a media movement that believes in young people.

We tell stories that are powered by the truth of young people’s experiences - stories that save lives. We are a media movement that produces game-changing content for teenagers and young people, content that helps them make positive decisions about their health. We cover topics such as sexual and reproductive health (including HIV awareness and prevention), gender based violence, consent, abortion and LGBT+ issues.

A World Bank evaluation showed that young people who watched MTV Shuga, our flagship “edutainment campaign”, are subsequently twice as likely to get tested for HIV, and are three times more likely understand the risk of HIV. Sadly, AIDS is still the second biggest killer of young people globally, so the degree of behavior change driven by our campaign has the potential to save thousands of lives.

The World Bank also estimates that for every $1 invested in MTV SHUGA, $150 is returned in health and social welfare benefits to viewer communities across Africa.

However, we can't reach everyone we need to. Many in rural or deprived areas don't have access to TV or internet, and therefore can't access our content or support, or know how to access the health services they might need.

Our peer education program solves this problem. Our peer educators share our vital campaign information and signpost people to local services, helping to secure better health and wellness for their own communities. Not only that, but they speak from their own experiences with an authentic voice. We’ve heard stories of peer educators who’ve endured terrible hardships. Despite these experiences, they are undeterred and want to transform that energy into positive change within their own communities.

We don’t receive any government funding, and can only continue our work with the generous support of our donors. With your generous support, you’ll be helping us reach even more people with our life saving resources.