From California to Tanzania: Our 2019 Dance Marathon Winner Trip Begins

Hello! My name is Sophie Ahmad and I’m so excited to be the winner of the 2019 Up 4 the Fight Trip to Africa! In the coming weeks, I will have the incredible opportunity to travel with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) team to Arusha, Tanzania in order to get an inside look at their work to end AIDS in children. I am so humbled to be granted this opportunity, and I look forward to seeing how EGPAF has been able to create a worldwide impact through their efforts to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. While I’m visiting EGPAF’s offices in Tanzania I’ll be sharing my experience on EGPAF’s social media channels and here on the blog – but before we leave this week, let me share a little information about myself and how I became a supporter of EGPAF’s work.

I just finished my third year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and am excited to start my fourth and final year in the fall. I am working towards a double major in Neuroscience and Spanish and hope to attend medical school in the future. When I was still in high school, one of my close friends who already attended UCLA asked me to donate to an event he was participating in. This event was Dance Marathon, which he explained to me is a 26-hour dance marathon hosted by one of UCLA’s biggest student groups, the Pediatric AIDS Coalition (PAC).

I found it so intriguing that there was a whole group of students dedicated to pediatric HIV/AIDS, a cause many are not educated about. Fast forward to when I was touring UCLA, and Dance Marathon was mentioned again as a “True Bruin Tradition,” meaning that students are encouraged to participate in the event at least once before they leave UCLA.  I joined the PAC on a whim during my sophomore year, and I honestly did not know much about pediatric HIV/AIDS before joining. Little did I know back then how much I would learn.

My first year on PAC I was on the University Relations committee, and this year I acted as the Director of the Catering Committee. And now, I am so excited to serve as President for the 2019-2020 school year! Applying to this organization my sophomore year of college led to one of the most meaningful and fulfilling experiences in my college career. That act introduced me to a cause that I will be passionate about forever.

The Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA is the largest student-run philanthropic organization on the West Coast. Each year, around 150 students of diverse backgrounds come together to educate students on campus as well as people in the surrounding community about the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Throughout the year we host events on campus as well as visit local high schools and other colleges in the greater Los Angeles area in order to educate our community and invite them to participate in the Dance Marathon.

At the Dance Marathon, students take a literal stand against pediatric HIV/AIDS by vowing not to sit for 26 hours in exchange for donations that ultimately go to our main beneficiaries. During the event, thousands of students come together to listen to live performances as well as student performers and partake in numerous engaging activities that incorporate HIV/AIDS information and keep morale high throughout all 26 hours. And while Dance Marathon can be a taxing event, the enthusiasm and willingness of students to want to learn is incredibly inspiring and makes the event a great space to spread love and knowledge. Each year we are able to send new students out into the world more educated about pediatric HIV/AIDS as we all work together towards an AIDS-free generation.

Since it began in 2002, PAC has raised over six million dollars for four beneficiaries, including EGPAF. The donations we receive go toward testing, care, and mediation for HIV/ as well as toward research and educational programs. PAC holds mentorship programs for children affected or infected with HIV/AIDS, providing a stigma-free environment where they can feel welcomed and understood.

I cannot wait to travel with EGPAF to Tanzania and learn more about this global health challenge that I have grown so passionate about. I am excited to see firsthand the impact of our efforts, and hopefully, learn how we can increase build that impact next year!

Follow EGPAF’s Instagram (@egpaf) to follow us on our trip, and to learn more about PAC, visit our website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Can’t wait!