With enough drive and hard work, young people can make an impact. One example of this is Cory Capoccia, a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles. He knew he wanted to make a difference, and started a website to help combat the spread of HIV and AIDS.
As an undergraduate, Capoccia was involved with HIV groups and charity work. After graduation, he landed a job in corporate America, but said he felt there was no more room for charity. He was interested in raising sexual health awareness and helping others. He also knew how embarrassing it can be to buy condoms.
Combining those three things led to a successful, brilliant organization that began in December 2011. The fact that Capoccia graduated just six years ago should inspire students to get involved.
The organization, called Conscious Contraceptives, uses the one-for-one charity model of Tom’s Shoes by selling condoms online. For every condom purchased, part of the proceeds go to providing underserved communities in the U.S. and worldwide with contraceptives.
Conscious Contraceptives is partnered with Support for International Change, which sends primarily college-aged volunteers to rural communities in Tanzania to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. They train and support a network of community health workers and offer mobile clinics, mobile testing and counseling.
College students, even here at the UA, are doing more with their four years than just studying and partying. There are three SIC coordinators on campus, and about 12 volunteers will be chosen to go with SIC to Africa this summer.
But volunteering isn’t just for college applications, it should continue throughout students’ lives.
Ideally, the partnership between Conscious Contraceptives and SIC will allow it to expand even farther. More students should participate in order to make the expansion a success. Americans cannot forget about the millions of others in need in Africa. Students should support a student-created organization, which will lead to a global impact that will be forever remembered.
Conscious Contraceptives announced its college campuses competition early this month. Participating college campuses have assigned discount codes. During the competition, Conscious Contraceptives will contribute donations toward trip sponsorship for SIC volunteers in 2012. The competition ends on May 1.
Targeting college students is important because college is the perfect time to begin getting involved. College students have sex, and (should) use condoms, so buying from a site or organization like Conscious Contraceptives makes a common purchase a global change.
Capoccia, Conscious Contraceptives and SIC volunteers illustrate how little steps can make big differences in the world.
— Danielle Carpenter is a pre-journalism freshman. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatOpinions .
