Staying Alive: Travis McCoy’s Unbeaten Track

This summer Travis McCoy, front man of Gym Class Heroes and Staying Alive Foundation Ambassador, is embarking on an epic, life changing adventure.
This adventure will see him travel to South Africa, Philippines and India, to meet with young people who are running remarkable grass-roots HIV and AIDS awareness projects – all of which are supported by the Staying Alive Foundation – MTV’s AIDS charity.

There’s more… When Travis returns from his travels, the adventure is anything but over… Travis will have until October to write and record a brand new track inspired by his experiences. This track will be released in December, with all proceeds benefitting the Foundation.

Keep track of Travis’ journey right here on this site… See life through his eyes and share his experience, every step of the way… From landing in Cape Town, right through to releasing the finished track….

The race for good is on. Stay tuned.

About Travis:

Travis McCoy is one of the most dynamic, eye-catching and talented personalities in popular music today.

Before becoming the front man of indie hip-hop group Gym Class Heroes, MTV gave Travis his break on a talent show in 2002.  He is now repaying the faith shown in him by carrying the torch passed from Kelly Rowland, as he takes up the role of Staying Alive Foundation Ambassador.

Having suffered personal loss to AIDS in his youth, Travis understands the importance of the campaign and Foundation more than most and, as such, has a genuine desire to energize and empower young people around the world on HIV and AIDS issues.

About the three projects Travis will visit:

Snapshot Community Cinema
Project leader: Bulelani Mvotho
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Established 2006

Snapshot targets young people living in the Khayelitsha township of Cape Town through filmmaking. Bulelani, the project leader, plans to produce a documentary that will challenge men on gender issues and their behavior.

Snapshot will work with four high schools and identify 10 young people from each school to volunteer in the making of the documentary, all of which will be trained to co-facilitate and open debates about the issues in the film. They will also produce a teaching kit for the documentary to give to youth clinics and centers in the local area.

BALUTI: “Batang Laging Umiiwas sa Tiyak na Impeksyon”
Project leader: Alex M. Sarza
Location: Manila, Philippines

Established 2004

BALUTI is a group composed of about 20 active young peer educators who aim to educate 10-19 year olds about HIV and safe sex. They do this through the Give Me 5 message – which consists of five steps people can take to improve their lifestyle, this is coupled with a straight-talking approach. They have developed a range of health education materials and regularly liaise with the local health service. They have mapped out the neighborhood to identify the various risks faced by local young people, ranging from unprotected sex and illegal drugs through to alcohol abuse.

BALUTI was born when a handful of Paranaque City’s peer educators realized that there was something unique about their backgrounds compared to most of their peers—they were already sexually active.  They realized that young people, like themselves, needed a more straightforward approach to sex education - including practical advice to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS.   Give-Me-5 is used to deliver messages on safer sex, condom use, prevention of early pregnancy, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and prevention of HIV/AIDS.  This project also responds to the call of adolescents in other areas of the city to provide a similar education program.

Utkal Network for People Living with HIV
Project leader: Mandakini Behera
Location: India

Established 2006

This network aims to reduce the stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV in Orissa state, India. They are currently training young HIV positive people to speak in public and organizing a photo exhibition of people living with HIV which will go on show at 7 local hospitals and colleges. In addition, they’re also working on interactive discussions at hospitals and colleges,  theater pieces at hospital compounds, the distribution of educational materials - and the organization of support meetings for young people living with HIV.