In 2005 the IPPF, South Asia Regional Office invited 10 young women between the ages of 16-20 to take part in an exciting new initiative that would ultimately combine HIV/AIDS awareness with photography. These 10 young women, in partnership with five IPPF Member Associations, developed skills in HIV/AIDS peer education and photograpy over a four-day workshop that they could then put into practice in their respective countries at the community level. The Passion and Portraits initiative was developed to engage young women in the realities of HIV/AIDS, and provide and empower them with the appropriate skills and knowledge with which they could apply to educating their respective communities. The participating women were all from South Asian countries that demonstrated a particular vulnerability to HIV.