Scholl, 31, is a national manager for seven youth centers (Y-Centers) run by loveLife, an anti-AIDS campaign funded by the U.S.-based Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. Its target is teens, the group among which HIV is spreading fastest. About one in nine South Africans-4.7 million people-have the virus; 60 percent of them became infected before they were 25. Scholl and his colleagues hope to lower these infection rates by convincing young people to stop early and risky sex. He spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Karen MacGregor about the program. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Why did you give up your law practice to come here?

Michael Scholl: I’ve always been very active in community work and social responsibility. I encouraged my clients, especially as wealthy individuals, to find ways of improving the lives of communities they are from, to add value to society after they move on. I believe firmly that as individuals we have an obligation to change wrong into right, not to sit around and complain but to actively seek a better life for our children and to mold the world in a positive way.

What made you choose South Africa?

I was introduced to South Africa by a good college friend, Michael Finley. His youth-development company in South Africa, Miles and Associates, is linked to the African Youth Development Fund, a nonprofit organization in the U.S. in which we are both involved. In 1998, Finley sent a young South African, Thabo Letsebe, to the U.S. on a school basketball scholarship; he was the first black South African to receive such a scholarship. Thabo stayed with me while settling in and inspired me to visit South Africa. I came in 1999 when the Orange Farm Y-center was launched, to start the loveLife basketball program.

How does the program work?

We are running a league that has around 1,800 players and is designed to empower young people with confidence and self-esteem through basketball. They come daily [to the seven Y-centers] for training and games, and there is a strong study component. There are also other activities: motivational programs, computer training, drama, dance and others.

The Y-center idea is to change attitudes of young people by attaching ourselves to popular culture–by asking, “What excites and interests you?” Young people here love basketball, which is new to South Africa. Unlike with soccer, the big game in this country, you don’t have to wait for 45 minutes to see a goal. Basketball provides excitement every 15 to 20 seconds. We use it as a vehicle to transport their young minds to the proper place–becoming aware of HIV-AIDS and other issues.

Change of outlook occurs when poor youngsters see themselves as having a future, possibly [a] successful one. [The program] doesn’t preach abstention because it is unrealistic. Rather, we want young people to talk about sex and HIV-AIDS, to be aware of dangers involved and to be empowered to act responsibly.

What do young South Africans say to you?

I’ve found a tendency across the country toward questions aimed at uncovering false promises. Kids ask me: “Are you really coming back, will you really carry on training us?” People seem to have been hurt by false promises and lack of consistency. The players relate personally very well to me, because I come from the U.S. It is a country they hear much about, identify with and whose culture they like.

We try and convince young people that they and their decisions really count…. That it is misguided to sit back and say “this is not my problem.” They might not yet be affected by HIV-AIDS, but in the long run we will all suffer. We are all obliged to deal with the problem. They also respond wonderfully to sexual issues, even though it is difficult in their culture to break down barriers to talking about sex, HIV-AIDS and other difficult subjects. Kids ask me what to do if their Dad doesn’t want to talk about sex–should they talk anyway? One of our messages is that everything takes teamwork.

And your personal impressions of the country?

I love the hope of South Africa. The spirit of its people is like no other, it’s incomparable to the U.S. That hope enriches me more than anything else. I see young people in townships who are not bitter or disgruntled. They’re just asking for opportunities.