Megan MacDonald a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from the USA and now in Kenya put me onto this organisation via her wonderful blog site called There She Goes. Megan is one amazing lady and I met her briefly at the Los Angeles Rotary International Convention or was it Chicago? Megan is doing great work in my old home Kenya however this story is about South Africa.

It is about child headed households of orphans who are victims of AIDS. These are the children we in RFFA are helping with our Orphan Rescue Kits especially in Kenya.

One by One

Then I see a face, a smile,
a child who studies hard,
a doctor who returns to help
her village, a principal who
lets his students sleep on
the floor of his modest home
because they live too far,
a nun who’s worked here
half a century still laboring
every day, a young woman who’s
kept her four sisters safe and fed
after both parents died of AIDS.
There is hope for Africa,
one person at a time.

The Africa Project founded in 2005 as an all volunteer non profit organization, The Africa Project is making a real difference in the lives of children and families in Nkandla, South Africa, where extreme poverty is exasperated by the HIV pandemic and extremely drug resistant tuberculosis. Nkandla has a population of 133,602 of whom 57 percent are women. An estimated 90 percent of the population are unemployed and the majority of households are headed by women. Over 61 percent of the population consists of children under 18 years of age and 14 percent are under 5 years, placing a high dependency burden on a relatively small group of adult earners.

orphans of nkandla, bbc - cinematography from Natalie Haarhoff on Vimeo.

Part 1 The Legacy of AIDS - the SING Campaign

Such a sad story however it is so common now in Southern Africa. Please take the time to view all 5 of the these videos from Annie Lennox and her SING campaign. African children who are orphans from the AIDS pandemic need Annie Lennox and many many more like her. Annie is a rare gem that shines brightly for these children.

Part 2 is here: http://youtu.be/5bZicG7XEZc

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Kibera

Audio slideshow: Living with HIV in Kenya’s Kibera slum

Charles Sako is HIV-positive but thanks to the latest drugs is able to lead an active life in the Kenyan slum of Kibera where he lives. Six years ago, he was given a disposable camera for a week to document his life on HIV treatment.

As the United Nations meets in New York to discuss the global response to the pandemic over the next decade and to mark the 30th anniversary of the discovery of Aids, Charles gives us an update on how his own life has moved on.

The latest scientific research shows that treating people with HIV/Aids not only saves lives but can also prevent the virus from spreading. In Kenya, some 450,000 people - like Charles - are getting the drugs they need but another 250,000 are still waiting.

LIVING WITH AIDS

Photography by Sven Torfinn for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

RFFA Chair PDG Mark Doyle and William Asiko Coca Cola Africa Foundation President

PREMIER NATIONAL HIV TESTING & COUNSELING DAY

HELD IN EAST AFRICA

BY ROTARY DISTRICT

9200 & RFFA

Rotarians from 102 Rotary Clubs in the countries of Kenya and Uganda got together on April 30th, the Rotary-declared Rotarians At Work Day and did something that has never been done before in the history of Rotary – they held a nationwide HIV Testing & Counseling Day at 125 sites throughout the two countries that included wraparound health services! They called it the Rotary Family Health Day!

This one to three day event was the vision of District Governor Stephen Mwanje, District 9200 in East Africa. He engaged the support and partnership of RFFA (Rotarians For Fighting AIDS), the Rotarian Action Group led by CEO Marion Bunch. DG Stephen asked RFFA to help him obtain partners and resources to bring this event to life. He asked each Rotary Club to have ten representatives working at this event – or over 1,000 Rotary volunteers.

RFFA gained the pro bono services of its global partner, FHI (Family Health International) to help plan the overall project and to be the Primary Technical Partner in Kenya. AIDS Information Center was engaged as the Primary Technical Partner in Uganda. The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (a six year partner of RFFA) provided $100,000 in mobilization costs for this event. Rotary Clubs held fundraisers to support the event. Thirty or more other technical partners in each country provided pro bono technical/medical support for this mission. RFFA leaders and the key partners worked with the Ministry of Health in each country in planning this event.

RFFA HIV Testing Day Report

Keep an eye on the blue bubbles they represent African countries. A most interesting look at the world and with some optimism. There is also mention of the impact of AIDS on South Africa.

“The implications of this short statistical presentation for fund raising and service delivery within and by Rotary are interesting - ”

Thanks to Jon Deisher from the Rotary Club of Anchorage, Alaska.

Marion Bunch CEO RFFA

Dear RFFA Members and Friends,

Rotarians For Fighting AIDS (RFFA) sends you greetings in honor of WORLD AIDS DAY, (December 1). There are millions of people on every continent in the world that have either died of this disease or are trying to survive if they have access to anti-retroviral drugs.

We have chosen to focus our efforts on providing support for the 17.5 Million orphans and vulnerable children who are the tragic consequence of the AIDS pandemic.

What does it mean to be an orphan child in Africa? No food! No caregivers! No place to live! No one to love them or provide them with any guidance! Their fear of uncertainty is extreme while dealing with the depression of losing their Mom and/or Dad. They are prime prospects for child prostitution or membership in terrorist gangs! They grow up with a warped attitude on life and continue the awful cycle of poverty, illiteracy and disease, with no hope for the future.

RFFA and Rotary Clubs in Africa have been working for five years with partner organizations to find caregivers for these children and provide general sustenance. But these children still cannot go to school because school is not free in Africa. Education is the only foundation of hope for these children.

We offer you the opportunity to help these children so we can invest in future peacemakers and leaders of the world. The sum of $450 USD pays for one child’s school fees, school uniform, school supplies, a treated bed net, and some nutritional support for one year.

The children are grateful for whatever you can provide via our website at www.rffa.org.

Or you can use your cell phone and text to donate as follows: Send to: 27138, with a message “RFFA 50″ or whatever sum you want to provide after the letters “RFFA”. Your funds are managed by Rotarians here In the U.S. and then again upon receipt and distribution in Africa.

We sincerely thank you for your generosity and for your investment in the future of these children who so desperately need our help. Please donate whatever you can afford – what you are able to give in relation to your ability to give will make a difference in the life of a child made vulnerable by the AIDS pandemic.

Warmest wishes,

Marion Bunch begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting - CEO, and the RFFA Board of Directors

Message From Annie Lennox - World AIDS Day 2010

Today is a special day - It is World AIDS Day and the 3rd Anniversary of The SING Campaign.
I’m happy to tell you that we have come a long way in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

The new Global Report from UNAIDS shows that fewer people are becoming infected with HIV and that we have broken the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic.
We have reached the first part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halting and reversing the spread of HIV.

In less than five years, we have crossed the half way mark towards providing medicines to HIV positive pregnant women, in order to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies securing better health for mothers and children.

We are strengthening the platform for women and girls, to lead a movement against AIDS in support of Women’s rights. But the struggle continues.

The fight is far from over. We still have a long way to go. We need to continue to strengthen our focus on the needs and rights of young women, who are particularly vulnerable to HIV.

We need to ensure that global commitments are translated into increased support for women at the community level.

Men and boys must be our partners in transforming behaviors that endanger the health of society at large.
Raise your voice today – be an activist – fight for:

* Zero new infections – Protect yourself and your loved ones from infection. Know your status - get tested

* Zero discrimination – don’t tolerate STIGMA and DISCRIMINATION towards people living with HIV – Speak up - Take a stand – defend Human Rights

* Zero AIDS related deaths – convince people in power to ensure that money is available for treating, caring and supporting those who need it!

December 1st 2010 World AIDS Day.

Sydeny Harbour Bridge 2010 December 1st

What are you doing for World AIDS Day?  How about joining Rotary and then becoming a member of Rotarians For Fighting AIDS.  Only $100 life time mebership go to the RFFA web site for details on what Rotary is doing for the World AIDS pandemic.

Rotarians For Fighting AIDS.

Watch Bono and Austraian Prime Minister Julia Gillard turn Sydney Red

Zula Girl

Zulu Girl Age 10

Afraid is something I can talk
about, she said, her eyes wide
in the dark of her young face.
I was afraid my mother would die
because she took care of us and she
was my mother. She died in spring.
I was afraid my father would die
and it would be only me and my little
brother. He died the next winter.
Now I am afraid when I hear animals
at night. There’s a leopard here.
I’m afraid when I hear men’s
voices drunk outside, even baby girls
are not safe here. I use different
voices and rattle things to make
them think we are not alone.
I am afraid when I have no candles
left, night comes so soon. I am afraid
when our meal is running out,
I know I will have to teach my little brother
to steal. I am afraid I cannot get
to the school when it rains, and
then there is no hope. Afraid
is something I can talk about.

Please visit the web sites below where credit is due:

The Africa Project

- By Peggy Goetz, from “Africa Unfinished”

Thanks to Megan MacDonald for her wonderful writings:

There She Goes

Peter Kyle in Montreal

Above Peter Kyle receives The Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award at the third plenary session in Montreal on 22 June from RI President John Kenny and Foundation Trustee Chair Glenn E. Estess Sr.

The Rotary Foundation Trustees are very pleased to announce the selection of Rotarian Peter Kyle as the recipient of the 2009-10 Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award. Peter is an international attorney in Washington, DC. He recently retired as lead counsel for the World Bank and is currently still consulting for the bank. He worked on more than 100 international development projects in a wide variety of countries during his career with the bank, advising them on their legal infrastructure to foster a stronger economy. As the district alumni subcommittee chair for District 7620, he made exceptional efforts in connecting Foundation alumni in the area. He also served at the RI representative to the World Bank and has been very active with Outward Bound.

Peter Kyle is originally from New Zealand and below he states why he joined RFFA:

“RFFA is a highly successful Rotarian Action Group and I was delighted to have been invited to serve on their Board. It will give me an opportunity to contribute towards helping the children affected by the scourge of HIV/AIDS while working alongside an extremely competent, committed and collegial group of Rotarians.”

Peter Kyle, spoke recently to the Bethesda Chase Rotary Club about the World Bank and its role in health, water and education. “WB now has 184 member companies and its primary goal is to reduce poverty by promoting sustainable economic development. The goal is to cut poverty in half by 2015. In Africa poverty is rising, getting worse with the energy crisis affecting food supplies. At thirty percent of its budget, a major effort is financing infrastructure projects; roads, bridges, telecommunications. 7% of its budget is involved in health efforts. HIV/AIDS is top priority, as well as fighting malaria, avian flu and developing vaccines. 8% of the WB budget goes to education, where they are especially active in literacy and education of women. About 9% goes towards financing water, sanitation & flood prevention projects. WB always finances programs through governments, but they need more hands-on effort, to see that programs reach those who really need the help. Rotary can be a great partner in this with Rotary clubs and their local-level resources.”

Peter is a member of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill (Washington, D.C.)

From 400,000 treated to 5 million in 6 years, now is the time to keep up the fight.