Month: March 2008

Brunt of HIV mortaility

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“The increased spiral of adult deaths in so many countries means that the number of children orphaned each day is expanding exponentially. Africa is staggering under the load.“ – Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa

A disturbing statistic to support the assertion of the amazing Stephen lewis, of an estimated 15 million children who have been orphaned (under 18) worldwide, 12 million of those live in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is currently estimated that 9% of all children have lost at least one parent to AIDS
“UNAIDS, 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, Chapter 4: the impact of AIDS on people and societies”

By 2010, it is predicted that there will be around 15.7 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“UNAIDS/ UNICEF/ USAID, ‘Children on the Brink 2004: A joint report of new orphan estimates and a framework for action’ “

Mathare Slums in Nairobi

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THE MATHARE SLUMS IN NAIROBI KENYA.

The Water Supply

600,000 souls exist here in atrocious conditions.

NO Running water; NO toilets; NO hope.
RFFA {Rotarians For Fighting AIDS}, is here in the Mathare slums with Hope World Wide to rescue orphans in a partnership called “The Africa Partnership for Children Orphaned and at Risk or {ANCHOR}”.
It is here that we will distribute the first O.R.K.s in Nairobi. See our section on what is an O.R.K.

Hout Bay EMS supported by Rotary

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Spirit of Rotary

Spirit of Rotary ambulance in Hout Bay

Hout Bay EMS recently visited Rotary to show off their new Hout Bay Ambulance.

The history of Rotary and Hout Bay EMS goes back several years. Two previous ambulances named the Spirit of Rotary were made possible by the fundraising made by Rotary with the Hout Bay community.

The nature of ambulances are that as high speed vehicles they are often in accidents themselves and out last ambulance was written off at least once in accidents. Also because the ambulance had been donated back to the municipality, Hout Bay had no say in where the ambulance went and often the ambulance was on the wrong side of the mountain when it was desperately needed.

This situation all changed when Hout Bay EMS were able to find a major sponsor willing to give enough money for a complete vehicle. Rotary Hout Bay came to the party by helping with refitting costs, and by helping with the defibrallator machine as well as the trunking radio system which allows better communication between the ambulance, paramedics and the base station.

Mobile Fight HIV/AIDS in Mpika District

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UNICEF Image
© UNICEF video
Rose Namilinga tests a young couple for HIV; both are negative. She also talks to them about planning for the future.

By Christyne Bahringer

MPIKA, Zambia, 11 March 2008 – One in five pregnant women in Zambia is HIV-positive. It is a heart-stopping figure, but it also explains the increasing rates of paediatric HIV that doctors are facing in hospitals and clinics across the country.

In Lusaka, the capital, recent data from the University Teaching Hospital indicate that an estimated 40 per cent of all infants and children admitted to the malnutrition ward are HIV-positive. This information has been gathered as a result of the hospital’s policy of offering voluntary HIV testing for every mother, infant and child who is admitted.

Such critical details on HIV are not available throughout Zambia, however. Outside of urban centres such as Lusaka and Ndola, families lack easy access to hospitals and clinics. For example, in Zambia’s largest district, Mpika – home to about 165,000 people – there is just one government hospital, Mpika District Hospital, and one doctor, Mulindwa Tarcis.

Reaching the most vulnerable

Known and respected throughout the district, Dr. Tarcis is surrounded by some of the most capable and dedicated nurses and community health workers anywhere. Together, he and his team tirelessly reach out to the people of Mpika, especially mothers and children vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.

Last year, UNICEF helped Dr. Tarcis organize a mobile HIV/AIDS unit to reach the most vulnerable. He recruited some of his best staff for the innovative project.

“There are no decent roads into the district, and no one has transportation anyway,” said Bowas Lukama, who now coordinates the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in Mpika. “So UNICEF donated the vehicle and some supplies to get us started. Now we travel the district regularly, visiting the 19 health posts throughout the area. Sometimes, we arrive to queues of over 100 people waiting to be tested.”

Read more

What does HOPE Worldwide do?

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 HOPE Worldwide

HOPE Wordwide Programs

HOPE worldwide serves the poor from Jamaica to Russia to South Africa to China to the United States. We provide homes for orphans and leprosy patients. We care for the sick, educate the disadvantaged, meet the needs of children and seniors around the globe, and provide training and access for employment opportunities.

HOPE worldwide our programs Health

We improve the health of critically underserved communities through health, education and the delivery of high quality, compassionate healthcare.
HOPE worldwide our programs Education

We empower disadvantaged adults and youth to become productive members of society through basic educational assistance, vocational and technology training, mentoring, teaching, and arts and sports programs.
HOPE worldwide our programs Children

We give children hope for a productive and fulfilling future by providing healthcare, education, opportunities for development, mentoring, counseling, foster care and adoption.
HOPE worldwide our programs Seniors

We help seniors age with dignity, respect and security by providing them with friendship and by meeting their personal needs through senior centers and home visits.
HOPE worldwide our programs Employment

We create opportunities for the newly trained and for the disadvantaged to find sustainable employment to support themselves and their families.
HOPE worldwide our programs Outreach

We motivate, train and mobilize volunteers around the world to deliver critical assistance that supports health, education, development and care programs. Global Outreach inspires volunteer participation to help meet the needs of disadvantaged children and adults.

Why Join RFFA?

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Why Should You Become a Member of RFFA?

by Bill Mackay, RFFA Board Member

Membership in Rotary is defined as a diverse group of professional leaders working to address various community and international service needs. Through community service and other means, Rotary club members help promote peace and understanding throughout the world. Members are the most important asset. They are the force that allows Rotary to carry out its many humanitarian efforts and achieve its mission.

As a Rotary Action Group (RAG), Rotarians For Fighting AIDS (RFFA) provides an opportunity to mobilize Rotarians and provide global leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS that will assist Rotarians around the world in bringing meaning to membership. …..

For $20 per year or $l00 for a lifetime membership you can join our Action Group approved by Rotary International’ Board of Directors in October of 2003. The mission of RFFA includes:

• focus Rotarians on assisting community support efforts for orphans and vulnerable children

• create a structure which encourages Rotarians around the globe to work on HIV/AIDS education and prevention

• Promote all club and district AIDS programs and help align those in
need with those who have resources

• align the global Rotary community with best practices community childcare programs such as HOPE worldwide in Africa

• break the silence and reduce the stigma surrounding AIDS

RFFA is completely dependent on memberships for its funding. As a volunteer organization seeking to make a significant difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS, we need to be able to connect with all Rotarians that share the same vision.

Many Rotarians may be involved in district based initiatives such as RADAR , an initiative adopted by several districts in Zone 22; or the Los Altos Rotary AIDS Project in D5170, or the multiple projects driven by Rotary Clubs in Africa and India. These are all club driven initiatives in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Whatever solution you may have adopted, a RFFA membership deserves consideration because it will take a collaborative effort in order to be heard as one powerful voice. As Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS stated at the World AIDS Day, “If only we could galvanize the world, we’d subdue this pandemic. We’re terrific when it comes to studies and documentation. Reports like the Epidemic Update issued by UNAIDS last week are models of statistical compilation, containing pockets of fascinating material. But the report itself acknowledges that real progress against the pandemic is hard to find. We need a superhuman effort from every corner of the international community.”

Please consider your membership in RFFA.