Aids & Orphans
HOPE and HOMES
“This is our moment, this is our time, and this is our chance to stand up for what is right. Three thousands Africans, mostly children, die every day of mosquito bites. We can fix that. Nine thousand people dying every day die of a preventable treatable disease like AIDS. We have got the drugs. We can help them.” –BONO
When you hear the word “Saturday”, what comes to mind? For me, it’s a day of college football, sleeping in and waking up slow, time with friends and loved ones, and a day to rest. For many Africans, Saturday is a day of mourning. Most African funerals are held on Saturday, and with 20 million people dying in 20 years due to the HIV virus, it’s a ceremony that is all too common.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that there are 25 million people on the planet with HIV/AIDS. In India, 5.1 million people are HIV-positive, making it the second largest group outside of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is spreading throughout Asia, where 60 percent of the world’s population lives, into Russia, and even our own country.
The biggest problem with the AIDS pandemic, is that its attacking the working class, and has found the strongest hold among the developing world, where poverty is all to prevalent. Villages where its already an almost insurmountable task to provide food and shelter for your family suffer the most from this preventable disease. Orphan rates are skyrocketing, with over 14 million orphaned children, in Africa alone. With nowhere else to go, these children are taken in by widowed women in their town or village—or worse—left to fend for themselves.
What can I do to help? God promises that there is no such thing as an impossible situation. His redemption rises in the midst of pain and agony. Unfortunately, the AIDS pandemic is not one easily solved. It will take time, diligent effort and the attention of those who are often thought as disconnected from this crisis. AIDS is a disease that can be treated, can be prevented, and can be controlled. All we need to do is act. Pray for those who suffer, give to those in need, participate in programs that are making steps to a better world, lead those around you to do the same. We can end this.
GIVE BACK
Make a donation to an AIDS organization, or sponsor an orphan in a third world country.
GET EDUCATED
Learn about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and work hard to make sure those around you know the truth about the illness and how they can help those afflicted. Encourage friends and family members to set aside any bias they may have toward the disease and fight it with an open heart.
GET INVOLVED
Offer your services to an AIDS ministry. Get involved with a local hospice or hospital that treats those suffering from AIDS. Take a short-term mission trip to a country where AIDS runs rampant and help those who are sick. Lobby your local government officials to make AIDS prevention a priority.
OUR GOAL:
Support and expand relief efforts in the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and home to over 1.2 million orphans – Haiti.