SOS Children's Charity: Spring 2006 Newsletter
28/03/2006
A Classic Response- Supporting AIDS Africa
Each and every day around eight thousand people die as a result of HIV/AIDS and another fourteen thousand people are newly infected.
AIDS does not recognise gender, race or age, and children are often the most vulnerable to its effects. A child is orphaned by AIDS every fourteen seconds.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the epicentre of the global Aids epidemic, resulting in unfathomable suffering, destruction and despair. With just over 10% of the world's population it is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV- nearly 26 million! In 2005, an estimated 3.2 million people on the continent became newly infected, whilst another 2.5 million died.
SOS Children has projects helping more than 48,000 African children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in more than twenty African countries.
In Ethiopia over 1.5 million people live with HIV/AIDS leaving resources hugely over-stretched. Consequently staff like nurse Yitateku Zewdu at SOS Children's Village Harrar, are crucial. Zewdu tends to the needs of over 150 children, mothers and staff in the village and also helps provide health education and counselling to surrounding communities.
Beneficiaries of Zewdu's work include 25-year-old Anmaz who, having already lost her husband to HIV/AIDS is now dying of the disease herself, orphaning her two children. Yet physical, emotional and financial support from a large extended family at SOS Harrar enables her children to continue living with their mother for as long as possible. As Nurse Zewdu describes 'Her children are our children and we look after them as we would our own'.
Through our villages and community outreach programmes, we aim to increase awareness, provide medication, practical advice and emotional support in order to improve the lives of families such as Anmaz's. However, in order to sustain, improve and extend the scope of our projects in Africa we need your help.
Following the success of the first Classic Response concert last year, where over £155,000 was raised to help families affected by the devastating Tsunami, a second concert is to be held this Easter. Saturday 15 April will see a host of stars from the classical world including G4, The Choirboys and Russell Watson perform at the Royal Albert Hall to support our work with AIDS orphans in Africa.
G4 returned from visiting Ghana in early March, where they were able to see our work with orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. See the Diary and more pictures of G4's visit to SOS Ghana.
To join us at the Royal Albert Hall you can order your tickets at the Royal Albert Hall Box Office on 020 7589 8212 or visit www.royalalberthall.com. We look forward to seeing you there!