Angola: African Beauty and Tragedy
The Republic of Angola is on the coast of south-west Africa, bordered to the south by Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the east and north.
It has breathtaking scenery and pure white beaches, and is one of Africa's most beautiful countries. With its vast reserves of diamonds, it is also potentially one of the wealthiest. But most of its 13 million people live in grinding poverty as a result of over 25 years of civil war that finally ended in 2002.
Aids in Angola
Angola, as well as recovering from the affects of a prolonged civil war, is having to come to terms with a rising rate of HIV/AIDS. Nearly 4% of the adult population is affected and more than 100,000 children were orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS in 2003 (source UNICEF). Malaria is a bigger problem.
SOS Children is working in Benguela and Lubango reaching out to Aids orphans and other vulnerable children and their families in the local communities. SOS Children works with the local health departments and other NGOs on prevention through education and voluntary testing. We directly confront the HIV/AIDS pandemic by our work with the government health department. We are working with a local NGO to do widespread voluntary testing for HIV/AIDS.
If you interested in helping the situation in Angola you might like to consider how to sponsor a child in Angola.