The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organizations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Whilst we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done.

World AIDS Day 2008 materials are available online. Click here to download resources.

Sorry, the mail version of the World AIDS Day materials are SOLD OUT!!!!!

To prepare for World AIDS Day 2008, you can do the following:

• Download World AIDS Day materials for 2008.
• Enter your World AIDS Day event on our INTERNATIONAL WORLD AIDS DAY CALENDAR
• Read more about leadership and why 2008 is the time to LEAD-EMPOWER-DELIVER
• Learn more about events and SMS pledge campaign happening for World AIDS Day in India
• Find out more about events happening in countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia
• Read about what happened on World AIDS Day in 2007
• Find out about more information about themes and resources for World AIDS Day 2007, 2006 and 2005
• View the campaigners tools available for 2008, 2007 and 2006

Please continue to check back for updates on events and resources. If you would like us to inform you about World AIDS Day updates via email, please sign up here.

 You can contact World AIDS Campaign directly for further information.

**Taken from WorldAidsCampaign.org

“I am obviously biased towards Malawi because that is home to me, but I grew up in Zimbabwe and I break down every time I see any media on what’s going on there and when I hear from friends still in the country. I was wondering if you would consider writing a blog on what’s going on there just so that we can get a little bit more attention to the matter. I think you have a great group of people reading the blog and every bit of focus on this horrendous situation would help.”

Not knowing the facts well enough to share here with you I did some research:

• The Zimbabwean economy is in a state of prolonged crisis
• Of it’s 13 million people, 56% live on less than $1 per day
• It’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the fourth highest in the world with as many as 27% of the population under 50 infected
• Their life expectancy of 40.9 years makes it the fourth lowest in the world
• 47% lack sustainable access to safe sanitation
• 19% of the rural population lack sustainable access to improved water supplies
• There are an estimated 1.3 million orphans

According to a Research Paper No. 2008/41 of UNU-Wider (World Institute for Development Economics Research, “Statistics and trends are hardly able to convey the magnitude of the current crisis in Zimbabwe.” They went on to explain that Zimbabwe’s GDP is down by 40% since 2000, agricultural production has reduced by 50% in the same period, approximately 80% of adults are unemployed and 85% are now categorized as poor.
How can this be? It seems to have been a result of the perfect storm comprised of adverse climate conditions (drought), persistence of HIV/AIDS and political crisis. In the news are such horrific stories like the one about 700,000 citizens being left homeless by the bulldozing of their homes, also causing millions more to starve after violent land seizures that destroyed their farming.

Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Darfur….they all need our help desperately. If you are interested in learning more about efforts to help: ONE.org, Global Giving, Direct Relief, SOS Children’s Villages, GOAL, are just a few. You can simply Goggle Zimbabwe Poverty and you will find pages and pages of resources and ongoing efforts of aid of all kinds.

I am grateful yet saddened to have learned so much more about the current plight of Zimbabwe. But, now I truly understand why she wanted me to write about it. We have so much to do.

Sometimes I marvel at life and the amazing way that important and life changing people and events come our way at just the right moment in time.

The other day, one of those “amazing connections” came to me in the form of an email from a doctor I had worked with many years ago on the board of the Pasadena Community Non-Violent Resource Center. Since then I have moved to North Carolina and my personal focus has expanded to helping Mothers Fighting For Others and our dear St Monica’s Orphanage in Kenya.

When I received this email I immediately forwarded it to Rocky, feeling there must be something we could do. She said….write about it on Mothers Fighting for Other!. As I was re-reading the email I realized I could never capture the essence of it and so will share the email with you all as it was written: The Children of Malawi

“As you know, Mary and I have been spending about two months each summer for the past 7 years in Malawi, one of Africa’s poorest countries. The Malawi people are among the finest, warmest and most loving people we have ever known. Many of them have become family to us.

Poverty, malnutrition, limited medical resources and inadequate clean water dominate the lives of many of them.

When we are in Malawi we volunteer in rural clinics and hospitals. We work with rural community based projects organized by the Malawi people as they deal with the disease and hunger and death that are part of their everyday existence. Many of these efforts are supported by the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) which introduced us to the needs of Malawi’s people. We also organize travel for friends from the U.S. who come to learn from and to be in solidarity with the people of Malawi. Through careful listening and respectful observation, our U.S. travelers discern how they can best serve in order to bring hope to Malawi’s orphans, to their guardians and to the sick and dying. The good news in all that is not in the unbelievably poor conditions that our Malawi friends face every day, but— that they are rising to the occasion, helping one another in the most remarkable ways. And, with the help of caring people in the U.S., resources are made available to help them tackle their problems. Individuals and congregations and non-governmental organizations are all helping in these efforts. I know of many great organizations, but I know of none that makes every dollar given accomplish as much as GAIA does, nor of any that works any more closely with the Malawi people, utilizing their leadership skills and vision and commitment to invest in lasting and sustainable changes in their communities. When I am so fresh from seeing how effectively your gifts are helping the children and their women caretakers and in helping reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Malawi, I cannot let the opportunity go.I must ask you once again to consider helping these people with your prayers and with your dollars. Please go to the GAIA website right now and see if you are not moved by what your gift can do: The GAIA You can give immediately on line or put a check in the mail —or even make an ongoing commitment, as some of my friends do, by having a set monthly donation authorized through using their credit card.Now—here is some other good news. And now I am not asking you for money. I am asking for your voice.

Senators Tom Daschle and Bill Frist are about to meet with the committees that write the governing agendas for the Democratic and Republican party. They are going to ask the political leaders who make up these committees to add anti-poverty planks to their platforms, making ending global poverty official party policy.

And they need our help. I just took action with the ONE Campaign and signed their petition to the platform committees. Senators Frist and Daschle will deliver our signatures and send the message that Americans want a strong commitment to ending the suffering caused by extreme poverty and global disease.You can take action too, here: http://www.one.org/platforms/?rc=platformstaf Our nation and other nations need to keep the promise we have made to the world’s poor. Let your voice be heard. Shift the use of our tax dollars away from waging war to waging peace by ending the suffering of the world’s poorest people.This is a time of hope! Join me as an active ONE member and let our voices be heard by our leaders.”Wow, we have a lot to do! I hope my sharing this letter with you will energize you to take action…whether for St. Monica’s or Malawi or helping the global effort to help the world’s poor. We CAN make a difference!

Last week, I wrote a post about a great organization called Artists For A New South Africa. Please take a moment and read up on them. Their website is full of great information on what and how they make a difference in the lives of those here in the US and in South Africa as well. They made it to the top 50 of American Express Members Project last week. And not to my surprise, they have made it to the top 25. YEAH!

This just means we are not even close to being finished. We need to get them to the Top 5, then to the Winners Circle!!

But for now…

What do you need to do? Click HERE. It will take you to the American Express site and log in on the top right. Once you’re logged in, go to “Search Projects” and enter ANSA’s project ID number: 6841. Vote for Help African Children Orphaned by AIDS. Make it a favorite, write a great comment and show your support!

It is as simple as that for you to make a difference. Do it and make your vote count.

Global Action For Children and North American Bear Co have joined forces to create these great little monsters! They were designed by kids for kids. Just another way to get todays youth involved in our Global Community. I think this is a great idea. 10% of the proceeds go to Global Action For Children. ( I do wish more of the proceeds went to Global Action, though)

Just to fill you in, Global Action For Children is a…

nonpartisan, results-oriented organization dedicated to being advocates for orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world. Our mission is to increase the level of funding by the governments of the richest countries for orphans in the poorest countries of the world.

There will be 20 Million orphans in the world by 2010, 20 Million! That’s only three years from now. The crazy thing is these are only children who will loose their parents to HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately millions more will loose their parents to diseases such as malaria and TB.

These children need a voice. Your voice, my voice, our voice.

Global Action For Children is helping them and us give them a voice.

Purchasing one of these little monsters is just an easy way to help. Check out the different monsters below and buy one today!

You can go to FAO Schwarz, Amazon.com, or the MANY OTHER online resources to buy one.

I just might buy them for Christmas!

ANSA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating the African AIDS pandemic and advancing democracy and equality in South Africa. ANSA also works to further civil rights and safeguard voting rights in the U.S.

Since 1995, ANSA has raised over $8 million for effective South African nonprofits which…

• Fight HIV/AIDS
  
• Strengthen democracy
  
• Combat hunger and malnutrition
  
• Improve education and reduce illiteracy
  
• Provide advanced training for African journalists and emerging leaders
  
• Offer arts programs and training for disadvantaged youth
  
• Develop micro-enterprises to reduce poverty and unemployment amongst young adults
  
• Fund women’s economic self-help farming and craft cooperatives
  
• Promote and preserve South African culture and history
  
• Provide psychological assistance and rehabilitation for South African survivors of torture and former child soldiers in Mozambique.

They are looking at the big picture here. This is what I admire about them the most. There is so much valuable information about this wonderful organization. You can click HERE, and take a look for yourself.

There are many ways you can help.

You can sign up to their mailing list to keep yourself informed.

You can Donate Directly Online or

Donate by Mail
Send a check or money order payable to:
Artists for a New South Africa
P.O. Box 1616
Los Angeles, CA 90034

Donate by Phone
Call Toll Free 1-877 4-AFRICA (423-7422)

They have cool things they are auctioning off to raise funds also!

You can also shop at IGIVE.com and a portion of the funds goes to ANSA.

But the BEST way you can help is to go to the Members Project at American Express.

They made it to the top 50 and they need our continued support. So if you are a cardmember, get yourself over there by clicking on the badge above, register, and vote for project #6841 Help African Children Orphaned by AIDS. There is only 3 more days to vote!

Good luck to all of you over at ANSA. I hope all the best for you on winning the Members Project Award. I look forward to meeting you all in the near future.

Best of Luck,

This T-Shirt can make a difference in someones life. This is Gap’s (PRODUCT) REDâ„¢ INSPI(RED) T-Shirt. I have three. It is the softest, most comfortable cotton T-shirt I have ever owned. It is made of 100% African cotton and I LOVE IT!

The (Red) Campaign was created by both Bono and Bobby Shriver to help raise awareness and money for women and children who have HIV/AIDS in Africa through The Global Fund. Gap (PRODUCT) RED^TM is just one of the many products that (Red) has to offer. I just thought I would introduce Gap (PRODUCT) RED^TM today to start.

I took this from The (RED) website so you could see how it works.

So, locate your local Gap or go to Gap.com to get all the cool (PRODUCT) RED^TM products.

Looking this good has never felt so great!

I talked to Rocky quite a while back about showcasing stories on Mothers Fighting For Others about real people doing real things to make a real difference in the world.

The following story is from the Joliet Herald News and is an example of just that:
Jill Sperling is the dean of students at Drauden Point Middle School, here in the town I live in. My cousin Nikki Knights is a graduate of that school, as of last week here in Plainfield, IL. I took this story from the Herald News newspaper in hopes of showcasing the life and inspiration for her dedication to the children of Southeast Africa.

Jill will be leaving for the city of Malawi, which has been devasted by AIDS, and more than half of Malawai’s 13 million people live in poverty. She will be spending 17 days with her brothers, Joel and Jon Van Dahm, in Malawai to complete their mission there. Jill and her brothers will be helping the missionaries Will and Pam Phillips, who care for 120 children, which includes 29 infants.

“My heart is with the babies” Sperling is quoted as saying. “I just want to go to Africa and rock the babies.”

Jill lives in Lombard, IL and will distribute 3,000 of the 5,126 books that Drauden Point Students collected this past year. To pay for the $3,000 mailing cost, the student council donated the money necessary to ship the books, as well as teachers and friends! Jill (32) and her husband Bruce had a dream of traveling to Africa for many years. Two years ago they decided that 2007 would be the year they made trip.

On Memorial Day weekend, 2006 Bruce Sterling, and his brother Mark ,tried to rescue a kyaker on the Fox River in Yorkville, IL and he, his brother, and the kayaker all drowned. Bruce was youth minister at their church in Lombard.

After Bruce’s death she continued on her quest to go to Africa, and her brothers Joel and Jon decided to join her. “They saw an urgent need there and felt they were in a position to help. That desire was reflected in Bruce’s life.” said Joel.

Joel Van Dahm has a degree in engineering and is interested in water systems. Jon will offer his expertise in running a small business to the children. “We can be a symbol of hope in place that appears hopeless”, a quote from Jon Van Dahm.

This my friends is what is it all about… Inspiration and Action!

I remember hearing the story of Bruce and his brother on the news last year. I know now, that Jill and her husband Bruce are a testament to those who were born to do good things!

Thank you to the Sperling and Van Dahm families for raising such a wonderful family of caring children. And to Bruce and Jill for choosing to be a part of the solution!

I plan on attempting to contact Jill directly in the next few days, but in the mean time I wish her and her family a safe and meaningful trip to Africa.

She started at home. She is raising 20 sons on her own. She is teaching those men who will be married one day to respect and empower their future wives. What she is teaching her children now will slowly change the face of Uganda.

I am inspired by her. I strive to be like her. It’s amazing that a mother that lives on the other side of the world has touched me and inspired me not just be a better mother, but a better woman.

In 2010, there will be at least 100 million orphans
and children affected by AIDS.

FXB International has initiated this Day of Consciousness, World AIDS Orphan Day.

• The mission of FXB is to fight poverty and AIDS and support the AIDS orphans and vulnerable children left in the wake of the AIDS pandemic by providing global support to families and communities that care for them by advocating for their basic rights.
• Every year on May 7 FXB gives a voice to those millions of voiceless through a global solidarity and consciousness-raising day: World AIDS Orphans Day.

How can you help?
You can sign up for the cause and raise your voice.
You can make a donation that will help a child’s future.
You can send a check, a wire transfer, or donate ONLINE.
You can also go and support an event.

Being aware of the problem is a start. It’s what you do from there that counts.

I hope to see the number of people who join this cause rise high. My name is Rocky, and I was number 302. I refuse to let these children’s voices not be heard. I hope you do too.

Peace my friends,