Malawi message

A message from Teddy Phiri our Malawi contact. The Youth Programme is providing agricultural training for orphanned teens who are finished school It is funded by Seeds for Malawi, our Saltspring sister group.

The Youth Programme is doing very well. We had a very good field
day where by chiefs, government extension officers, local population came
to view the youth garden of maize.We had more than 50 people.It was very
successful and people really appreciated the efforts of agricultural
development through the youth.


Teddy

Dancing Aids in Malawi

The Village is Tilting: Dancing Aids in Malawi

Feb. 6 to Sept. 3, 2007

Museum of Anthropology at UBC

A ground breaking exhibit of the Gulu Wamkulu secret society masks from Malawi. These masks are being used in reinvented dances to open up the message of AIDS. The exhibit contains dozens of video interviews with Malawiians expressing their beliefs and fears about AIDS.

Check the Musuem of Anthropology website www.moa.ub.ca for more information.

March 8 to March 10 will feature discussions on Perceptions of Africa.

Marion Recommends

There is No One Without You

One woman’s odyssey to rescue Africa’s children by Melissa Fay Green.

Marion recommends this as a good account of Aids as it affects children in Africa.

Thanks from Malawi

This letter was forwarded by Teddy Phiri, our contact in Malawi. Stuart's wife died of AIDS. He is HIV positive but is now on anti-retroviral drugs. He is working with others to educate them about AIDS. Now that his health is stronger he is able to support his five children. One of the great benefits of ARVs is that they keep the parents alive to support their children.

The Coordinator

AAA Project

Mzuzu

Dear Sir / Madam

Re: WORD OF THANKS

I write to thank you for saving my life. I would have been dead without you. You did not stop at just saving my life but you have continued looking after me all through out from 2003 you have been looking after me through with life necessities such as days provision you have provided daily bread when sick, you taken me to the hospital, you have been giving me medicine, providing me soap, sugar, blankets and fertilizer when my family was lacking you giving me poles, wrap plastic paper for roofing and cash for grass.

I cannot say all what you do for me to date, I want you to understand that I am very thankful for all what you are doing for me, it is not easy for you to come all the way up to my house and appreciate my problems please keep it up.

May the Good Lord Almighty Bless You.

Thank you.

Stuart Mhango.

Angel Fundraising 2006

Fundraising Total 2006

Our final tally for last year’s fundraising was $72,000.

Since we began in 2001, we have raised a total of $150,000.

You can see how quickly we have grown.

In 2006, half our funds came from angel sales and half came from donations. We are a registered society but not a federally registered charity. However, our donors are very supportive because they like to know where our funds are going. They appreciate our direct project links. See the Thanks from Zambia section for one example.

How Much goes to Africa?

How much of your fundraising goes to Africa?

Over six year operation, 93% of our funds have gone directly to our 4 projects. Most of the 7% expenses covers the cost of buying the wooden pegs and beads, the glue and the wool that make up the base of the angel bodies.

How Many Angels?

How Many Angels have been Made?

Since 2001, Aids Angels Victoria have made 20,000 angels.

Thanks from Zambia

Thanks from Zambia

This message comes from Mrs. Dil at St. Nicholas Orphanage in Makeni, Zambia.

A very generous donation to African Aids Angels Victoria has enabled us to provide funding to build a new dormitory for the orphanned girls at Makeni. She addressed it Dr. Dil and his wife Lee Ann, our contacts for this project.

Dear Pierre and Leeann,

I became aware of this wonderful news ( funding for the dorm) on Sunday evening when Anton phoned me from England, but lost two very enthusiastic letters of thanks to you and AAA when we had power failures. As it happened in the daytime, I had nothing to warn me of the power failure until the computer stopped and I completely lost my messages !

We have had very good daily rains, but also daily electricity and telephone failures,.

…immediately convey to them (AAA and the donor) our heartfelt thanks for this wonderful gift. We are totally overwhelmed !!

We struggle with the immense workload, trying to keep uptodate with 21st century equipment, while the elements… and financial constraints, resulting in short-staffing, are constantly sabotaging us.

It is now 11.30 at night Tues. and I could reread your amazing news for the first time since yesterday morning, at 10am, when we had a powercut till 5pm, and I have since had no use of my telephone.

We have got in touch with the builders, and will let you know as soon as we start.

I am hoping that Truus and Jan will be coming out, sometime in this year, and it will be a lovely project for the children to do with Jan. I can just imagine the building covered with flying Angels ! (one of these guests is an artist, who could paint the dorm walls with angels)

At first we were only going to do an extension for the girls dormitory, but now we will try to do the same for the boys. Truus and Jan and friends of MEC in Holland and Flanders, have also been doing fundraising for this project, since it is quite expensive, so we will put our resources together.

As soon as we have done our sums and checked our combined finances, we will give you exact details of how your money will be spent.

Once again, grateful thanks and love

Blog Count

Blog

Look at the bottom right hand column. You will see a counter that tells how many people have looked at our blog since January 1, 2007.

Click on View My Stats then on Recent Visitor Map to see where the last 100 contacts
came from. Someone from Poland checked in this week, plus many hits from all over North America.