28

Summer Angel Reading

28, by Stephanie Nolan, the Globe and Mail’s Africa correspondent is getting excellent reviews.

Nolan has told the story of 28 individuals affected by Aids to represent the human side of Aids in Africa. Each story represents 1 million people impacted by the disease.

Where Did All the Money Go?

2007 Funds sent to Projects.

African Aids Angels raised over $70,000 in 2006. At the beginning of 2007 we consulted with our projects to determine their needs and responded to each of them. Here are the details.

African Aids Angels Victoria has disbursed $12,000 to Thembalethu Orphanage. http://africanaidsangels.googlepages.com/south . Our group is providing all of the 2007 funding for this small orphanage that cares for about 30 children. Thembalethu is officially a half-way house that keeps children until they can be adopted. It does not qualify as an official orphanage and as a result does not receive funding from the South African government. However there are few adoption homes and in effect it is functioning as an orphanage with minimal resources.

Vic and Lorraine Parsons, the founders of AAA Victoria will be traveling to South Africa and assisting at Thembalethu this fall. They will be able to see for themselves what the children need and how we can best assist. We look forward to their stories and reports.

Mariannhill Hospital , http://www.stmarys.co.za/ , has received $20,000 for the Born to Live Program. This comprehensive program provides Anti-retroviral drugs to pregnant mothers with AIDS to prevent the transmission of Aids to their newborns. This treatment is 90% effective. The South African government now provides the funds for the ARV drugs. AAA Victoria’s funds go to provide adequate food for the mother and child and also support from social workers. Vic and Lorraine will also visit Mariannhill to see how our funds are being used.

St. Nicholas Orphanage at Makeni Ecumenical Center http://www.makeni.org.uk/orph_news.htm in Zambia, has received two separate funding allotments. A generous donor from Victoria has provided $15,000 to build a new dormitory for the girls at the orphanage. The funds are currently held in trust as Makeni works through the paperwork for building permits. It seems like it’s the same the whole world over when it comes to working with City Hall! A recent email from Makeni:

"Gordon Wadey had been working hard with one of our Board members, Joe Pollen to get everything in order for the orphanage extension. The drawings have been done professionally, and submitted to the City
Council. "

We have also sent $10,160 towards the day to day running of the orphanage and other AIDS relief programs at Makeni.

Pierre (our Board member) and Lee Ann Dil will be working at the orphanage this fall for three months. Once again we are so fortunate as a funding group to have this direct contact with the people we support.

AAA is holding funds to distribute to our Mzuzu, Malawi group in September. http://africanaidsangels.googlepages.com/malawi This funding supports Aids widows and their children by providing farm inputs of seeds and fertilizers so that these family fragments can have assistance in being self-supporting. Our funds are co-ordinated with the planting year. Crops are are sown in October and November. We also pay secondary school fees for orphans and provide some hospice food aid as requested.

Mary and Larry Bomford are the contacts for Malawi. They do not have a trip planned to our project in Mzuzu in the near future but we have a regular email connection with Teddy Phiri our contact there.

How Does the Money Get to Africa

How Do you Send Money to the Projects?

Aids Angels Victoria has a community account with Island Savings and Credit Union. They organize the transactions direct from our account in Victoria to the bank accounts of our projects overseas.

Angel Hair

Angels Bald and Haired

Marg, our faithful organizer of bald angels in need of hair, is moving house. For the next few months contact Mary Bomford africanaidsangels@gmail.com either to get haired angels or to pick up angels and wool. Marg will pick up this task again once she is settled in her new home.