Where to find Angels

Looking for Angels?

These generous shops listed on our website carry a rack of angels.

Some are year-round and some just carry them in the pre-holiday season. We thank them all for their support.

New donations

Looking for a meaningful gift, or something for the person with everything?

In addition to exchanging angels for donations, we're delighted to receive money in support of our projects in southern Africa. You can make a credit card donation through our website. Note that we have gift cards if you want to make a donation in honour of a friend.

If you have collected money for angels, or would like to make a donation by mail, please send a cheque or money order payable to African AIDS Angels. Mail to:

•       Brian Price
•       23-4051 Shelbourne St.
•       Victoria BC   V8N 3E5
•        tel. 250-721-3763

Questions can be addressed to africanaidsangels@gmail.com

Open House Thank Yous

Thanks go to the donor businesses that contributed to the door prizes and other costs at our Open Houses on Nov. 17 and 24.

Donors of gift certificates were:
     Baja Rosie's consignment store
     GardenWorks, Colwood
     Chamberlain Walk Hair Care
     Lux Spa (Forbes Pharmacy)

Donors of gift baskets:
     Mother Nature's Market & Deli
     Pure Integrative Pharmacy, Cook St.

Silk Road Teas contributed Angelwater tea which was served at Swan Lake.

The Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary provided free rent for Nov. 17.

We are grateful for all these donations. The winners of the door prizes were surprised and pleased. Thanks go to organizing committee members Barb, Fran, Ardelle, Joan, Ruth and Carol, plus helpers Terry, Mary, Larry, Vic, Lorraine, Cheryl, Shirley, Jaye and Linda.

Check out the photos of some of the beautiful angels seen at the Open Houses. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Where to find Angels in December

There are two opportunities in Victoria this weekend to pick up some angels, large and small.

• Tillicum Mall
• Friday to Sunday, November 30 to December 2
• mall hours, lower floor display
• 
  
• Dickens Fair
• Saturday December 1
• 2 to 8 pm
• James Bay Community School
• Oswego Street

Some generous shops around town also carry a rack of angels for quick gift ideas.

Message from Malawi

Delirah Phiri sent this message in November:

"Hello

We hope you are all fine.

We watched the video you guys uploaded -  felt special when watching it but we all know you are the real special ones.

We have paid school fees for the school fees beneficiaries, and have attached the pictures of the students.

sending regards

Delirah"

Recent photos from Zambia

Matthew Dil took some great photographs of our recent Dil family trip to Makeni Ecumenical Centre, posted to flickr, at the following link:

Matthew's pictures of Makeni

The orphanage children had a "fun-day" organized by community members in Makeni, and Pierre, Lee Ann, Andrew, and Matthew helped with activities. You will see pictures (in link above) of a giant inflatable "bouncy-castle", that the orphans (and some other local children who joined in for the day) absolutely loved. We were amazed no one had an accident! There was also a tug-of-war with an old hose-pipe (that broke spectacularly spilling kids and adults all over the place), a tag-team water bucket race, and a limbo competition favouring the smallest kids! There are also some pictures of Makeni in general herewith.

I have also posted some general pictures of the buildings and students at Makeni here:

Pierre's photos

Pierre Dil

Open House Sat. Nov. 24

Our second Open House will be held

Saturday Nov. 24
11 am to 2pm
Cook Street Activity Centre
380 Cook St., Victoria
no admission charge
cash or cheque only

Large and small angels will be available, for donations from $7 to $25. Come out to see what other angel-makers are doing, and get some new ideas.

Check out some of the beautiful standing angels made this year. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

African AIDS Angels will be selling angels at Videa Fair

Dear Friends,

Please join us for:

VIDEA’s

Fair Trade Fair

Saturday November 24th,

First Metropolitan United Church Hall

932 Balmoral Rd, off Quadra

10am till 4pm

A chance to support over 35 local fair trade vendors, make your holiday purchases with a conscience, enjoy great live music, food from the International Women’s Catering Coop, good friends and lots more!

Admission by donation, lots of door prizes,

Wheel chair accessible,

Please post widely!

More information at www.videa.ca

Big Open Houses

While African AIDS Angels has put on a big Open House in November for about the past 6 years, this is the first time there will be two events instead of one. For anyone who finds it difficult to get to Swan Lake Nature House (which will have the best selection), there will be a smaller Open House at Cook Street Activity Centre the following week.

There will be beautiful standing angels as well as the best examples of hanging ones. Both venues are wheelchair accessible.

Open House 1

• Sat. Nov. 17, 10 am - 3 pm 
• Swan Lake Nature House 
• 3873 Swan Lake Road 
• off McKenzie Ave. e. of Blanshard, take Rainbow or Nelthorpe 
• no admission, tea & cookies provided 
• minimum donation for angels $10, larger ones as marked
• credit, debit, cash and cheques accepted 

Open House 2

• Sat. Nov. 24, 11 am - 2 pm 
• Cook Street Activity Centre 
• 380 Cook Street in the Village 
• no admission 
• minimum donation for angels $7, larger ones as marked
• cash or cheque only

Please come and bring your friends. For printable copies of the posters or a smaller handout, send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com.

Fund-raising Opportunities

The following events are coming up in Victoria. Please volunteer now for the ones where help is needed.

In addition, if you have an opportunity to add a table or a few angels to another event, please let us know. Consider your workplace, tea parties, craft fairs, before or after Sunday service at church. This can really help our efforts.

• Sat. Nov. 3  Westshore Town Centre table, 9:30-5:30
• Sat. Nov. 17  Angels Open House, Swan Lake Nature House, 10-3 - volunteers needed
• Sat. Nov. 24  Angels Open House, Cook St. Activity Centre, 10-2 - volunteers needed
• & Sat. Nov. 24  VIDEA Fair Trade Fair, 923 Balmoral at Quadra 10am-4pm


• Fri. Nov. 30 through Sun. Dec. 2  Tillicum Mall table - all volunteer slots now filled !
Hours for 2-hour shifts: Friday Nov. 30 9:30am-9pm
Saturday Dec. 1, 9:30-5:30pm
Sunday Dec. 2, 11 am-5:00pm

• Sat. Dec. 1 Dickens Fair table, James Bay Community School, 2-8 pm

Send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com if you can volunteer for a few hours or more.

We still need more angels to supply these tables. Please deliver them in advance (not to sale events) to our supply depot,
Vic Parsons
1473 Banff Place
250-472-6499
lvparsons@shaw.ca

University & College News

Angels will be available this season at the University of Victoria and Camosun College.

The UVic Angels Club has arranged these dates to offer angels on campus:

• Wednesday, November 21, 10-3pm in Maclaurin lobby
• Thursday, November 22, 10-3pm in Clearihue main lobby
• Thursday, November 29, 10-3 pm in Clearihue main lobby

November 29th will also be the day a coalition of clubs are arranging events for World Aids Day. There will be a guest speaker, seminar and film screening that week (Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness week) as well as information tables set up around campus, with a ribbon picture being taken in front of the library. They are encouraging people to wear red for the occasion.

To note World AIDS Day which falls this year on Sat. Dec. 1, Camosun College's African Awareness Committee will host information tables at the Lansdowne Campus on Monday December 3. Angels will be available at the African AIDS Angels table outside the Fisher Building.

Mid-Island Angels

If you're near Parksville BC on Saturday November 3, check out the beautiful Angels made by the group based in Qualicum Beach.

• World Craft Bazaar - fair trade gifts from around the world
• Knox United Church, 345 Pym St, Parksville
• Saturday November 3, 10am-3pm

Update: They sold 90 of their 104 angels and raised $900!

The Qualicum group describes itself this way: 

"The Parksville/Qualicum group began in 2006 as a social justice action project with the KAIROS (United Church) organization. Towards the end of 2011 that initial group transformed into a smaller autonomous group.  

Since January 2012 the new Qualicum Beach/Parksville group meets on Monday afternoons in a Qualicum Beach home to create Angels. We use donated material and accessories from local businesses and local residents as well as out-of-town interested parties. Because of these many donations and because of discounted fees for any required services by local businesses, our low operating costs allow us to remit approximately 97% of funds raised.  

Currently, our angels are available at a local florist shop and we participate at local events by displaying our angels for sale. We also raise funds through special orders for events and celebrations."

Congratulations on your transformation. We are so grateful for your continuing efforts!

Angel-making for Children

The Youth Committee which makes presentations to schools has come up with a new angel design for younger children. The angels are made from thin foam sheets and are available as kits for teachers at a donation of $3 per student.

To accompany an angel-making session, the committee has prepared a Powerpoint presentation suitable for elementary level. The slides and a script will be emailed to a teacher who has ordered and picked up the kit. The program/activity is also suitable for other children's clubs and groups.

Payment can be made in advance by cash, cheque or credit card through our website. Interested teachers and leaders should send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com.

Clip Angels

In exchange for a donation to African AIDS Angels projects, these clip angels make great momentos. They can be used as favours for weddings or birthdays, or easily mailed with a greeting card in regular post. Your guests will appreciate that a donation is being made in honour of their presence at a special event.

The clips can also be used as tree decorations, stocking stuffers, or bookmarks. Christmas colours are available.

Each one hangs with a 3 inch ribbon and may be inserted on the card as shown in the photo. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)  For larger orders of 30 or more, specific colours may be chosen to complement a theme, as well as a specialized card printed. Three weeks' notice would be required for special orders.

Another option for weddings: we can provide a certificate near the guest book to indicate that you have made a donation to African AIDS Angels in honour of the event. A clip angel for each guest would be optional.

The clips are exchanged for donations of $2 each. The cost of mailing quantities out-of-town would be added where applicable.

If you are interested in one of these opportunities, please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com

Report by Pierre Dil on his visit to Zambia

Pierre, Lee Ann, and sons Matthew and Andrew Dil visited Makeni Ecumenical Centre , and the St. Nicholas orphanage in Lusaka, Zambia, in October 2012. Pierre is a board member of African AIDS Angels.

Pierre met with the heads of Makeni (MEC) management and Agriculture to enquire about AAA funding to the orphanage and agricultural projects benefitting families impacted by AIDS. We also assisted with a fun-day for the orphans. (Pierre cooked a record number of sausages and chicken legs on a BBQ!).

We toured the new school and computer lab at MEC. MEC now has limited bandwidth wi-fi.
Andrew has stayed on to work as a volunteer at MEC teaching physics and biology in the secondary school, and working one-on-one with orphans to do reading and homework projects, until December 1 2012. He will report to AAA on his return to BC.

We learned that a recent research project revealed 3 in 20 women in prenatal clinics are positive for HIV. There is the impression that rates and deaths are still high in Zambia, despite the availability of Anti-retroviral treatments (ARV), as ARV’s have led to carelessness amongst infected people (who can often look and feel well quickly after treatment, but are still carriers of the virus). More general statistics are found here.

We noted that the AAA funding supports about 10% of the total annual budget for the Makeni Ecumenical Centre and just under 33% of the orphanage budget. Aside from orphanage support, AAA funding is also designated to agricultural work supporting families affected by AIDS in Kawelwe village. The agricultural officer estimates 50% of families in settlement farms have some individual in their family who either has died of AIDS or has HIV. Friends of Makeni, and KKW, both Dutch organizations, had also been supporting the orphanage, however have retracted funding recently, saddling MEC with ever higher proportions of the total cost for the orphanage. Most funding for the orphanage is derived from school fees charged (as is the case for schools across Zambia) to the general public utilizing their school service.

There are currently 29 orphans in the orphanage ranging from infants to 18 year olds who have not completed secondary school yet. The general policy is MEC will keep orphans in the village, under the care of a house-mother supervisor, until they either fail Grade 9, or pass Grade 11, such that it is not unusual to have older teens still in residence. Every effort is then made to enable the child to either go on to a trade, employment, or enrollment in other adult employment courses at MEC. Almost always too, a distant relative is found to re-assimilate the child into Zambian society. Contact with distant relatives (in most cases of course their immediate parents are dead from AIDS) is encouraged throughout their years at Makeni.

There are emerging discipline problems with the older orphan teens, however these do not seem dissimilar to what the average Canadian family would experience with teens! The difference is, however, that the orphans do not have the tight family structure and care in a small family unit, to help them learn from their mistakes. This has put a strain on management at MEC, and new guidelines are being looked at, to encourage discipline. New intake might be limited to girls only (one idea being contemplated) or scholastic success will be insisted for older teens (or they will be released earlier to their extended family). Ideally another staff person should be hired to ease the problem, but they can not afford this.

Zambia’s President Sata declared, in 2012, that employers must comply with an increase of the minimum monthly wage, from K510,000 (where approximately K5000 equals one C$), to K1.2 million - more than double the previous rate. A second tier of the programme, would see those earning K800,000 per month making K1.6 million. Despite the apparent fairness of this change (a think-tank in Zambia calculated a family of 6 needs a minimum of K3.2 milion for a month to survive) there does not appear to have been much warning or discussion with employers, and there likely will be a crisis across the country as a result. MEC has no idea how they can comply with this increase, and an appeal to government was rejected.
Incidentally, the complexity of dealing with millions of kwacha, in budgets, should improve in 2013, with new currency coming into effect, cutting 3 zeros off all amounts!

MEC is exploring new and alternative sources of income, to assist in the shortfall in general income (see above comments regarding donors leaving, and new government pay guidelines which will adversely affect programming), such as fish-farming ventures, more enrollment for the school (a 50% increase in enrollment in the school would solve budgetary shortfalls), housing adult students for a fee, and possible tourism ventures (such as inviting tourists to experience a rural farm experience for a fee).
MEC has invited comment from AAA regarding the feasibility of a full scale evaluation of the agricultural component AAA funds at Kawelwa, at a cost of K40 million. Friends of Makeni have requested a full evaluation of MEC activities, but Terms of Reference have not been worked out.

Pierre is a member of the board of Makeni Ecumenical Centre, and also had discussion regarding leadership transitions and management needs, into the future years, with staff.

New Video from Malawi

Peter Kepkay has returned to Vancouver from Malawi and put together an informative 6-minute video on African AIDS Angels projects there. You can watch it on our website.

Peter is a long-time friend of Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island and visited the projects as part of a larger filming project still in the works. We are very grateful to him for sharing this copyrighted video.

Recent Donations

We have been fortunate to receive two big donations this year so far.

• The $5000 prize Nathan How won for the 14-17 year old category in the Canadian Living Me to We contest has been received. Check out the October issue of Canadian Living magazine for interviews with the winners. [see original blog item on May 27 for details]
• As Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island closed down its operations, the group gave $5000 to African AIDS Angels in addition to their last allocations to Malawi. [see previous blog item for details]

Both amounts will be added to the disbursements we make in January 2013 from 2012 funds. Thanks very much to all involved.

Supply depot in Victoria

The supply depot has returned to Vic and Lorraine Parsons' until the end of the year. It's the pick-up point in Victoria for angel supplies (bodies and glue), for completed angels for sales & shops, as well as the drop-off point for completed angels.

• Vic & Lorraine Parsons
• 1473 Banff Place (off Doncaster), map
• 250-472-6499
• lvparsons@shaw.ca

Cut or uncut cloth is available. If you want some for angel-making and can pick it up, contact africanaidsangels@gmail.com

Saltspring Seeds for Malawi

We have sent our annual donation to our partner group in Mzuzu, Malawi. This consists of $3000 from African AIDS Angels for nutrition support, and $9228 from Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island for school fees and support to farm groups.

Since this is the last time that Seeds for Malawi will be sending money, the group sent some additional financial gifts to the recipients and volunteer organizers in Malawi. The organizers in Malawi decided earlier that they have the capacity to continue with nutrition support, but not the other aspects of the program.

The September issue of Seeds for Malawi's newsletter which includes more details is at right. [Click on the image to enlarge, and press Control and + to enlarge further.]

When we receive some photo results from filmmaker Peter Kepkay's trip to Malawi, we will share them. A quote from him in the newsletter emphasizes the gratitude that the recipients expressed for your support.

African AIDS Angels will still support the nutrition component of this program, so our relationship with Malawi will continue.

Angel-making at University of Victoria

The angel-making group started by Megan at the University of Victoria in 2011 is back for the new school year.

Sessions are Tuesday evenings from September 18 to December 4, at 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Student Union Building Room B205. That's on the lower floor.

Everyone is welcome whether students or not. Instruction will be provided for newcomers. Thank you Megan and helpers!

Where to find angels in September

Looking for angels?

You can find a rack of them throughout the year at the shops listed on our website. There will be more added in the pre-Christmas season.

This month angels will be available at Metchosin Days on Sunday September 9, 4440 Happy Valley Road. Big thanks go to Ruth for organizing this annual table at the fall fair.

Quality Control for Angel-makers

We are approaching the busy season for angel "sales" and need lots of angels. Since our purpose is raising funds, we need to offer angels that donors will admire and want to select.

 If you are an angel-maker, please note the following:

• All parts of an angel need to be stable. The completed angel will be packed in a box and moved so the clothing and decoration may shift, sometimes making it less attractive. To make angels stable, all parts should be glued sufficiently, especially

• the cape glued at the bottom back to the dress
• the wings glued to the body or cape in several places, not just the centre
• all folded layers glued to each other
• dangling jewelry glued so it doesn't move or swing

• After considerable experience, we can report that feathers do not sell well. While a few angels with feathers may be desirable for variety, their use should be very sparing
• The neck should have no wood showing through. Use a narrow ribbon for a finished look at the neck.

Your attention to these adjustments will make our sales and fund-raising more productive. Thanks!

Salmon Arm Gallery & Cordova Bay Group

The Gondwana Gallery in Salmon Arm BC has been carrying Angels for several years. The Gallery is a fair trade store with a large number of items from Africa and elsewhere. The angels are made by the group at the Cordova Bay United Church in Victoria, and transported to the Interior.

One photo shows the large tree made from banana leaves which sits at the front of the store and displays the angels beautifully. [Click to enlarge it.] The second photo is of the owners and operators, Tibout and Marlene Glazenburg.  They support an orphanage in Africa as well as assist our fund-raising. We thank them!

The Cordova Bay group is winding down its efforts after meeting for almost four years. Roselyn (third photo) and Mary Margaret have been super volunteers, showing people how to make angels, preparing supplies for monthly sessions, and getting the angels to Salmon Arm. The Cordova Bay United Church has generously contributed free space and storage.

The final sessions will be in September and November, with no session in October. We wish Roselyn and Mary Margaret well with their increased free time.

We are open to a new monthly group starting if you have a location.

Markets in August

We'll be at these outdoor markets in August

• Sat. Aug. 18 James Bay Market, corner of Superior St. & Menzies, 9am to 3 pm
• Sat Aug. 25 Moss Street Market, corner of Moss St. & Fairfield Rd, 10 am to 2 pm

Stop by, say hello and pick up some new products. Many thanks go to the volunteers for the July and August markets.

AIDS 2012

Two news items from the 19th International AIDS Conference held last week in Washington. Over 20,000 people gathered for the biennial meeting.

1. AIDS and Women

A shift in the emphasis of PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) programming towards viewing women not solely as the deliverers of babies, but as people who deserve to live in their own right, was called for at the conference. Despite significant progress in preventing mother to child transmission, Dr. Chewe Luo of UNICEF cautioned that there needs to be a shift that includes focusing on treatment for women.
This means that regardless of CD4 count, pregnant women should start anti-retroviral therapy for life, instead of just the pregnancy period. Ultimately this therapy could lead to fewer children orphaned by AIDS, and an increased likelihood that a woman’s subsequent babies would be protected. [CD4 or T-cells are part of the immune system. The number of CD4 cells in a drop of blood is an indication of the progression of HIV and possibly AIDS.]
Women are both biologically and culturally more vulnerable to infection. Young women between 15 and 24 account for around 70% of the total number of young people living with HIV. Among this age group, females are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence, discrimination and self-esteem issues that might make it difficult to negotiate condom use.
Continuing the emphasis on gender equality, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao Gupta affirmed that all young women should be afforded the same support as expectant mothers if progress is to be made. "These adolescent girls and young women represent an unfinished agenda in the AIDS response," she stated.

2. Investment in prevention and treatment

Domestic investment on HIV and AIDS has for the first time exceeded global international investment on the epidemic, according to a new report released by UNAIDS called Together We Will End AIDS.

• International assistance has largely remained the same from 2006 to 2011. 
• Conversely, domestic spending on HIV and AIDS has increased by more than 50% in 81 countries. 
• Sub-Saharan Africa (except South Africa) increased public investment by a staggering 97%. 
• Low and middle-income countries are progressively taking ownership and becoming accountable for their own AIDS epidemic.

The report shows that the number of AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections have both declined from 2010. It also states that the number of people accessing treatment in low and middle-income countries is up by 20% from last year, to just over half of those who are eligible.

Updates from South Africa

These are summaries of reports received from South Africa where Angels funds go to St. Mary's Hospital's Born to Live program, and the Tembalethu Orphanage.
  
1. Progress report on St. Mary's Hospital Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)

"The overall aim of our programme is to prevent and reduce the transmission of HIV from the mother to the unborn baby, ensure that all pregnant mothers know their HIV status before they deliver, and that all exposed babies are fully immunised up to 18 months.
An African Union Commission plan to reduce maternal mortality throughout Africa includes a focus on best practices. During the launch of the South African component of the initiative in KwaZulu Natal province, St. Mary's Hospital was honoured to be requested to showcase its outstanding performance regarding Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission. This is a testament to the hospital's ongoing commitment towards the reduction of mother to child transmission of HIV.
Currently donations including yours are allocated to operational costs of maintaining the high standard of performance in this prevention programme. We are ever grateful for the support received to be able to deliver such a comprehensive, high calibre programme to our beneficiaries."

African AIDS Angels donated $13,477 to the program this year.
 
2. Thembalethu Orphanage

"The children and the sisters are doing well. With some of the money received, we sent a sister to attend the trainer's course on 'HIV/AIDS and the care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children' so she can help train our caregivers on the same.
We continue to pay for an after-school teacher who does tremendous work helping the older children who may have never been to school, and in turn they can help the younger children.
Some of the money we are saving for the building of a cottage in order to improve the living accommodation for the children.

[A hospital formerly operating on the site was moved 20 kilometres away in the late 90s. The sisters recognized the pressing need to assist HIV/AIDS orphans and used the old wards to accommodate the children. In 2005 the government legislated nationwide that children should be housed in cottages of no more than 6 with a housemother in a more homely environment.]

"We have a plan and a builder but we are short of funds. Each cottage costs about $8400 and we need to build six of them. If we can build a cottage with the money from African AIDS Angels, we will ask you to name the cottage. We hope with the help from you together we can do it."
Sr. Andrea

African AIDS Angels donated $10,600 this year: $7614 to the orphanage, and $2985 for an outreach program.

New treasurer

If you have collected money on behalf of African AIDS Angels or wish to make a cash donation, we have a new treasurer and a new address.

Brian Price has been on the Board for the past two years and is a qualified accountant.
Please write cheques or money orders payable to African AIDS Angels: do not make them out to Brian.
      Brian Price
      23-4051 Shelbourne St.
      Victoria BC   V8N 3E5
       tel. 250-721-3763

Questions should still be directed to the general AIDS Angels email address.

Current board members are:
Vic Parsons
Pierre Dil
Carol Sherwood
Brian Price
Sandra Dennis
Laura How
Nathan How
Barb McKrow.

Volunteers for Sale Tables

   

UPDATE: The volunteer spots for July are now full. If you would like to volunteer for the next Moss Street Market on Saturday August 25 between 9 and 2, please send an email.

In Victoria we are looking for volunteers at an outdoor sale table in July. Shifts are usually 2 to 3 hours.
    
NOW FULL Sat. July 14 - James Bay Market, Superior St. at Menzies St. 8am (set-up) to 3 pm.
Please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com if you are interested.

You can also find us at the Moss Street Market (Moss St. near Fairfield Rd.) on Saturday July 28 from 10 am to 2 pm. We have enough volunteers for this one already.

Me to We Contest

Congratulations to Nathan How for winning his age category in the Me to We contest. African AIDS Angels will be receiving $5000 as a result. (See the blog item below from May 27 if you missed the details.)

Watch for news in the September issue of Canadian Living magazine. Thanks to all of you who voted to make this happen.

Supply Depot in Victoria

The supply depot in Victoria is at Linda Foley's house by appointment for July and August. She has angel bodies and hot glue sticks, and will accept completed angels.

The address is
4310 Maltwood Lane
(off Emily Carr Drive & Maltwood Terrace in the high Quadra/Broadmead area)  map
250-881-1536

Many thanks go to Linda for doing this.

Volunteers for Sale Tables

Where do all those angels go? African AIDS Angels will have a sale tent at the

• Canada Day celebration
• Sunday July 1
• along the Gorge waterway 
• put on by the Tillicum-Gorge Community Association. 

The exact hours are not yet determined but we would like your help for a few hours at this fun event. Volunteers are particularly needed around 8:30 or 9 am for set-up, and 4 pm for packing up.

The area is closed to vehicles (except during set-up and take down) so you should expect to do some walking. You can volunteer with a friend or family member if you wish.

Please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com if you can make it.

The next summer markets for presenting angels will be Saturdays July 14 & 28, August 18 & 25. Do they fit your schedule?

Supply depot - Victoria

The supply depot in Victoria will be open from June 8 to about June 24, then moving to the second address below.

The pick-up point in Victoria for angel supplies and completed angels for sales, as well as the drop-off point for completed angels from June 8 to 24 is :

• Vic & Lorraine Parsons
• 1473 Banff Place (off Doncaster), map
• 250-472-6499
• lvparsons@shaw.ca

Around June 25 and through the summer, supplies will be available by appointment from:

• Linda Foley
• 4310 Maltwood Lane
• (off Emily Carr Drive and Maltwood Terrace)
• 250-881-1536

Nathan How nominated to finals of Me to We Award

Hello everyone,

 

Vic Parsons, Chair of AAA, has nominated Nathan How, one of our young board members for a Me to We Award. He has been chosen as one of three finalists. The winner will recieve $5,000 to donate to their charity of choice. The winner will be determined by an online vote. 

Nathan has chosen to award any money earned to AAA, if he wins. 

Here's how you can help us earn this money:

 

Please take a brief moment to vote in the 2012 Me to We Awards and help African Aids Angels win $5000!

 

Type or copy this address: www.metoweawards.com. Click into  the section marked "vote now".

 

Find the section for Youth in Action 13 - 17 years.

 

If you agree to, vote for Nathan How, one of our board of directors. For better or worse, you must vote for someone in all six categories (It makes for interesting reading I assure you. See what young community leaders are up to). There is a $5000 prize for each category.

 

Voting ends June 8 so don't delay - vote right now!

 

Did you know.............

 

• Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV / Aids than anywhere else on earth
• One in four children in Zambia has been orphaned by HIV / Aids.
• Since the beginning of the epidemic, 14.8 million children have lost one or both parents

Please forward this message to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbours - anyone who supports your work with AAA. Post it to Facebook, Twitter, a poster in the office. Encourage people to pass it along to school friends, youth groups and anyone else who would like to support the cause.

 

Thank you!

 

Pierre Dil

Changes to Malawi Program

After consideration for some time, our partners in Malawi have decided to scale back their intensive efforts to help people in their community who are affected by HIV/AIDS. As has been reported before, Teddy Phiri suffered a stroke several years ago and some of his responsibilities have been picked up by his wife Delirah and another couple.

This volunteer group of four decided to continue the nutrition support project which supplies supplementary food to 20 people who are on ARV medication but cannot farm due to their health status. A few are well enough to start small businesses such as selling cold drinks.

The money for the nutrition support project comes from African AIDS Angels. The money for the other larger components which will end in 2013 - secondary school fees and farm inputs for 50 to 80 farmers - comes to us from Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island.

The Seeds for Malawi group headed by Susan Evans has decided that this is also the time to wind down their efforts. This group which is affiliated with the Saltspring Garden Club has worked extremely hard for many years to raise substantial funds, mainly by selling high quality plants which they grow themselves. We congratulate them and thank for all their efforts.

We will be sending their last donation as usual in September this year.  Please read their newsletter for further explanation. Click on the image to enlarge, then press Control and + to enlarge further..

Photos from Malawi

Peter Kepkay, a film-maker from Vancouver is visiting Malawi and including our projects on his trip.

Delirah Phiri sent some photos of Peter's welcome from recipient groups including farmers, families on food support, and secondary students.

Peter filming secondary students whose school fees are paid by Seeds for Malawi.

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Dunduzu recipients of farm support dance to welcome Peter.

Farmers discuss their progress.

Families unable to work due to health status receive food support.

We look forward to seeing the results of Peter's filming at a later date.

More comments from Delirah:
"The harvest this year is not as expected due to low rainfall in
January but at least some harvest will be achieved.
The Malawi kwacha has been devalued by the IMF [International Monetary Fund]: it's now 250 against the US dollar. Prices of commodities have gone up and people are scared of the future. But I believe this [devaluation] a good move by the [new] Madam President so that donors are able to aid Malawi.
Fuel [gasoline] is being sold at 490 Kwacha which is equal to almost 2 US dollars per litre but still scarce.
We all send our regards to you.
Delirah"

Annual General Meeting - Tuesday May 22

The African AIDS Angels  Annual General Meeting is set for

• Tuesday May 22 at 7 p.m., 
• James Bay New Horizons Centre, 
• 234 Menzies St., Victoria

All supporters are encouraged to attend. Tea, coffee and juice and other refreshments provided. This meeting is an opportunity to see what other angel-makers are producing.

The Board of Directors needs some additional members, so please consider standing for election. The board meets three times a year, a small commitment in time.

For more information about being a board member, call Vic at 250-472-6499.

At the meeting, Nathan How, one of our board members who has visited the Zambia orphanage we support, will present a short speech which won him a trip to visit the United Nations in New York this spring. The student competitors had to chose one of the UN's Millennium goals to research and speak on, so Nathan was able to draw on his personal experience at Makeni.

New Product # 3

In addition to the magnets and junior angels described below, we now testing angels as barrettes. Little girls with long hair (and their mothers or grandmothers) will appreciate this one-of-a-kind decoration.

The barrettes will be available for an $8 donation at the May 13 Mother's Day Paint-in at Royal Roads, Victoria.

Angels Table

Your help is needed to staff a table with angels at the

• Mother's Day Paint-in
• Royal Roads University, Colwood (Victoria)
• Sunday May 13
• Hours 9 am to 4:30 pm

Please volunteer to assist with our fund-raising.

Spend some worthwhile time before or after your worthwhile shift walking the trails where artists are demonstrating their work.

Send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com. Thank you.

New product ideas

Two new angel ideas to add to our fund-raising potential. Both types require compact styles with small wings. Click on images to enlarge.

1. infant angels
Pastel colours and cute trims make these angels suitable for baby gifts or children.














2. angels with magnets
Inexpensive magnets can be found in dollar stores. Apply to centre back with hot glue.

Seeds for Malawi Newsletter

The latest newsletter from Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island is here. Click on the image to enlarge.

Seeds for Malawi funds the major part of our project in Malawi, with money raised from plant sales, angels and other crafts.

Supply Depot in Victoria for end of February and March

The supply depot in Victoria has a temporary home from February 21 to approximately March 28.
Angel-makers can pick up bodies, glue sticks and name tags, as well as drop off completed angels or obtain angels for sales by making an appointment with:

• Linda Foley
• 250-881-1536
• 4310 Maltwood Lane (in the Broadmead/High Quadra area). map

Fund-raising at Churches

Are you part of a church congregation or similar group in greater Victoria?

We have had some success with marketing angels at a table just before and after Sunday services, and would like to expand.

If you can contact the person who approves this sort of request at your church for a one-time event, or let us know who to contact, please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com

Marketing in Victoria

The Angels fund-raising process has many components. The Board of Directors is keen to find a volunteer for marketing and distribution of angels in Greater Victoria.

The job will require an hour or two a week for much of the year, and possibly a few hours when sales are on. The tasks are:

1. Research, suggest, and contact new low-cost marketing venues such as fairs and recreation centres
   
2. Maintain annual liaison with some existing venues which have been successful
3. Assist with set-up and supply of tables at "sale" events.
   

Training will be provided. Ability to use email is required and use of a vehicle is recommended. This position is separate from supply to shops.

If you can help with all or part of this position, please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com so we can meet to discuss the details.

Youth Committee

We have a small but active Youth Committee in Victoria which visits school classes and other youth groups. Sessions involve students' making an angel and learning about the people we are assisting in southern Africa. Usually a team of two volunteers is involved. The teacher and class are responsible for collecting their own donations afterward.

If the Committee expands, we can reach more classes. If you are interested in young people and would like to participate or want more information, please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com.

Supply Depot in Victoria for February

Supplies (bodies, name tags, hot glue sticks) will be available for angel-makers in Victoria from Feb. 4 to 22. Completed angels can also be dropped off. Contact:

• Vic Parsons
• 1473 Banff Pl. (off Doncaster) map
• 250-472-6499
• lvparsons@shaw.ca

If you rely on the bus, arrangements can usually be made to meet at a nearby shopping mall.

Photos from Malawi

Delirah Phiri, our contact in Mzuzu, Malawi sent some new photos of aid recipients. Delirah reports that it's raining frequently which is good for the crops. But fuel is very scarce and if you are able to "find it by chance..prices have soared skyhigh".
If you click on a picture, it will enlarge.
The women above receive supplementary food since their health status prevents them from farming.
The second group are farmers in Choma who receive seeds and fertilizer for three years to feed their families.
Delirah expresses admiration for Bettie Ngulube from the Choma group. Bettie (photo below) has no fingers but still tills the land and is secretary of the group. "I was deeply touched and amazed with this woman's spirit to keep working," Delirah writes.