Golden donations

With the high price of gold these days, it's well worth it to check any jewelry donations you have received. If an earring, brooch or chain is marked on the back at 10k, 18k, or 24k, you can turn it into a cash donation.

Recently a volunteer received $55 for two items at a jeweler/gold recycler. If you want the name of a shop in Victoria, send us an email.

Angels club at UVic

An angels club is forming at the University of Victoria.
If you're a student there or know a student who is interested in making angels, send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com. We'll put you in touch.

Angels and Quality Control

We're heading into the busy season for fund-raising and look forward to receiving your angels. Please take a moment to note a few points on quality control.

• All parts should be secure. Hold the angel up, or hang it briefly to make sure all parts are fully attached.
• The skirt seam should be fully glued, not flapping open.
• The name tag should be attached with a single split piece of raffia which is soft, not stiff, and hanging about 3 to 4 inches down the back.

Angels are handled several times and packed in boxes, so they need to be well constructed with future handling and donors in mind.

Where to find angels

Angels will be available at these upcoming events in the Victoria area:

• Sunday September 11 - Metchosin Fall Fair, Happy Valley Rd., Metchosin
  
• Saturday September 17 and October 8 - Peninsula Country Market, Saanich Fairgrounds, Mt. Newton Cross Road, 9 am - 1 pm.

For angels at any time, consult the list of generous shops on our website.

We are always in need of more places to present angels. Please send an email if you have a small or large opportunity to add angels to an event.

News from South African Projects

Following receipt of the second half of their 2011 allocation from African AIDS Angels, the people responsible for the South African progams sent reports and thanks:

Thembalethu (Assisi) orphanage
Sister Andrea, in charge of the children’s shelter, thanked the AAA volunteers for the funds sent in June. “You are the real angels. You have such special ways – a kind of magic touch. Your donation was highly appreciated, more than words can say. There is a world of special meaning in the words that comes your way.”

The head of the Outreach program, Sister Evarista, recently passed away and her place has been taken by a newly retired teacher.

The youngest child now at the shelter was born in March and abandoned by his mother in the hospital at Port Shepstone. “He is growing well and is spoiled by everyone.” Sister Fakazile is still helping the school-age children in their studies after the school day is finished. This has dramatically improved the children’s grades. The photo shows the children's playroom building.

There will be a change in the infrastructure at Thembalethu. The Sisters had originally found accommodation for the orphans in a wing of a former hospital. The South African government is requiring the construction of cottages which will be the homes for 6 to 8 children each. This has proven to be a better system overall but will stretch the resources of Thembalethu. The photo shows the former hospital.

St. Mary’s Hospital - Born to Live Program
Sheena Hardiman from the large hospital at Marianhill near Durban calls the AAA volunteers “stars” and thanks them all for the June contribution to the Born to Live program.

In the past year, she says, 964 mothers have gone through the antenatal classes. Forty-three per cent of those women were HIV-positive. “All of these mothers would have received treatment to prevent the unborn baby from getting HIV and the babies would receive the preventative drug at birth.”

“We have many more mothers giving birth at St. Mary’s who may not have been through the Born to Live program but come through referral clinics and are HIV positive. We give the mothers the preventative drug and to the baby at birth. These number 1908. Our statistics still show a 96 per cent success rate. These moms and babies remain in the program post-delivery until 18 months when the final blood test is taken to see if the baby is HIV negative.”

Sheena says one indication Born to Live is working is that fewer children are being admitted to hospital who are HIV positive at a very young age.

Sunday August 7, Glendale Gardens

We are still looking for volunteers to staff a booth in Victoria for a couple of hours on

Sunday August 7, between 11 and 5,
especially at 5 pm.

You're welcome to sign up with a relative or friend if you prefer. Arts & Music at Glendale Gardens, (Horticulture Centre of the Pacific),505 Quayle Rd, accessible via Interurban or West Saanich Road. Artists will be working throughout the 9 acres of spectacular gardens. Location map.
Please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com if you can help.

A big thanks to the great people who have been helping at sales this spring and summer: Fran, Barb, Lesley, Ruth, Nathan, Laura, Meaghan, LoraBeth, Brenda, Shawna, Erin, Elizabeth, Wynne, Terry, Kathie, Cathy, Barb, Marcia, and Brian.

Seeds for Malawi Garden Party

Click on the newsletter image to read about Seeds for Malawi's very successful garden party/fundraiser on Saltspring Island.
Use Control & + to increase the print size (Command & + on a Mac).

Their Mill Bay chapter also did very well at their plant sale. Congratulations to all the volunteers.

Malawi Photos

Some new photos received from Malawi. Shows recipients of agricultural assistance with their maize harvest which produces the staple food for the next year.

Volunteer to help our fund-raising

Volunteers are needed for marketing angels. Please help with a few hours at a table in Victoria this summer. The next markets are:

Saturday July 16, James Bay Market, open from 9 am to 3 pm.

Saturday & Sunday, August 6 & 7, Arts & Music at Glendale Gardens (Horticulture Centre of the Pacific). Open 11 to 5 each day.
505 Quayle Rd, accessible via Interurban or West Saanich Road. Artists will be working throughout the 9 acres of spectacular gardens. Location map.

If you can spare a few hours to help, please send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com. Thanks!

AIDS Background

Some easy to read library books about people affected by AIDS in Africa:

• Sizwe's test: a young man's journey through Africa's AIDS epidemic by Jonny Steinberg. One man's decision on whether to be tested for HIV guides a South African journalist as he learns about the ups and downs of AIDS treatment in a rural area.
• Taking away the distance: a young orphan's journey and the AIDS epidemic in Africa by Miles Roston. An American documentary filmmaker meets an AIDS orphan in Kenya and over a few years the two explore what local leaders and the global community are doing about the epidemic.
• 28: stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. A Canadian journalist meets 28 people affected by AIDS in different parts of Africa, and tells their highly individual stories.

Or pick a country that interests you and read about the state of HIV/AIDS there on the website Avert.

James Bay Market

Volunteers are still needed in Victoria for table at James Bay Market, Saturday June 18 at 9 am or 1 pm.

If you like to plan ahead, volunteers also needed for same market on Saturday July 16.

Send an email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com. Thanks!

Seeds for Malawi- Lunch in the Garden

Click on the title above for info on the Saturday June 4 garden party. Then check out the rest of Seeds for Malawi's web site.

Board of Directors 2011/12

The following people were elected to the board at the Annual General Meeting on May 26:

continuing:

• Vic Parsons
• Pierre Dil
• Carol Sherwood
• Brian Price - joined the board in spring 2011

new:

• Meaghan Jantzi
• Sandra Dennis (How), Laura How, Nathan How (shared position)

James Bay Market

Angels will be available at the outdoor James Bay Saturday Market on two dates, June 18 and July 16. The location is the corner of Menzies and Superior Streets in James Bay.

If you can help by staffing a table, please send a email to africanaidsangels@gmail.com.
The shifts are:

• 8:15 am - 10:30
• 10:30 - 1 pm
• 1 - 3:30 (or slightly earlier when takedown is complete).

If you do not have a preference for a time slot, that makes it easier for us. Thanks!

Annual General Meeting

You are invited to the

• African AIDS Angels Annual General Meeting
• Wednesday May 25
• James Bay New Horizons
• 234 Menzies St.
• 7 pm

Annual report and election of board members.

Presentation by Nathan & Laura How, teenagers who visited the Makeni orphanage in Zambia with their parents. They have spoken at some schools and will share their views with us.

Cloth exchange: do you have some cloth or trim that's suitable for angels but you're tired of it? Bring it for the exchange table and take home something new. No Christmas patterns please.

Seeds for Malawi Website & News

Susan Evans of Seeds for Malawi on Salt Spring Island sent this item:
"Our big news this year is our website, www.seedsformalawi.org which we hope will become an effective fund-raising tool. In addition to information on Seeds for Malawi, it contains attractive catalogues of our fund-raising merchandise, which includes a wide variety of garden plants and quality locally-made gift items.
Join us on

• Saturday June 4 – a fund-raising lunch in a gorgeous Salt Spring seaside garden. Plants and funky garden sculptures will be among the items for sale. Tickets $20."
  

This is good opportunity for an expedition to get some great plants and other well-made items in support of Seeds for Malawi. Check their web site for details. Advance tickets required: may be sold out.

Letter from Malawi

A student in Malawi wrote a letter to express her appreciation for having her school fees paid by Seeds for Malawi, via African AIDS Angels.
Click on the letter to enlarge it.

This photo shows some student recipients and their teachers.

Malawi Harvest

Delirah Phiri sent a brief note this week:

The rains here have been good and people are expecting a very good harvest here.

Some people have already started eating green maize or corn as you call it.

Hope you are fine. We are all fine here ..

Teddy , Gilda and Vincent send their regards.

Volunteers for Mother's Day Paint-In and Craft Fair

When?
Sunday May 8, 2011

Where?
Royal Roads University in the beautiful Hatley Park National Historic Site

What do we need?
6 volunteers for three shifts of 2.5 hour to staff a sales/publicity table at the event

Times are

1. 9.00-11.30
   
2. 11.30-2.00
   
3. 2.00-4.30
   
   If you can spare some time to help with this important fundraising and awareness event please e-mail the Volunteer Coordinator Brian Price at brianlprice@shaw.ca . Please advise any time preferences or restrictions that you have
   
   Thank you all very much

St. Mary's Hospital, Marianhill

One of our recipients, the Born to Live program at St. Mary's Hospital, Marianhill, South Africa, included a short article about African AIDS Angels in its recent newsletter. Click on the title above to read the page. It says in part,

St. Mary’s would like to extend a very special thank you to these individuals - who we consider our angels – because they look out for our hospital and every child we care for.

The picture in the article is from the Ottawa group which started jointly with Victoria but now operates independently.

For more information about children at the hospital, but not the Born to Live program, click on the blue line at the top of the newsletter where it says Meet our Patients.