Saltspring Grapevine for May

Read the latest newsletter from Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island. It outlines the content of the Malawi program.

Click on the image to enlarge it. (If the type is still too small, try pressing Control and +. [On a Mac use Command and +.] If that doesn't work try View and Increase Type Size or Zoom.)

Annual General Meeting May 28

Mark your calendar for the African AIDS Angels' Annual General Meeting on Thursday May 28 from 7 to 9 pm. Location is James Bay New Horizons Centre, 234 Menzies St., Victoria.

The Annual General Meeting includes the election of the Board of Directors and the financial report for 2008. We will have reports from all four projects in southern Africa, and a special first-hand report on Malawi.

Stan Shannon, an Angels volunteer from Pender Island, visits Malawi with another charitable organization. He has taken the time (and effort) to visit the projects supported by African AIDS Angels in Malawi, and he will be reporting on his recent experience.

Following the short meeting and Stan's presentation, there will be demonstrations of how to attach hair and other construction techniques. Bonus: If you have pinking shears that you would like to have sharpened, please bring them to the meeting with your name attached and hand them to Gail Blais. We'll also have a display table so you can bring angels you would like others to see.

Please take this opportunity to meet other angel volunteers, exchange information, and learn about the projects we support.

Coverage in Parksville/Qualicum

Below is a link to an article about some dedicated Angel volunteers which appeared recently in the Oceanside News. The paper covers the Parksville/Qualicum area on Vancouver Island.

Angels helping AIDS victims

[The link may stop functioning after a few weeks, so a version of the article without the picture is saved through this image on the right.]

Container arrives in Makeni - Zambia

Hello to all who donated items for Makeni orphanage (Zambia), sent by container last year. This is an extract of an e-mail received from staff at Makeni:

"Just to let you know the good news that the boxes, via Namunyanga, have arrived safely! It was an awesome effort, and I want you to know how grateful we are.

Our very sincere thanks to you, all that packing and sealing of boxes, not to mention the collecting of the goods. Please will you give a tremendous thank you to yourself and to everyone else involved.

Today Tina (Lily's daughter, who is in charge of stock-taking) started opening boxes, with someone from accounts, and making a list, and tomorrow afternoon, I will be able to go and get get sheets for the boys, who I am told do not have any, and also a second sheet for each of the girls. They have usually got one sheet, but have never had the luxury of two.

At present we have 26 towels among the 36 children, so there has been a certain amount of sharing, and a real dirth on washday, if the weather has not been favourable and the towels have not dried before bath time.

Now we will be able to give each child two towels, and I will be rushing to town to buy a laundry pencil, so that we can put their names on them. We also have a functioning hot water cylinder these days, so bathing and keeping clean will be much more of a pleasure for the children, thanks to our donors.

Thanks again for a thoughtful job well done!

Much love from the staff and children, who say thanks too!

Attention Angel-makers in Victoria

Temporary change in procedure:

From April 16 to May 27/09, your contact in Victoria for angel-making kits and bodies will be Erin Ruff. Her phone number is 250-893-3686 and e-mail is erinruff@hotmail.com

Lorraine and Vic Parsons will be back on May 27.

Seeds for Malawi Newsletter

Saltspring's latest newsletter. Note two plant sales coming up on April 25 and June 7. They sell out early! For more details, contact susanevans@telus.net

Click on newsletter to enlarge it.

St. John's Deep Cove Invitation

St. John's United Community Fair

10990 West Saanich Road

May 2 from 10 -2

We are invited to have a free table for African Aids Angels fundraising at this event.
We have participated in this event in the past and we have raised about $100 each time.
We would encourage volunteers who live in that area to consider hosting the table.

If you are interested contact Mary at africanaidsangels@gmail.com

Angels and Anawim

African Aids Angels is pleased to announce a new partner.

Residents of Anawim House have become partners with us in making parts for angel bodies.

They are using their well-equipped workshop to sand pegs, paint beads and glue bodies.
African Aids Angels needs to produce about 5000 angel bodies for dressing each year. Our partnership with Anawim will help us streamline this task and it will support those faithful volunteers who have done this detailed, labour intensive work for many years.

You can find out more about Anawim House at

http://www.anawimhouse.com/

Open Door at the Angel Store

Angel Store

April 6 to 10

The second week of the month is Angel Store week.

We have:

Angel bodies ready for dressing

Additional supplies for dressing: plain fabrics, buttons, ribbon, bling etc.

Make an appointment to pick up materials by emailing Mary at africanaidsangels@gmail.com.


Note: there will be no Angel Store pick ups in May. Please plan ahead!

Angel Making Sessions

Angel Making: Cordova United and James Bay Community Project.
Click on Calendar: upper right side of this blog page

You will find our new calendar. Click on the dates with notes on them and you will find times, dates, addresses and a map to guide you to our next angel making sessions.

Donations by Pay Pal

Pay Pal Donation

African Aids Angels can now receive donations by Pay Pal. This is for direct donations where the exchange of Angels is not involved.

Check our website for details. http://africanaidsangels.googlepages.com/gt

There is a small fee for this service which is absorbed by our group. A cheque is still a welcome way to make a donation but for many Pay Pal could be more convenient.

News fron Nova Scotia

New Groups in the Maritimes

Judy Staritt visited Victoria and Parksville Angel groups and then returned to Nova Scotia to start two groups.

Her message:

"Our small group met and made our first Angels together. We are starting with 210. I visited my mom on Yarmouth and she has a small group going there. Love dressing them! That is our news from Nova Scotia."

Teddy Phiri

Teddy and Delilah Phiri, Gilda and Vincent Munthali are the Malawiians who carry out the work of African Angels Association in the Mzuzu area of Northern Malawi. This group works tirelessly as volunteers to provide support for 190 individuals who are affected by Aids as widows, orphans, or are infected with the disease. Funds are provided by African Aids Angels based in Victoria. B.C.

We have been saddened by the news that Teddy has suffered a stroke about 4 weeks ago.

His wife, Delilah, sent a brief email last week,

"Teddy is recovering from the stroke he suffered. His right side is paralyzed and his speech and memory are also affected."

This morning, March 26th, we received the following email from Jean Sauti Phiri who travelled to Victoria with Teddy in 2005.

"I was with Teddy and Delilah yesterday. Teddy is now able to walk, though with some difficulties, but there is tremendous improvement. He used to be supported or even had to be carried a few weeks ago but now he can do without any support. One hand is still paralyzed.

Delilah says they have support from the university and from friends. His face could also tell that he is getting better. We were able to crack some jokes and he could show that beautiful smile again. ..he has some little problems speaking, he wishes to say something but in the process he forgets what to say. ....the doctors say he will soon regain his memory.

The good news is that there is great improvement and we hope to have Teddy, the laugher, back to himself.

Delilah expressed gratitude towards your love, concerns and prayers.

Lots of love and big hugs,

Jean"

Malawi Project News

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Delilah Phiri sent photos and news of the people we are supporting in Malawi.

Delilah (in the sunhat) is shown meeting with the 20 members of the Doroba group. African Aids Angels supplies seeds and fertilizer for a total of 89 family groups. Most are headed by widows who have lost their husbands to HIV-Aids.






These women receive nutritional support to help them gain maximum benefit from the Anti-retroviral drugs they are taking to combat HIV-Aids. AAA provides the funding for their extra food and the Malawi government provides their medication.

Delilah on the lower left.







These are some of the 45 orphanned teens who receive funding to cover school fees, books, uniforms, and kerosene for lamps so they can study in the evening. In Malawi it gets dark at 6pm year round.










This young man has received training in market gardening in order to help him become financially independent and able to support family who depend on him. Funding from Aids Angels pays for the instructor from the Ministry of Agriculture, seeds, fertilizer and tools for the first crop. After the initial support the young farmer is on his own. 60 youth have received this training over the last two years.

Streamlining Body Production and Distribution

We are looking for new ideas from all those creative minds out there - ways to streamline the sanding of bodies, staining of heads, drawing of faces, gluing of heads and bodies, fixing hair, and all those other little chores that must be done before angels get to put on their clothes. At present a small number of dedicated people are tackling time-consuming chores like sanding, staining and doing hair. If someone has to drop out from one stage of the process, the whole line could come to an abrupt halt.

You might say that we are victims of our own success, a terrible burden to bear.

At 3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 6, Lorraine Calderwood-Parsons is hosting a meeting of those involved in the early preparation of angel bodies to brainstorm new ways of production and distribution, and to share tasks. If you can't make it, but have ideas to share, let us know anyway. Lorraine's address is 1473 Banff Place, phone no. 250-472-6499, and email lvparsons@shaw.ca

Saltspring Grapevine for March

Check out the March edition of Seeds for Malawi's newletter from Saltspring Island. The group is a major supporter of our agriculture projects in the Mzuzu region of Malawi.

Click on the newsletter to enlarge it.

Saltspring Grapevine

Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island sent out this newsletter in February.

Click on the image to enlarge.

AGM

African Aids Angels AGM


Thursday, May 28th

7pm

James Bay New Horizons

Fundraising

New Fundraising Initiatives

We have benefitted from a variety of fundraising initiatives in the past few weeks.

Ursula Adams of Crystal Lagoon Jewelry has generously made us the beneficiary of a percentage of her jewelry sales.

Maryl, a long time volunteer, invited us as guest presenters at a successful fundraiser at St. Aidan's.

Cathy, Kathyrn and Jeep presented Aids Angels at a large student gathering at Belmont School.

If you have an opportunity to bring Angels to a local craft fair or community gathering we can support you with posters, pamphlets, and angels. Email your plans to africanaidsangels@gmail.com and we will arrange for you to pick up our Angel Fair tub with all the equipment you will need.

New Group

Welcome Cordova Bay United Church

Cordova Bay United joins us as a new Angel Making center.

This group is open to everyone, especially the community in the Cordova Bay area.

Join them on

3rd Wednesday of the month

1-3 pm

at 813 Claremont
(between Wesley and Del Monte)