$20,000 in 8 months. That's the challenge that 10 volunteers have taken to raise in 2009.
Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 15 million children under 18 have been orphaned by AIDS. Around 11.6 million of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2007, the highest number of children alive who were orphaned by AIDS was in South Africa. That year, South Africa had 1.4 million AIDS orphans.
At the end of 2007, there were approximately 5.7 million people living with HIV in South Africa, and almost 1,000 AIDS deaths occurring every day.
For each person living with HIV, in South Africa and elsewhere, not only does it impact their lives, but also those of their families, friends and wider communities.
AIDS orphans are more likely to struggle with:
• emotional trauma due to the sickness and death
• lack of access to education
• identity/discrimination
• poor health
• poverty
If AIDS orphans are active as members of the community rather than just victims, their lives can be given purpose and dignity.
So how would $20,000 change ANYTHING?
Our project will change EVERYTHING for 32 vulnerable children
(9 boys between 9 and 17 years old + 5 girls between 8 and
14 years old + 18 little ones between 0 and 7 years old)
in Nyanga, one of the poorest townships in Cape Town. All
are taken care of by Mama, the founder of the Emasithandane
orphanage, which includes 2 rooms, a small kitchen and a
tiny bathroom, all of which are in bad and unsanitary conditions
Our goal is to restore the existing rooms, and more importantly,
to demolish the shack in the back part of the garden and
replace it with proper walls and floor to make the house
bigger. The lack of space is a huge problem there and this
will allow the children to live and grow in a comfortable
space, and to potentially welcome new orphans in need of
a safe home and happy place to live.
Project description: download the architect's plans here
At the same time, this will potentially allow the orphanage
to be helped in the future by the social services, since
it has to meet the requirements of the government to do
so, and one of the first things is to eliminate temporary
structures like shacks.
Finally, this project is also going to involve the community
in the township, where the unemployment rate is tremendous.
We are going to hire from the community for the project’s
development, and invite everyone at its completion for a
celebratory event. This is not our project, it is the community's
project where everyone has a role to be given and a chance
to help.
Once we are back in Austin, our initiatives won’t
stop here. Throughout the year, we want to keep helping
Mama and the children by continuing our fundraising efforts
for some necessary equipment such as:
• Car/mini van
• Refrigerator
• Bunk beds and mattresses
• Crib beds for the babies
• Cutlery and crockery
• Clothes including diapers
• Educational toys and stationary for the older children
Budget:
We have estimated the project to cost an average of $2,000 per volunteer, which
includes:
• Insurance: $15
• Fundraising events/advertising /press relations:
$100
• One celebration dinner with the local community,
orphanage children and caregivers at the accomplishment
of the project: $85
• Project management and operations, recruitment of
local workers and vendors (plumbing, electricity, architect,
etc) and supplies: $1,000
• Part of the airfare, accommodation, meals and local
transportation costs : $800 (volunteers will pay the remaining
fee, estimated at $1,300)
Our target date to fundraise the entire budget is the
end of August 2009. We plan to leave
the second week of November 2009:
Schedule:
Day 1 and 2
On our way to Cape Town.
Day 3
Meet with the orphanage founder, the children, the
local sponsors and local community. Organize and
task out the assignment.
Day 4, 5, 6
Finalyze restoring the Emasithandane orphanage.
HOW YOU CAN HELP?
Whichever option(s) you will choose, there is always a way to support our mission:
1/ You can make a financial tax
deductible contribution online at here.
You can donate on behalf of a specific volunteer or the
project in general.
2/ Donate clothes, medication, toys and
other supplies to AIDE, 1221 South Mopac Expressway, Suite
100, Austin TX 78746, USA.
3/ Share the awareness by forwarding this
email to everyone you know (family, friends, coworkers)
4/ Join the "South
Africa 2009 Project" Facebook group!
5/ Be part of the team! This will be a
life changing week not only for the kids at the orphanage,
but also for you and your fellow volunteers. If you are
interested, please come to our next meeting.
Don't live in Austin? Contact Vanessa (vanessa@aideabroad.org)
-- we have already had international interest.
6/ Attend our fundraising
events!
7/ "Donate" your own events!
A few volunteers have already committed to "donate"
their birthdays and holidays to the project by turning their
gatherings into mini-fundraisers or gift requests into donation
requests.
So, can we count on you?
