Paige's Last Post

Well everyone, this is my last post as the AFCA's communication intern. I've really enjoyed working with the AFCA this semester. It was more than just your average internship of making copies, getting coffee, and faxing. I felt as though I actually contributed to helping out the children, even through tasks like researching and making databases. Everything I did, no matter how little it seemed to me, worked towards the greater goal of helping the children.I appreciate the opportunity the AFCA gave me and all the great experience I acquired through this internship. I hope to stay connected with AFCA and keep up with all their work.

Thank you AFCA! Keep up with the good work!

Animoto.com

FREE ways to help kids with AIDS

Hi, everyone,

There are two ways you can help raise funds for children with AIDS, at NO cost to you, and taking only 30 seconds of your time. The first is to click here and do a search for American Foundation for Children with AIDS. Then, vote. That is all you have to do. Well, then, please tell EVERYONE you know about this and ask them to vote. We have a chance at winning $25k for our kids…please help us. You only vote once during the first round of this competition, so it is really simple. This round ends on December 11th. Tell EVERYONE you know, especially your friends on Facebook. You can scroll to the bottom of the page and post the challenge information directly on your FB wall. Easy!

The other way for you to help is to vote every day (or as many times as you can) from now until February 28th at Good Earth. There, we are competing for $10,000. And, again, no money out from you and no need to receive spam mail from the donor. Good, huh?

Help us win, friends!

tanya

A Huge Success in Charlotte!

Two weekends ago, AFCA hosted Climb Up in Charlotte. 250 people attended and $6000 was raised for the kids!

The Neighborhood Theatre hosted a relaxing evening with 2 wineries and 15 restaurants who provided tastings, while Saturday was an exciting day of yoga classes, massages, climbing, and good food at Inner Peaks. The auction on Friday night gave away a signed BB King guitar, Osprey backpacks, Parrot Cay three day stay for two, African place settings, a hand knitted doll, Bronwen jewelry, a drawing by Charles Shultz, Aretha franklin album cover, and much more.


We want to take some time to thank all the people involved:
The Neighborhood Theatre
Inner Peaks
Daniel McCall
Jessa Goebel
Arno Ilgner
Patrick Weaver
Debi Hawkins-McLendon
Pip Gregson
Kelly Haas
Dr. Michelle Murphy-Singleton
Fauna Gibson
Lindsay Riggsbee
Caroline Calouche & Co.
Mountain Khakis
Nau

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make Charlotte a big success. You've helped to change the lives of children!

Changing the Present

AFCA is now part of this amazing website called Changing the Present. Instead of giving your family generic gifts like bath soaps or funny socks, you can give a gift that saves lives. It could be 3 meals a day for a hungry child, medication, clean water, etc. AFCA has a ton of gifts to help children in Africa. $1 can buy a day's worth of meals for a child and $30 can pay for a whole month of medicine! This is a great idea if your stuck on what to get your friends and family this holiday season. It's made me rethink the scented candle for Grandma and the (inevitably) ugly tie for Dad. I can change lives through Christmas presents...who knew?

Check it out and change a life!

www.changingthepresent.org

The Hands of God

Check this out:

The Hands of God

Climp Up in Charlotte is Coming!

Climb Up in Charlotte will have tons of exciting events! November 6th will be the debut of “A Taste in NoDa”, an evening of music, food and wine tasting, and an auction at the Neighborhood Theatre in the North Davidson St. Arts District of Charlotte. Restaurants from NoDa and surrounding areas will provide sample tastings, along with wine samples from local wineries. There will be live music to accompany the auction, which will feature prizes such as a three night VIP Napa Valley tour, Ritz Carlton Caribbean or Mexico trip with airfare, a Hot Air Balloon Ride, and a signed baseball by Barack Obama. Doors open with food service at 6pm, music from 7pm-12pm, and the auction going from 7-10pm. Tickets will be available at the door and all proceeds go towards saving children in Africa.

The main host of the event is the Inner Peaks Climbing Center for a day of fun climbing and exercise activities. Classes offered include an introductory climbing class, climbing training, Warrior’s Way Espresso Mental Fitness class, yoga, dance, and self rescue classes. They will also offer other services such as massages, chiropractic assessments, a youth climbing competition, an adult climbing competition, and raffles.


Join us in Charlotte to help the kids!!


For more information, please visit www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com

You need a vacation

Don't let the swine flu ruin all your fun...

Take a few days off a go down to Charlotte. Wine and food tastings, auction, massages, and more. And all to help children who desperately need it!

Check it Out!

http://www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com/charlotte.html

A Challenge? We'll take it!

AFCA has joined America's Giving Challenge through the Case Foundation/Parade Magazine. The organization which receives the most daily donations (1 per person) will get a $1000 grant. The organization that receives the most donations (1 per person per day is allowed) from now until November 6th will receive a $50,000 grant.This can be done through a simple $10 donation.

Think of how many children we could help!

800 kids would get food for a month
42 kids would get treated bed nets (against malaria)
25 kids would get a year of life saving antiretroviral medicine
200 kids will receive antibiotics for a year
thousands of people will benefit from the medical supplies and equipment we send

Please take the time this month to donate just $10 to our cause. We currently only have 16 donations towards the $50k grant. Who knows, with your help we could be on our way towards improving the lives of thousands of children!

For more info visit: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/3026

Thanks!

Thank You!

AFCA wants to give a big thank you to everyone who makes our programs possible. You help to save the lives of children all over Africa. We couldn't do it without you!

Climb Up Kilimanjaro

As one of my projects this week, I've been keeping up with the Climb Up event at Kilimanjaro. The team has been updating me through text messages and emails that I have been posting on the Climb Up blog. It's amazing to think that Eric, on top of Kilimanjaro in Africa could communicate with me, all the way in small town Pennsylvania. Thank you technology!

In a way, it feels like I have been on the journey with the team. I was able to share in their experiences and understand some of their emotions as they made their way with that difficult climb. It's important to remember that and event like this has such a vast impact. It doesn't merely effect the people participating, but family, friends, and especially the many children it will help save. Even though the children are on another continent, we are so much closer to helping them than we realize. By helping track this event, I've seen how people can come together to help others all over the world.

If you're interested in reading about the Kilimanjaro climb up event visit: http://climbupsokidscangrowup2.blogspot.com/

Meet the new Intern

Hi! I'm Paige Manieri, AFCA's new Communication Intern. I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself and how excited I am to be working with the AFCA this fall semester...

Currently, I am a senior Communications/Public Relations major at Messiah College. I work in the Communications office, helping to format the website and I am also involved in the college's PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) chapter. In addition to the work I do for AFCA, I am also working with a campaign team through Messiah to help develop a social media program for CURE International. I guess you could say, I have my hands full!

I'm very excited to be working with AFCA for the next 3 months. Not only will it be an incredibly useful learning experience for me, but I will also be able to help people who desperately need it. I've always wanted to work with non-profits, ever since I decided on a career in public relations. I thought, if I could use my talents to do some good in the world, it would be the least I can do.

Keep up with AFCA and I look forward to updating you on all that goes on with us plus my experience!

Vote! It's all it takes...one little vote!

Hey, there~

We need your votes in order to make the cut for a cool and exciting grant we REALLY, really could use. Can you please click here and then click on a star in order to vote? We'd like to think that you'd give our program a five-star rating, but that is up to you. What we need is for you to vote and to tell all your friends about us. Can you do that?

Thanks!

DisGraceland supports AFCA

Check this out! Neat post in DisGraceland's blog...click here to read.

Thanks for your support, DisGraceland!

East Africa Gets High Speed Web

It is so wonderful that our partners is East Africa will be able to communicate more readily through internet with us! And, this will be a great boost for businesses, as well, I can imagine. Check it out here.

Hope in Zimbabwe!

After a bit of a scare and some stress associated with containers being stuck in port and then at the border, we are so happy that our partner in Zimabwe received two HUGE containers full of nutritional support for the kids! Party time! Seriously...how wonderful to know that children won't be going to bed hungry thanks to some incredibly nice donors and a top of the line shipping company. WHOO HOO...we are so happy!

Food for Zimbabwe

Times are desperate in Zimbabwe, where AFCA works. You can see what is happening by clicking here. If you'd like to be part of the solution and to help girls like these, please go to our Global Giving page and make a donation. Any amount will help!

Global Giving Challenge

It is so exciting to see people coming together to help the little ones in Zimbabwe! We are soooo close to reaching our Global Giving Challenge goal of $3k in 3 weeks by over 75 different donors. Once we reach that goal, we will become a long-term partner with GG, which will be GREAT! If you want to help us reach that goal, click hereand help us out.

Thanks to great supporters

I just want to thank the folks at Larabar, Merrell, Gramicci, Adventure Medical Kits, Rock and Ice, Ahnu, Solio, The River Inn, Brooks, Skyline Inn, Mountain Khakis, Black Diamond and Women's Adventure Magazine for being FABULOUS and for supporting our work through Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up.

There is no way on earth we could do it without them. Thanks, friends.

Namibia Travels - Co-sponsored by CheapoAir and CrissCross Safaris

As parents of two young daughters, our involvement with the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) began with an interest in supporting a cause focused on helping children impacted by the global AIDS pandemic. We joined Team Maisha and participated in the worldwide “Climb Up so Kids Can Grow” annual fundraising event. For Team Maisha, this event included an amazing hike along the Greenwater River followed by a most enjoyable gathering of friends for a BBQ.

Of course, a few weeks later we were stunned when we heard that we had won the Grand Prize of the Namibian safari donated through Criss Cross Safari and CheapOair. We had no expectations of what was ahead of us, but even as we began to set the plans for our trip we were treated wonderfully. Through the efforts of Tanya Weaver of AFCA and the graciousness and tolerance of CheapOair and Criss Cross Safari, our logistics were set quite easily and we left in April for our adventure!

After a loooong 15 and ½ hour flight from DC with connections through Johannesburg (including a welcomed upgrade on the last leg!), two bleary eyed travelers were met by the wonderful Thinus Blaaew, owner and operator of Criss Cross Safari. We were shortly thereafter introduced to the Namibian custom of morning tea (yes, latte’s can be substituted) which hit the spot and got us off to a running start.
Three days and three game reserves later, our list of animals spotted included rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and numerous varieties of antelope.

Thinus from CrissCross was able to add immense color and educate us on the history of Namibia, while we were exploring the treasures of his country. Our travels took us through places such as Etosha Park where we added lions, elephants, jackals and hyenas to our list. By now we were beginning to appreciate the vastness of Namibia, along with the challenges of travel in an area with limited infrastructure - all of which was countered by the incredible accommodations we experienced at each lodge. Each night was a different setting with a unique blend of culture (even though we were warned of potential baboon intrusions into our room at one of the lodges, it was still a bit for us to process!) and cuisine, and each were wonderful. Somewhere in this part of the trip we also discovered Pinotage wines of Africa that made our nightly discussions even richer.

The next phase of the trip took us to the mountains and coastal regions of Namibia, highlighted by the evening at Grootberg lodge at the top of a mountain with stunning views of the surrounding valley and a spectacular sunset. We also got a healthy respect for four wheel drive vehicles on our way up to the lodge. This part also exposed us to some of the cultures of the people of Namibia by visiting a Himba tribal village, and then through Damar land, which is close to where Thinus had grown up.

It was then on to the coast for quad riding in the dunes, hiking on the dunes, canyon views and more incredible sunsets. Then all of a sudden, we looked up and 10 days were gone! All we had left was a drive back to Windhoek which brought us challenges of the Namibian road infrastructure – and two flat tires at the same time.

Looking back at the trip now, two things leap out at us. First, we cannot say enough great things about Thinus and what he brought to the trip with his experiences and knowledge of Namibia and its people. His personal stories of his family who homesteaded a region of Namibia, his experiences as an educator, politician, and working with the vast variety of Namibian people – all incorporated into the different locales that we visited, brought a unique and exciting perspective to us. We will always remember the lunch cooked over an open fire in a dry river bed while searching for elephants!

The second takeaway is the amazing diversity we experienced. The diversity of animals, topography, cultures, and people that make up Namibia is tremendous. Diversity like this does indeed make you stop, look, and think about the world we live in and what is happening outside our individual lives. It was fascinating to learn how similar we all are in this world – and to consider our differences and explore the reasons for both aspects. This was a real life experience that can only be appreciated first hand.

For the opportunity of a lifetime and an experience that we will never forget, we wish to thank Criss Cross Safaris, CheapOair, American Foundation for Children with AIDS, and Team Maisha.

Chris and Mike Hughes

From the Field - Uganda

(Note from Linda, who is representing AFCA during an annual visit to our partners in Africa this year). This morning Mary and I had AFCA business to attend to. Our first visiti was to Mulago Hospital and The Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinic of Mulago Hospital (PIDC). The driving force of this clinic is Dr. Addy a spitfire of an woman with drive, energy and love of work that shows in all who are affiliated with her. In 2004 when Mary first came in contact with Dr. Addy she was running an AIDS clinic in 2 rooms where she was seeing up to 200 patients a day and did all the charting and follow up from these 2 rooms. I now met her for the first time in a lovely modern building that was donated by Bayer, Myers, Squibb. The clinic would rival any in the USA. They have a wonderful complete staff of doctors, nurses, counselors, pharmacy technicians and laboratory assistances. They have a good medical records department and were in the process of updating their IT department. The clinic and hospital has a new modern computer and generator.

AFCA has been delivering large cartons of supplies and medicines to PIDC each year since their inception. Syringes, bandaging supplies, absorbent pads, wheel chairs, beds, bed linens, and the list goes on and on. The impact of these supplies is amazing. They even supplied a laparoscope. This scope is one of only a couple in the entire country. AFCA provided $6.7 million worth of ARV’s (anti-retroviral drugs) for PIDC in 2008 alone. The last shipment of medical supplies to PIDC in November 2008 was distributed to three hospitals and adjoining clinics. It was a huge impact to those who have nothing.

It was an amazing experience and remarkable to know what Dr. Addy has been able to accomplish in just 5 years. We feel privileged to be able to witness these great accomplishments and to facilitate the continued work that she and her staff do.

Kerry-Lugar Amendment Restores $4 Billion to International Affairs Budget

Working in coordination with many organizations, including InterAction, US Global Leadership Council and Bread for the World, ONE rallied its members (including AFCA)to advocate for the passage of the Kerry-Lugar Amendment. Senators responded by voting in favor of the amendment to the FY2010 Budget Resolution yesterday afternoon, restoring the funding level requested by President Obama for the international affairs budget, the portion of the budget that includes America’s global poverty and disease reduction initiatives.

This was a truly collaborative effort so many thanks and congratulations all around!

New Mobile Donation Platform Offers Fundraising Boost to AFCA

American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA, www.HelpChildrenWithAIDS.org) announced that it has been selected as a partner for CharityCall and Truist. AFCA, which provides life-saving medications, medical supplies and food for orphans with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, is only the sixth charity to be selected to benefit from CharityCall.

This partnership enables individuals to make charitable contributions with their cell phones in a way that’s convenient, secure and innovative. Open to all AT&T mobile subscribers in the U.S., donors can make contributions of $25 to AFCA from any AT&T mobile device without entering an SMS text or exchanging private financial or user information. Donations can be made in less than 30 seconds by dialing #505, after which donors will be prompted to dial 12, the ID code assigned to AFCA.

“AFCA relies on new, creative approaches to solving problems, whether it’s getting drugs and food into Zimbabwe, getting people involved through climbing, or raising funds,” said AFCA executive director Tanya Weaver. “We are very excited and honored to be chosen by CharityCall and Truist as a recipient of its innovative approach to simplifying making donations.”

Once the tax-deductible donation is made, AT&T wireless users will receive a text message confirmation, including a link to the CharityCall website, where additional information about designated charities or causes is available, as is tax receipting. The $25 donation is a one-time charge automatically billed to the user’s AT&T Wireless monthly statement.

“It is very appropriate that AFCA is working with CharityCall and Truist on this revolutionary mobile platform – mobile technology is literally being used to transform many processes in health care and business in Africa. We are proud to be one of the first to take advantage of this technology. It has the power to transform not only the model for accepting charitable donations, but also to improve people’s lives,” continues Tanya Weaver.

Help Children with AIDS by Climbing the Highest Mountain in Africa

The American Foundation for Children with AIDS only has five spots left in their first-ever fundraising trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.

The climb is scheduled for September 13–24, 2009, and will raise life-saving funds to provide medication and medical supplies for children with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. AFCA’s programs provide anti-retrovirals and other medicine, medical supplies and food to HIV/AIDS children and their caregivers living in Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

AFCA has received tremendous support from the climbing community around the world. We think the challenge of climbing to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is an appropriate symbol for the uphill battle HIV/AIDS children face.

The total team will consist of 12 climbers, each of whom will commit to raising funds for AFCA. There are currently seven participants from across the U.S.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, with a summit of 19,340 feet. The trip is 10 days: the first two days participants arrive and get acclimated; the trek is seven days; participants are free to relax and explore the area the last day. The trek will be led by Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience. Though challenging, Mount Kilimanjaro is successfully climbed by thousands of fit people from 12 to some even in their 80s.

For more details, please go to www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com or call AFCA at 888-683-8323.