Well, the time has come to go back to wonderful, vibrant, tragic, musical Africa. I love visiting our programs and seeing how well our children do under the care of doctors, nurses and communities which care for them. It is wonderful to hear the singing and to feel the beat of voices as children spontaneously gather in a large group to sing a welcome.
There is also great sadness when i think of all the children we cannot help, those who suffer and die because there simply is not enough medicine for them all. Such gorgeous children and so much need. I always leave wishing we could do more, that we had all the funding in the world so that every single one of those beautiful children would have a chance.
So, an unusual thing ends up happening inside of me. I pray I will return with a whole heart, not the broken heart with which I usually carry around in me. I want to be strong, to endure and to carry on without the burden of caring too much. Yet, I pray that my heart will be broken, so that I never stop caring and so that our work will continue, no matter how difficult it may get. I want to fight for these kids, to give them hope. So, a splitting in my heart is inevitable and all I can do is to let the feeling continue, as it has for a few years now.
These days before the trip, there is so much to do and I am too busy...Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up takes up a lot of my time, office work, finding new donors, thanking others, writing, reports, packing, playing with Julia...it is all coming together in a ball of activity which doesn't seem to cease for long these days. Soon, though, I'll be on a plane, crossing the ocean to visit some incredible little children who are alive due to the generosity of others. And, I can't wait!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Fun fact
On March 20th, 1987, the Food & Drug Administration approved the sale of AZT (azidothymidine), a drug shown to prolong the lives of some AIDS patients. This was the first approved treatment for HIV.
(That drug was first created in 1964, and it was intended to treat cancer. However, because it had too many side effects and was not really effective as a cancer treatment, use of that drug was shelved until years later.)
(That drug was first created in 1964, and it was intended to treat cancer. However, because it had too many side effects and was not really effective as a cancer treatment, use of that drug was shelved until years later.)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Beverlyne will go to school!
For those of you who have seen our 3.5 minute documentary on Beverlyne, a girl in our Mombasa, Kenya program, you'll be happy to know that her dream of becoming a nurse is more possible than ever! A generous donor has agreed to cover her boarding school expenses for the next four year, enabling her to get a good education as she strives to learn more and to one day become a nurse. It is so exciting to know that together, we can really make a difference in the life of a child. i can't wait to hear her reaction to the news...
Are you wondering what to give your brother for his birthday, or your parents for their anniversary? What about your friend who is getting married and already has everything she needs? How about giving them something new..something that will give children a chance to live a healthy and full life? Instead of giving another sweater or a picture frame, visit Changing the Present and chose a gift of meaning...of life. Have fun shopping!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Climbers needed to save lives
The American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) and the American Alpine Institute are teaming up again to host Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up. The global climb-a-thon will increase awareness of the pediatric AIDS pandemic and raise funds for life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) medication, food, and medical and humanitarian supplies to children affected by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Hikers, cyclists, climbers, and runners of all ages and skill levels around the globe will participate in Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up on September 20 and/or 21, 2008. Participants can climb, hike, run or cycle up the structure of their choice, anywhere in the world.
The American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) is a not-for-profit foundation providing medical supplies and aid to children in countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS including Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The sub-Saharan region of Africa is the worst affected by the pediatric AIDS pandemic with more than two million children under the age of 15 living with HIV.
Last year’s climb-a-thon was AFCA’s first and raised over $15,000. “Our goal is to at least double that this year,” said Tanya Weaver, AFCA’s Executive Director. “This year the need is even greater because of the crisis in Kenya, which has made it even more difficult to get medicine and supplies to the children.
“Everyone can ensure that hundreds of children live longer, healthier lives simply by organizing a team wherever you are and climbing up, whether by cycling, running, hiking, or climbing. The important thing is to get the nation and the world moving to help these children.” Weaver noted that all contributions are tax-deductible.
Many leading outdoor and other companies support Climb Up So Kids Can Grow including National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Women’s Adventure Magazine, Skyline Marketing, The River Inn, Chubasco, MadRock, Black Diamond, Petzl, LARABAR, CerconeBrownCurtis and KG Communications.
For more information on registering, forming a team or sponsorship, please go to http://www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com/.
Hikers, cyclists, climbers, and runners of all ages and skill levels around the globe will participate in Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up on September 20 and/or 21, 2008. Participants can climb, hike, run or cycle up the structure of their choice, anywhere in the world.
The American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) is a not-for-profit foundation providing medical supplies and aid to children in countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS including Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The sub-Saharan region of Africa is the worst affected by the pediatric AIDS pandemic with more than two million children under the age of 15 living with HIV.
Last year’s climb-a-thon was AFCA’s first and raised over $15,000. “Our goal is to at least double that this year,” said Tanya Weaver, AFCA’s Executive Director. “This year the need is even greater because of the crisis in Kenya, which has made it even more difficult to get medicine and supplies to the children.
“Everyone can ensure that hundreds of children live longer, healthier lives simply by organizing a team wherever you are and climbing up, whether by cycling, running, hiking, or climbing. The important thing is to get the nation and the world moving to help these children.” Weaver noted that all contributions are tax-deductible.
Many leading outdoor and other companies support Climb Up So Kids Can Grow including National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Women’s Adventure Magazine, Skyline Marketing, The River Inn, Chubasco, MadRock, Black Diamond, Petzl, LARABAR, CerconeBrownCurtis and KG Communications.
For more information on registering, forming a team or sponsorship, please go to http://www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com/.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Save Children While Saving the Planet
An easy way to make a difference to both the children we serve and our planet is to recycle through http://www.planetgreenrecycle.com/. Contact Planet Green and they will send you recycling boxes and pre-paid shipping labels. Then, simply recycle old cell phones and used ink cartridges, pack them up and sent them to Planet Green, indicating on their packing slip that the proceeds check should be sent to AFCA at 6221 Blue Grass Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17112.
See? Easy and no cost to you...but we help keep the earth a bit cleaner and we save the lives of children affected by AIDS!
See? Easy and no cost to you...but we help keep the earth a bit cleaner and we save the lives of children affected by AIDS!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Update from our partner in Kenya
It is now 4 weeks since I returned to Kenya after the Christmas break, and it feels like I have lived a lifetime in those short weeks. I want to write, but I am having a hard time choosing what to write about to give a true image of this country. If I say it is a beautiful country with lovely people who are hard working and reserved, then how do I explain the last 6 weeks? Most Kenyans are also trying to explain the last 6 weeks. There is a lot of depression here and pain, as people ask themselves what happened.
Most of the clashes (as they are referred to) have stopped, but in some areas verbal threatening continues and people are still terrified. The peace talks continue, but it is like Nairobi is a million miles away and out of touch with the rest of the country which has people living all over the place or traveling the roads to find what they perceive to be a safe place.
Two days ago about 200 displaced Kikuyus moved just down the road from us onto some land loaned to them by a fellow Kikuyu. They have absolutely nothing but the loan of this land for temporary shelters. No water or food, no shelter, no clothes but what’s on their backs. The men organized themselves and half have gone looking for work, while the other half have found pieces of wood and trees and someone bought some tin for roofing and they are erecting little shacks for temporary shelter. My taxi driver from Gilgil who drives me locally is a Kikuyu, so I asked him to try overnight to mobilize the Kikuyu taxi and lorry drivers in Gilgil to help these people.
This morning I found myself in Gilgil with these guys organizing them to provide what these displaced people need most besides shelter—water. By noon, we had delivered wood to build 4 platforms which we needed to place 4 water tanks on, and had a fundi (skilled laborer) actually building the platforms. They’ll be finished tomorrow morning , then we place the tanks (with taps) on the platforms and get a water truck to fill them. The town stores also provided Jerry cans so that the women can take water from the tanks back to their individual family areas. We also brought them enough maize and beans for a few days. At staff assembly this morning, I appealed for clothes and household items to be left at my apartment door, and when I returned, I could hardly get in because of the bags of stuff waiting. I have called the taxi drivers and they will come and pick it all up and deliver it.
Early tomorrow morning I go with Dr. Wangai, one of our young physicians, to speak with the Provincial Medical Officer for Rift Valley. Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) are running a clinic in a displaced persons camp in the Nakuru Stadium and are interested in sending us medical/surgical referrals. We have raised some money to pay for free medical care for several hundred displaced persons, and negotiated with St. John’s Ambulance (sound familiar ?) to transport them the 30 km to St. Mary’s. Normally, the referrals would go to nearby government hospitals, but they are totally overloaded. We’ll see what he says.
Several weeks ago I journeyed to Eldoret and KaKamega with a police escort to retrieve 8 orphans who were stranded there after Christmas break and needed help. Three were from our orphanage high school at St. Mary’s in Nairobi, and 5 from St. Therese orphanage next door here at Elementita. I went for 8 kids and only came back with 7, and it has bothered me ever since.
Little Delvin (girl), age 8, was with relatives, but when we went to pick her up, the house had been burned and neighbors could only tell us the general direction they’d run in. There was nothing I could do with 7 other kids to worry about. I listed her as missing with the police, but the countryside around there is in turmoil so I knew they’d never find her.
Last Sunday I went back to the Eldoret area, and with a helpful social worker who works with the police we started retracing her possible routes. We started at 6 a.m. and found her in a slum in Eldoret at 2:30 p.m. with a relative. She was out of medication, and her kidneys were shutting down. She kept asking about her friend Anne from the orphanage. They are reunited now, and Delvin has already improved considerably. There are days when I can’t believe this is all real and what I’m doing.
Most of the clashes (as they are referred to) have stopped, but in some areas verbal threatening continues and people are still terrified. The peace talks continue, but it is like Nairobi is a million miles away and out of touch with the rest of the country which has people living all over the place or traveling the roads to find what they perceive to be a safe place.
Two days ago about 200 displaced Kikuyus moved just down the road from us onto some land loaned to them by a fellow Kikuyu. They have absolutely nothing but the loan of this land for temporary shelters. No water or food, no shelter, no clothes but what’s on their backs. The men organized themselves and half have gone looking for work, while the other half have found pieces of wood and trees and someone bought some tin for roofing and they are erecting little shacks for temporary shelter. My taxi driver from Gilgil who drives me locally is a Kikuyu, so I asked him to try overnight to mobilize the Kikuyu taxi and lorry drivers in Gilgil to help these people.
This morning I found myself in Gilgil with these guys organizing them to provide what these displaced people need most besides shelter—water. By noon, we had delivered wood to build 4 platforms which we needed to place 4 water tanks on, and had a fundi (skilled laborer) actually building the platforms. They’ll be finished tomorrow morning , then we place the tanks (with taps) on the platforms and get a water truck to fill them. The town stores also provided Jerry cans so that the women can take water from the tanks back to their individual family areas. We also brought them enough maize and beans for a few days. At staff assembly this morning, I appealed for clothes and household items to be left at my apartment door, and when I returned, I could hardly get in because of the bags of stuff waiting. I have called the taxi drivers and they will come and pick it all up and deliver it.
Early tomorrow morning I go with Dr. Wangai, one of our young physicians, to speak with the Provincial Medical Officer for Rift Valley. Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) are running a clinic in a displaced persons camp in the Nakuru Stadium and are interested in sending us medical/surgical referrals. We have raised some money to pay for free medical care for several hundred displaced persons, and negotiated with St. John’s Ambulance (sound familiar ?) to transport them the 30 km to St. Mary’s. Normally, the referrals would go to nearby government hospitals, but they are totally overloaded. We’ll see what he says.
Several weeks ago I journeyed to Eldoret and KaKamega with a police escort to retrieve 8 orphans who were stranded there after Christmas break and needed help. Three were from our orphanage high school at St. Mary’s in Nairobi, and 5 from St. Therese orphanage next door here at Elementita. I went for 8 kids and only came back with 7, and it has bothered me ever since.
Little Delvin (girl), age 8, was with relatives, but when we went to pick her up, the house had been burned and neighbors could only tell us the general direction they’d run in. There was nothing I could do with 7 other kids to worry about. I listed her as missing with the police, but the countryside around there is in turmoil so I knew they’d never find her.
Last Sunday I went back to the Eldoret area, and with a helpful social worker who works with the police we started retracing her possible routes. We started at 6 a.m. and found her in a slum in Eldoret at 2:30 p.m. with a relative. She was out of medication, and her kidneys were shutting down. She kept asking about her friend Anne from the orphanage. They are reunited now, and Delvin has already improved considerably. There are days when I can’t believe this is all real and what I’m doing.
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