HIV/AIDS has already orphaned 13 million children in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2010, it is estimated that this number will rise to 20 million. Make no mistake; this is a problem of huge scale. Yet the opportunity of bringing life, hope and purpose to a generation of children who otherwise would have none, truly make it a cause worth fighting for….
Experience and achievement have shown HOPEHIV that the orphan crisis can be overcome. We also know that success requires more than fine words and good intentions; it calls for imagination, innovation, vision and ambition. HOPEHIV’s strategies are built upon all of these qualities, enabling us to maximise the impact of every penny donated to us.
HOPEHIV is confident that it is able to identify the most effective strategies for helping orphans and vulnerable children. This is not only because of the wealth of international development experience within our organisation, but also because many of our staff live and work in sub-Saharan Africa. By being ‘on-the-ground’ we are able to accurately evaluate where there is greatest need and then invest in and oversee those projects which best deliver sustainable, effective solutions that reach as many children as possible.
As a result, we are currently investing your donations in (among other things) two of the most vulnerable groups of people in Africa; ‘child-headed households’ and ‘street kids’. In both types of projects, we believe that the most sustainable, effective way of raising these children out of poverty is by teaching the ‘leader’ of the group/family how to become self-sufficient and then allowing them to support and influence change among those for whom they are responsible. So by providing the emotional support and training required for an orphaned child to look after his/her younger brothers and sisters, you are in fact investing in the well-being and future of not only that child, but a whole family.
And if you train a street gang leader how to organise his group productively, teach them the iniquitous effects of drug abuse and unprotected sex, they in turn will disseminate that information and change the culture of the group. As a result, even the smallest donation enables scores of street kids to better protect themselves from HIV infection, avoid drug abuse, to provide an income and ultimately, to have hope of defeating the odds.
HOPEHIV’s ‘street kids’ and ‘child-headed household’ work has shown that, when invested correctly very little money can bring life, hope and purpose to vast numbers of the world’s most vulnerable children. At the heart of this success has been the identification and development of leaders. This has therefore provided the basis of GenerationAFRICA, our unique and visionary Leadership Development Programme, launched in November 2005 by Chancellor Gordon Brown. By funding socially committed and talented young Africans to become peer educators, teachers, advocates and entrepreneurs, their skills will benefit whole communities and empower Africa’s next generation of leaders to create a bright, sustainable future for their nation.
HOPEHIV is already changing the lives of tens of thousands of African orphans and vulnerable children across Africa. But if we are to really make inroads into this emergent human catastrophe, we need your help. By donating to HOPEHIV, you can be sure that your money will be helping to deliver large-scale, sustainable change in Africa. By supporting us you can be sure that your donations will directly transform the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
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