HOPEHIV was founded in 1998 by Phil and Wendy Wall as a result of Phil's encounter with Zodwa, a two year old girl who had lost both her parents to the HIV/AIDS pandemic sweeping Africa. Zodwa was a resident at Ethembeni, a Salvation Army orphans' and vulnerable children's home in Johannesburg, South Africa, which Phil first visited in 1997.
Moved by compassion, Phil and Wendy attempted to adopt Zodwa into their own family, but this proved impossible following nine months of legal constraints and frustrations. However, determined to do something, they decided that as they could not adopt one child physically, they would instead raise funds to make possible the financial adoption of AIDS orphans just like Zodwa all over sub-Saharan Africa.
The 10/10 Challenge was a highly innovative and successful fundraising initiative which was the catalyst for the formation of HOPEHIV in February 2000. Fittingly one of the first major capital projects funded by HOPEHIV was the construction of a home for toddlers orphaned by AIDS in Soweto. It was named Zodwa’s House. The little girl, Zodwa, had become a catalyst for the growing movement of people who wanted to make a difference to the lives of over 12 million orphans in Africa.
HOPEHIV held its inaugural international conference on orphan care in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa in November 2003. It opened an Africa office in Cape Town in January 2006.
You too can be part of this movement. Please give what you can.