Today is World AIDS Day. In the 30 years since scientists first identified the virus in 1981, HIV/AIDS has claimed the lives of over 25 million people. But thanks to the extraordinary efforts of political leaders, intenrational activists, and — most of all — generous supporters like you, the struggle against HIV/AIDS has reached a turning point. For the first time, the number of individuals infected each year is decreasing, and we know we can beat this terrible disease.
More good news in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Recent studies show that the same drugs used to treat those that already have the disease also stop people from being infected.
This month marks the 30-year anniversary of the discovery of HIV/AIDS. It also marks a turning point in the struggle against the disease. Thanks to lifesaving antiretroviral drugs — and activists like you — the number of new infections and deaths due to HIV/AIDS is decreasing for the first time in 30 years.
Promising news in the fight against HIV/AIDS — a disease that continues to kill millions of Africans each year. With the help of people like you, AYAF and other organizations are working to ensure that Africans have access to lifesaving antiretroviral drugs.
Early Therapy for H.I.V. Found to Sharply Cut Spread — NYTimes.com
Thank you to everyone who attended AYAF’s clothing swap fundraiser on Sunday, August 8th, and a special thank you to Sarah Parady for organizing and hosting the event!
Dear Friends,
The African Youth Aid Foundation (“AYAF”) officially launched one year ago today. At the time, we asked for your help to build a multi-purpose building in Phumlani Township, South Africa that would serve as a school and distribution center for donated food, clothing, and medicine. Today, I am thrilled to announce that, with your generosity, we have succeeded.
Below are photos of the two school buildings that your donations and support made possible. They are the first formal structures in the Township, and will serve as the center of community life for Phumlani’s citizens – including the 128 orphans who reside there. The small aluminum structure will be a kindergarten and care facility for the younger children, while the larger building will be a general-purpose community center and school for the older children.
You made this possible. Your willingness to help – to donate, spread the word, and take time out of your busy schedules to volunteer – has given the children of Phumlani a safe place to learn, and with it, hope for a brighter future.
Thank you. Your support has made the past year a tremendously rewarding experience for myself and everyone else at AYAF. There is still much to be done, but I know that with your help we will continue to make a difference in the lives of children like those in Phumlani.
To donate or learn more about our upcoming projects, please visit our website at www.ayaf.org. If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail us at getinvolved@ayaf.org.
Bryan D. Kreykes
President, African Youth Aid Foundation
Today is International Women’s Day, a holiday celebrated in many countries that commemorates the economic, social, and political achievements of women throughout the world. Since the holiday was first recognized in 1911, women in the developed world have made great strides. Some are well known, such as the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment on August 26, 1920, which gave women in the United States the right to vote. Others are less famous, such as the adoption by the United Nations in 1979 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – a multilateral treaty often described as the “international women’s bill of rights.”
But while it is important that we celebrate how far women have come, it is also important to acknowledge that there is a long way to go. In sub-Saharan Africa, women suffer from discrimination at the hands of local authorities who prevent them from taking control of their reproductive health; such disempowerment has made HIV/AIDS the leading cause of death for married women in several countries in Southern Africa. Education and development are the keys to combating such abuse. Economic progress allows women to take their destinies into their own hands by making them less dependent on their spouses and male family members. Education – both for men and for women – helps dispel the stereotypes that foster discrimination, and gives women a means to lift themselves out of poverty.
This is where AYAF – and you – come in. We are working to help some of Africa’s most vulnerable children receive an education and the help they need to rise above the poverty and disease that plague their continent. As you read this, our partner organizations in South Africa are constructing a multi-purpose building that will serve as a school and distribution center for donated food, clothing, and medical supplies in Phumlani, South Africa. With your help, we can give hope to children in need – both male and female.
Please spread the word and visit our website at www.ayaf.org to donate or find more information about our projects.
Sincerley,
Amy Kreykes
Vice-President for Development, African Youth Aid Foundation
Erin Rosar
Chief Technology Officer, African Youth Aid Foundation
This is a time when all of us, regardless of our personal religion (or lack thereof), take time to reflect on the year past and the one to come. It is a time to remember the better aspects of our nature – loyalty, generosity, and hope.
As AYAF’s first year draws to a close, I want to thank all of you that have made our work possible. Your willingness to help those in need has given us the means to begin construction on a multi-purpose building that will serve as a school and distribution center for donated food, clothing, and medical supplies in Phumlani, South Africa. As you read this, the children in that village are seeing at least part of their hopes fulfilled – they are contemplating a new year in which many will attend school for the first time, and some will receive the medical treatment they need to stave off diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Thank you. Your support has made the past year a rewarding experience for everyone at AYAF. It has been especially touching for me on a personal level to see so many people taking time out of their busy lives to engage in a cause about which I care deeply. With your help, I know that we will continue to make a difference in the lives of children like those in Phumlani during the coming year and beyond.
Bryan D. Kreykes
President, African Youth Aid Foundation
Today is World AIDS Day – an annual commemoration of the struggle against the disease that, as of 2008, had killed over 25 million people worldwide and orphaned almost 12 million African children.
Almost half of the children with whom AYAF works suffer from HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. Most of them contracted the disease from their mothers during childbirth. Others were infected through sexual abuse or other means. Their struggle does not end after World AIDS Day is over.
It is important that we remember them today. But it’s more important that we take steps to help.
Click “more” to learn what you can do.
Dear Friends,
Last weekend, AYAF held the first in a series of fundraisers organized by our volunteers. The event raised approximately $500, which will go toward our efforts to construct a multi-purpose building to be used as a school and distribution center for donated food, clothing, and medication in Phumlani Township, South Africa.
The event was organized by Colin Bumby, an AYAF volunteer who threw a small party at which he asked each guest to donate $25 to our cause. In exchange, his guests were treated to several varieties of microbrew and margaritas – not to mention Colin’s delicious eggplant parmesan appetizers!
My heartfelt thanks go out to Colin. His efforts have taken us one step closer to our goal of helping some of Africa’s most vulnerable children.
For those of you looking for a way to support a good cause, hosting small fundraisers similar to the one held last weekend can be a great way to get involved. If you would be interested in hosting an event on our behalf, please contact me at bryan@ayaf.org.
Best,
Bryan D. Kreykes
President, African Youth Aid Foundation
