Hello and welcome to RFFA Australia, the home of the Orphan Rescue Kits!. Build an O.R.K yourself or help build one, for as little as $4! The O.R.K. is an initiative of the Coolamon (Australia) Rotary Club, to assist the survival of African Orphans..enjoy your stay and help us build the O.R.K! Please support our exiting World AIDS Day 2011 project "The Mountains of the Moon": an endorsed project of RFFA, Rotarians For Fighting AIDS. The funds we raise on this adventure will go to these beneficiaries: Click here to see

Channel 7 Interview

Here is the interview played on Channel & Prime TV recently on the adventure in Uganda.

School of St. Jude’s Celebrates 10 Years

One of the beneficiaries of the Mountains of the Moon climb as they were on the Kili 28/8 Climb in 2007.

Simply stunning result all round well done Gemma Sisia and congratulations.

More Photos from Uganda

Enchanted Forest of Moss

These are random photos and have a lot of meaning to us all on this adventure.

Some More Photos from the Climb/Trek

Fred and a Friend

Here are a few photos showing some of the things we had to do to get to 4,000 metres where a summit attempt could be made.  It was hard work and as you know only two reached teh summit.  These photos are from Fred Madden thanks mate.

 

 

Women Leaders in Action

RFFA is doing some great work in partnership with a leading US Bank called the US Bank based in Atlanta. Their Vice Chair Pam Joseph and our own Marion Bunch are supporting a Maasai school in Kenya, enjoy the video and support RFFA on our web site: RFFA

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Climbing through rain forest

The Mountains of the Moon Team going through rain forest. Hats off to the porters who carry 22 kgs with incredible strength up steep slopes of slippery rocks and mud. These are strong men who earn very little and are rewarded with tips from the climbers. I hope their lot improves as more people go to the Rwenzoris.

Crossing Rivers

Some of the timber ladders provided to cross raging streams were very dicey but strong you just needed to trust your guides.

Snow on the Equator

Moses Kashumba and Fred Madden with the RFFA banner

Summit day on Mount Margherita. Seven of us started out to climb this mountain for the children of Africa and two made it to the top. Here are some photos of the day Moses and Fred made it. Both Moses and Fred now want to join Rotary and I hope they will. Moses Kashumba and Fred Madden we salute you and thank you for taking the RFFA banner to the third highest mountain in Africa. It was tough and we are told that only 2-3% of those who attempt this climb achieve the summit.

Nonceba Cape Town

 

One of the most heart wrenching places to visit in Cape Town is the Nonceba project. It is also a place of hope for the future of these young children who have been traumatised by the “virgin cure”. Please read the web sites below:

Nonceba Web Site

Ashley Kaimowitz

Here are some photographs taken during our visit there:

Mathare a Fashion Parade

These children are orphans and are supported through Rotarians for Fighting AIDS Orphan Rescue programme. They gave us a remarkable insight into their lives and put on one heck of a show for us when we visited them in Nairobi on December 7th. Without a shadow of doubt the monies we are raising for their schooling is producing excellent results in this wretched slum of Mathare in Nairobi where they exist.

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Home from Uganda

We have returned home from one heck of an adventure and I will write up several stories here over the Christmas break.  It was without doubt the toughest thing that we have ever done.  Two in our team of seven made it to the summit of Mount Margherita:  Moses Kashumba from Tanzania and Fred Madden from Bathurst.

 

 

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UNAIDS Report 2011

UNAIDS REPORT 2011


The number of people dying of AIDS-related causes fell to 1.8 million***** [1.6 million–1.9 million] in 2010, down from a peak of 2.2 million [2.1 million–2.5 million] in the mid-2000s. A total of 2.5 million deaths have been averted in low- and middle-income countries since 1995 due to antiretroviral therapy being introduced, according to new calculations by UNAIDS.  Much of that success has come in the past two years when rapid scale-up of access to treatment occurred; in 2010 alone, 700 000 AIDS related deaths were averted. The proportion of women living with HIV has remained stable at 50% globally, although women are more affected in sub-Saharan Africa (59% of all people living with HIV) and the Caribbean (53%).

There were 2.7 million [2.4 million–2.9 million] new HIV infections in 2010, including an estimated 390 000 [340 000–450 000] among children. This was 15% less than in 2001, and 21% below the number of new infections at the peak of the epidemic in 1997. The number of people becoming infected with HIV is continuing to fall, in some countries more rapidly than others.  HIV incidence has fallen in 33 countries, 22 of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by the AIDS epidemic.

***** That is still around 5,100 people dying every single day of the year and the result more and more ORPHANS.

They NEED Us Now!


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Off and Running

We are away in the morning and leave Sydney as a team tomorrow evening.  Next stop Entebbe Airport and the Pearl of Africa.

We will do our best to keep you all posted via this web site, so stay tuned.

Daily Advertiser Wagga Wagga

Fred being interviewed by Ch 7

Bill Clinton Ochieng and his sister Joyce

The reason we are doing this!

Moses Kashumba

Moses is waiting for us!!!

Tell your friends tell everyone and especially tell those who may be able to make a difference to the lives of the children of Africa.

 

 

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Help Rotarians Climb a Mountain on World AIDS Day

RFFA Montreal Meeting

L-R John Glassford Australia, “Olu” DGN Olugbemiga Olowu Nigeria. PRIVP Mike McGoven, USA.  CEO Marion Bunch RFFA USA.  PRID Paul Netzel USA.  PDG Mark Doyle South Africa.  COO Len Lanzi RFFA California.

Message from Marion Bunch

A Question

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The Mountains of the Moon

The Glaciers

This is where we will be on World AIDS DAY December 1st 2011.  This is not a picnic trek and it will be tough, not only do we have to worry about the mud and the constant rain we also have to look out for the altitude.  The following story gives a good idea of what this trek/climb is all about.  Some say it is like trekking the Kokoda Track with the altitude of Kilimanjaro.  We climbed Kilimanjaro in 2007 for the AIDS orphans of Africa.

 

This story by Cam McLeay

I pulled my sleeping bag over my head and tightened the drawstring around my face. I have been living in Uganda for over 3-years and couldn’t remember the last time I had actually climbed into my sleeping bag, let alone pulled the hood over my head – we live on the equator and we are not used to feeling that cold.

The next thing I knew it was morning and light crept through the window of the Guy Yeoman hut. I ventured outside and mist swirled around in the valley below. A brisk wind dispelled any ideas I had of an early morning swim. Smoke poured from beneath the roof of the porters huts – a good sign that the fire was warm and the day had begun. Putting on the porridge seemed as good a start as any but not before that first cup of tea. On my way to the creek to fill the teapot a mostly grey streaked between the giant heather and I was able to make out clearly at the end of the streak a Ruwenzori Turaco. Even while half awake, I knew that this would cause your most enthusiastic twitcher to wet his pants with excitement. I stood still to watch this remarkable bird preen himself only meter’s away and reveled in the again in the magic of the Rwenzori and mystery that still surrounds the Mountains of the Moon.

READ MORE HERE

The Mountains of the Moon

Bwindi

Just to let you know we are visiting the gorillas of Bwindi on our way to climb the Mountains of the Moon.

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World AIDS Day December 1st 2011

We are asking you to look at giving up your lunch money for World AIDS Day in supporting our climbers in Uganda.

We have the donation button working well now apart from the icons above you can go to the donate page here:

DONATE NOW

You could also tell your friends about this initiative and I attach here a sample lunch bag that maybe you could down load and give to your work mates family and friends to join us.

Lunch Box Project World AIDS Day

The Lunch Bag

 

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Slide Show

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District 9700 Team Trains

The Rock our Training Ground

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few photos of the District 9700 team training today with support from the WAGS (Whiskey And Gin Set).