The reason for this climb and adventure to the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda is to raise awareness and funds for the children of Africa orphaned and at risk due to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. We have chosen four beneficiaries for this project and they are:
1. RFFA (Rotarians For Fighting AIDS) Orphan Rescue see:
http://www.rffa.org
RFFA’S Mission is to mobilize Rotarians to fight HIV/AIDS.
We break the silence on AIDS, thereby reducing the stigma and making AIDS a mainstream issue. RFFA’s mission directs Rotarians to work on HIV/AIDS education and prevention, with a particular focus on developing and implementing community support efforts for orphans and vulnerable children.
RFFA engages and mobilizes Rotarians from all countries to join major, sustainable programs to support children. Rotarians address and combat the pandemic while providing global leadership in HIV/AIDS.
Happiness is a school uniform
Happiness is a school uniform, in Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya above are some of the children who received their uniforms as a result of funds raised by Australians in 2007 on the Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb.
2. Operation Medical Hope, Hout Bay Cape Town, South Africa see:
Opening of Coolamon House in Hout Bay
Dr Ivan Bromfield, on the left, City of Cape Town Director of Health, who officiated at the opening of Coolamon House and seen here with clinic staff, said it was a “wonderful example of international communities and Rotary working together to save lives”. In the centre is Sister Carolus.
This project will enable the small clinic to seriously begin the fight back on HIV/Aids and TB in the nearby poverty-ridden shack township of Imizamo Yethu. Over 4,500 patient calls a month are handled by Sister Carolus in what has been called “very difficult conditions”
Coolamon House Hout Bay
3. Bishop Masereka’s Christian Foundation, Medical Care Centre, Uganda see:
Bishop Masereka's Medical Centre
http://www.bmcf.org
Vision:
The Vision of the BMCF-US is to assist patients and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases (in Uganda ) through support of the BMCF- Uganda.
Mission:
The Mission of the BMCF-US is to encourage prayer, publicize the needs, raise funds, and assist in setting strategic priority to support the mission (and sustainability) of the BMCF-Uganda. Medical and educational needs are addressed to improve the well-being of patients and orphans affected by critical diseases in Uganda ).
Specific Objectives:
*To provide education to the churches, communities, schools and families about the dangers of HIV/AIDS
*To accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS by fighting stigma, shame, denial, discrimination, in-action and misinformation
*To encourage people to go for voluntary counseling and testing for HIV
*To encourage patients to live positive and productive lives
*To provide care and counseling to the HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons
*To assist HIV/AIDS patients to obtain medication for opportunistic infections, and encourage them to seek further and more appropriate treatment
*To assist orphaned children with school fees and provide counseling to the ones who are traumatized by the loss of their dear ones
*Mobilization of resources for the Foundation’s ministry.
4. EDUCATION: The School of St. Jude’s Tanzania
Happiness is St Jude's School
The smile says it all
The School of St Jude is an independent sponsorship-supported school that provides education for Tanzanian children from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds. The school demonstrates leadership, promotes critical thinking and expects high moral values from its students, staff and the school community.
The School of St Jude opened its doors to three very small, bright and underprivileged students. We began with one teacher and a single classroom. Nine years later the school has grown to approx 1500 students, spread across three amazing schools, two boarding campuses and employs over 350 local staff. Each year new buildings are constructed to house the following year’s intake of students. This allows the oldest students to progress into the year above and will eventually see them all the way through to the end of secondary school.
The various sponsorship and donation schemes, which have been set up at the school, have allowed the dream of educating underprivileged children become a reality. The sponsorship of buses has allowed children, who would normally start walking at 4am, get a ride to school, and the sponsorship of teachers has allowed students to be taught by the best local Tanzanian teachers, who are being assisted by highly-qualified Western teachers. It is the ultimate blend of the positives of both cultures.
Happiness is the School of St. Jude’s.
Come climb the beautiful