South Africa brings two items to mind. One is beautiful, one is ugly. One is supposed to last forever, while the duration of the other remains to be seen. These two items are diamonds and disease, namely HIV. The nation is seemingly both cursed and blessed. New York City has a population of over eight million people going about their daily business in the largest city in the United States. How would the daily business of New York City be affected if 5.5 million of those people were infected with HIV? Such is the case oinSouth Africa, as they have the highest density of HIV positive citizensin the world.
Messages similar to this permeate late night television commercials with voice-overs and black and white pictures of small, helpless children. These commercials may raise public awareness, yet at the same time they make the struggles against AIDS in Africa feel a world away to the common American viewer.
That world will be brought much closer this month as the Honors College of West Chester University holds their second annual appeal for Aid to South Africa on March 31. The event allows people to help those affected by HIV in South Africa on the local level through participation and donations. Habitat for Humanity, Circle K, SGA and the Greek community will team up with the Honors College in their fundraising effort.
Honors College freshman Alyssa Conaway explained the utter importance of generating help for South Africa.
“The cause is not important – it is crucial. One thousand people die everyday from AIDS in South Africa, but people around the world do not know about it,” she said.
The Honors College hopes to raise funds, but also awareness about the issue as a whole. Knowledge about the issue is necessary before knowing how to get involved and making a contribution. South Africa, while in dire need of funds to battle AIDS, is also in dire need of hope for a better future.
“If at the end of this event we have made the community more aware of not only the problems but the hope in South Africa, I will be ecstatic,” Conaway said.
The Aid to South Africa event focuses on two main organizations that work to alleviate the suffering AIDS causes children. The first of these is the H.E.L.P. Ministries Soup Kitchen. H.E.L.P. delivers 6,000 bowls of soup a day to South African schools, according to the Honors College, and for many of the school children that is the only meal they receive each day. The other organization that the fundraiser is associated with is Sparrow Village, a South African orphanage for children with HIV. The orphanage provides running water and beds for these children, many of whom will die within four years.
Many events will be included in the fundraiser, including carnival-style games, tug of war and a craft show. Five bands will provide live entertainment and food will also be provided. The most important activity, however, are those that involve raising awareness. Conaway stated, “There will be awareness activities, including a letter table where people can write letters to children in South Africa.” According to the Honors College, a donation of just one dollar can feed a South African child for an entire week, and a donation of $10 feeds 60 children every day.
The event will be held from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Hollinger Field House on North Campus. All students can be involved with the activities and donate towards the cause. Other sponsors for the event include Riggtown, Aramark and the Hopewell United Methodist Church. More information can be found at www.wcupa.edu/aidtosouthafrica.