Seeing Red: Helping to eliminate AIDS in Africa

By Jennifer Fedor
January 1, 2007

by Jennifer Fedor, Manager of Partner Relations

(RED) is more than just a color. This bold and symbolic color is being used to raise global awareness and action to fight the HIV and AIDS pandemic. I have felt its impact.

AIDS is everyone’s problem. Statistics are sometimes overwhelming, and that is a good thing. In my research I came across the following sobering statistics on the UNAIDS and ADRA websites:

• South Africa has 5.5 million people living with AIDS
• An estimated 38.6 million people live with AIDS worldwide
• Half of the nearly 39 million people living with AIDS are women, an increase from 1/3 in 1985
• Approximately 25 million people have died from AIDS
• In sub-Saharan Africa, young women are 6 times more likely to be infected as men
• Each day there are 14,000 people infected with AIDS globally
• About 15 million children have been orphaned because AIDS has killed their parents

You can not help but think about the people that have had their lives robbed. Think about the 15 million children that have no parental support.

Once you review the information and think about the lives that AIDS has taken and impacted, it leaves you with the thought, “Someone needs to do something.”

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has heard this statement and is taking action. Recently, Silas Partners helped ADRA launch a new HIV and AIDS Crisis section on the website that faces this issue head on. This section on the site is geared towards raising awareness and educating people about HIV and AIDS.

You can’t argue with someone’s personal story of perseverance in difficult circumstances. As I read through Evelyne’s story on ADRA’s website, my heart felt convicted to think about doing something myself. Evelyne is young Christian woman living with HIV. She is a pastor’s daughter that knows first hand the assumptions that are made on her by many circles of people. Yet, Evelyne is not allowing her fear of the stigma attached with HIV or AIDS to stop her from speaking out. Instead, she has faith the Lord is using her to provide empathy to others and to educate those who are put in her path to tell.

Mike Negerie, the Regional Technical Manager for Health, ADRA International spoke recently on ADRA Radio. He bluntly stated, “AIDS touches basically everything and everybody is involved.” AIDS is not something that we can run away from or ignore. That is the very thing that organizations and ministries like ADRA are trying to stop. People like Mike and Evelyne recognize that past efforts, no matter how well intentioned, have not worked. HIV and AIDS is not going away. In his radio interview, Mike was asked to talk about what efforts in Uganda have been successful and what work lies ahead. He responded, “The committed leadership on the political level, the willingness to openly discuss ways to prevent the spread of HIV, you know, the risk factors in addressing them, effective communication that they had through the media, through the word of mouth, through the community, through the churches, involving the military, the synagogues, schools, medical institutions, all of these work together towards educating the people and effecting behavior change.” Change is possible. Although the spread of HIV and AIDS is an enormous problem, there is hope. Hope is in action.

I was left wondering what it meant to “do something” after seeing (RED). Thankfully, after some searching and prayer it became clear that I need to go. This summer, as a result of many influences and information regarding this tragedy, I’ll hopefully be heading to Malawi for a few weeks. There I’ll be volunteering in a hospital - comforting babies and being around people who need to know they are important. They need to hear the Good News.

This begins with churches. This begins with you. This begins with me. Thanks to the work of ADRA and organizations that are caring for people with HIV and AIDS, it is encouraging to know that while there is a lot to be done, we can not wait for someone else to “do something.”

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has heard this statement and is taking action. Recently, Silas Partners helped ADRA launch a new HIV and AIDS Crisis section on the website that faces this issue head on. This section on the site is geared towards raising awareness and educating people about HIV and AIDS.

You can’t argue with someone’s personal story of perseverance in difficult circumstances. As I read through Evelyne’s story on ADRA’s website, my heart felt convicted to think about doing something myself. Evelyne is young Christian woman living with HIV. She is a pastor’s daughter that knows first hand the assumptions that are made on her by many circles of people. Yet, Evelyne is not allowing her fear of the stigma attached with HIV or AIDS to stop her from speaking out. Instead, she has faith the Lord is using her to provide empathy to others and to educate those who are put in her path to tell.

Mike Negerie, the Regional Technical Manager for Health, ADRA International spoke recently on ADRA Radio. He bluntly stated, “AIDS touches basically everything and everybody is involved.” AIDS is not something that we can run away from or ignore. That is the very thing that organizations and ministries like ADRA are trying to stop. People like Mike and Evelyne recognize that past efforts, no matter how well intentioned, have not worked. HIV and AIDS is not going away. In his radio interview, Mike was asked to talk about what efforts in Uganda have been successful and what work lies ahead. He responded, “The committed leadership on the political level, the willingness to openly discuss ways to prevent the spread of HIV, you know, the risk factors in addressing them, effective communication that they had through the media, through the word of mouth, through the community, through the churches, involving the military, the synagogues, schools, medical institutions, all of these work together towards educating the people and effecting behavior change.” Change is possible. Although the spread of HIV and AIDS is an enormous problem, there is hope. Hope is in action.

I was left wondering what it meant to “do something” after seeing (RED). Thankfully, after some searching and prayer it became clear that I need to go. This summer, as a result of many influences and information regarding this tragedy, I’ll hopefully be heading to Malawi for a few weeks. There I’ll be volunteering in a hospital - comforting babies and being around people who need to know they are important. They need to hear the Good News.

This begins with churches. This begins with you. This begins with me. Thanks to the work of ADRA and organizations that are caring for people with HIV and AIDS, it is encouraging to know that while there is a lot to be done, we can not wait for someone else to “do something.”