World AIDS Day Celebration

As most of you know Monday, December 1st was World AIDS Day. Around the world people were remembering their loved ones that have died from this pandemic which has hit hardest in sub-Saharan Africa. The statistics are staggering. 25% of adults are believed to be infected with HIV/AIDS. There are 510,000 new infections annually. HIV kills 370,000 young people in South Africa a year. There are 2.5 million orphans in South Africa living with their Gogo's (grandma's), Aunties and in foster care.

On World AIDS Day, Kent, David, Mel and I were invited to attend a grand-opening of a community center in Khayelitsha established by an American based non-profit, Art AIDS Art, in conjunction with Monkeybiz. The centre will serve local residents with programs in family literacy, nutrition, gardening and AIDS prevention. The outside of the building is painted in a very bright blue and the inside walls are painted white with multi colored circles giving the space a fun and creative feel. Monkeybiz is an income generating program for women who have reinvented the ancient South African art of beading through their contemporary designs which have been exhibited at galleries and museums around the World. Open Arms and Monkeybiz began working together in 2003. Open Arms established their first World AIDS Day event in 2004 around the Monkeybiz product, it was a huge success and continues to be to this day! All the proceeds from the sale of Monkeybiz products go back to South Africa to sustain the many programs Open Arms supports here. Many of you may not know, but Open Arms supports a weekly soup kitchen for the beaders on Market Day. Monkeybiz employs over 450 beaders, many who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Khaylelitsha. An estimated 35% of the residents of Khaylelisha (pop. of over 750,000) have HIV/AIDS, with women disproportionately affected. Because of the stigma and misinformation attached to the disease, many are resistant to getting tested or, if they test positive, hide their condition to avoid being ostracized. Women, already living in extreme poverty, face the additional hardship of taking in children of relatives lost to AIDS.

The grand-opening was enjoyed by all the Monkeybiz beaders, the founders of both Monkeybiz and Art AIDS Art, staff and many guests. We were entertained with music, traditional dancing, a tour of the new facility and artwork created by American artists.

The pictures represent the excitement and happiness felt by all who attended the event. Art AIDS Art co-founder Dorothy Garcia insisted "Education provides understanding of how AIDS is transmitted, and financial independence allows women to avoid trading their bodies for food and shelter. They are able to make decisions on their own terms."

(We felt very special when we saw the woman wearing the Open Arms T-shirt, how appropriate!)


Bye for now...