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Today is World Aids Orphan day. I have linked the official website and encourage all families with Ethiopian children or who are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia to check out this site.
Of course many countries all around the world are affected by AIDS. Africa is being decimated by this virus. Two of my children have been affected by this pandemic and it is a cause close to my heart.
Here is some info from the site linked above:
Over 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS – equivalent to the number of people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 12 million children have been orphaned by the pandemic.
Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia.
By 2010, the number of AIDS orphans worldwide is expected to reach at least 20 million.
These numbers are just staggering, too big to imagine or comprehend. This is our world. Today. Right now.
What is being done?
* Fewer than 1 in 10 AIDS orphans receives any external support.
*US $4.6 billion is needed to implement a comprehensive response to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. Estimates suggest that less than US $0.5 billion is currently being invested.
*Only three countries – the US, UK and Ireland have earmarks providing at least 10% of HIV/AIDS funding to orphans and vulnerable children. Yet experts believe that these promises and legislation are unfulfilled as they meander through government bureaucracy
What can you do personally? Educate yourself on HIV and AIDS. Find an agency, aid group or research group to donate to. Find a NGO that works with AIDS orphans and donate time, money or goods to help them.
There are so many good agencies out there helping. Find one that fits your belief system and do something! We can all help solve this horrible crisis that seems to just be getting worse.
We have three copies of the children’s book Ten Days and Nine Nights by Yumi Heo to give away! Please visit our giveaway post to enter!
