May 7 World AIDS Orphans Day & Essay Contest Part II

http://www.fxb.org/FXBinAction/orphansday.html  

New York, March 15, 2010


Press Release
Children Invited to Enter :  2010 World AIDS Orphans Day Contest

To commemorate World AIDS Orphans Day on May 7th, 2010, kids in grades 4-8th are invited to share their stories! Children should submit a letter sharing their views on the following topic:

Millions of kids around the world have lost their parents to AIDS. Write a letter to Albina du Boisrouvray, founder of World AIDS Orphans Day, explaining what you think should be done to help these kids live better lives.

The winning essay will be posted on the World AIDS Orphans Day website (www.worldaidsorphans.org). The author will receive a certificate from Albina du Boisrouvray, international humanitarian and founder of World AIDS Orphans Day, and $200 to be donated in their name to a charity benefiting children!

Spread the word! This is an exciting way for children to express their thoughts and speak out in support of orphaned children around the world!

Entries should be a maximum of 300 words and emailed or attached in Word form to info@worldaidsorphans.org by 5pm Eastern Time on Monday, April 26th, 2010.

For consideration, all entries must have the applicant’s full name, age and grade level and a parent or guardian’s full name and contact phone number or email address.

Additional Rules:

• Entries due by 5pm on Monday, April 26th
• Maximum length: 300 words
• Open to children in all countries in grades 4-8 (or of the appropriate age)
• The winning letter will be officially announced on Friday, May 7th
• All entries will become property of WorldAIDSOrphansDay.com and FXB International

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Press contact:
FXB USA — Nico D’Auterive — ndauterive@fxb.org — 1 212 697 3566


Find World AIDS Orphans Day on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/WorldAIDSOrphansDay?ref=ts

May 7--World AIDS Orphan Day & Essay Contest

http://www.worldaidsorphans.org/

Children and AIDS



• AIDS has orphaned more than 15 million children around the world. Over 80% of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa.


• AIDS is more likely than any other cause of death to create double orphans – children who have lost both parents. (UNICEF)


• Less than 1 in 10 of these children receives any type of external support or help. (UNICEF)


• By 2010 there will be an estimated 20 to 25 million AIDS orphans. (UNICEF)


• Every 15 seconds, a young adult between the ages of 15 and 24 is infected with HIV. (UNICEF)


• Approximately 2.3 million children under age 15 currently live with HIV. (Global AIDS Alliance)


• Every minute, one child under age 15 dies from AIDS or an AIDS-related illness.(UNICEF)

• An estimated 11 million children under age 5 die each year from preventable or treatable diseases. (WHO)
• Children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS are more likely to suffer from hunger and malnutrition, to drop out of school, to become infected with HIV and to face discrimination, abuse, and exploitation.


About World AIDS Orphans Day


World AIDS Orphans Day, held each year on May 7th, is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the more than 15 million children orphaned by AIDS. The campaign engages leaders, activists, and young people from around the world in awareness raising and action for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.


Today, a diverse coalition of organizations, government officials and everyday citizens is standing up to make children a priority in the fight against AIDS. Your voice is their future.


10 Percent for Children
This World AIDS Orphans Day, we are calling on global leaders to take serious action in addressing the crisis of AIDS orphans by allocating at least 10% of overall HIV and AIDS funding to meet the needs of children who are orphaned or made vulnerable by the pandemic.


UNAIDS estimates that at least $4 billion will be needed over the next two years to meet the basic needs of many of these children. Since 2003, the US Congress has pledged to earmark at least 10 percent of all HIV/AIDS funding for children, but it has consistently failed to meet this goal. Increased funding will provide the necessary resources for governments, partner organizations, and local communities to respond to the special needs of children.


Visit www.worldaidsorphans.org to join the campaign.

Spread the word.  Tweet this.  Post on Facebook.  Email this post to family and friends.  Email me at powerofonlyone(at)gmail(dot)com and I can send you the flyers and logos.  Tomorrow's post will feature the essay contest and rules.    (all data from www.worldaidsorphans.org an FXB initiative)

We can all change the world, even with the Power of Only One.

AIDS destroyer of Africa, destroyer of dreams

• Twenty-two million people in Africa have HIV, representing 2/3 of the total infected population of the world.
• Seventy-five percent of the world's AIDS-related deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The main mode of HIV/AIDS transmission in Africa is heterosexual intercourse. The second-most common mode of transmission is from mother to child, either during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Many Swazi communities have been destroyed by the AIDS epidemic. Swaziland has been affected most by the HIV epidemic. The country has a 38.8 percent adult infection rate and a life expectancy of only 39 years.
• In Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, current estimates show over 1 person in 5 between the ages of 15 and 49 is living with HIV or AIDS.
• Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 83% of the deaths have been in Africa.
• At least 95% of all AIDS orphans have been African.
• In 1998 wars in Africa killed 200,000 people. AIDS killed 2 million on the continent.
• As infection rises in the general population, so does the likelihood of encountering an infected partner early in one's sexual career.
• In Africa, especially Southern Africa the average life expectancy is only 48 years; this being largely because of the AIDs epedimic. In 2005 the world suffered around 3 million deaths because of AIDs, out of those 3 million an estimated one third were in Sub-Saharan Africa. The cause of this has to do largely with lack of education on the subject, and lack of prevention methods coupled with hard to find quality treatment.

SOURCES (These are not my words.  I cut and pasted the facts & figures directly from the sources listed above.)

• http://cesa.imb.org/aidsinafrica/facts_on_aids.htm
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_5467396_bullet-point-aids-africa.html
• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/388297/the_sad_facts_about_aids_in_africa.html?cat=47