World AIDS Day 2012: Red Hearts and Red Ribbons
I wasn’t looking for another child to sponsor. But then I saw two things next to her picture on the website: a red heart and a red ribbon.
Josiane, from Rwanda, had been waiting for a sponsor for over six months.
The red ribbon showed that Josiane lived in an AIDS-affected area.
Online, as I added Josiane’s sponsorship to my account, I took the opportunity to pay an additional $8 per month to give to the HIV/AIDS Initiative Fund.
According to UNICEF, 2.3 million children in Africa live with HIV and 14.9 million are orphaned by AIDS.
For the cost of a couple of fancy lattes a month, I’ve chosen to give to the HIV/AIDS Initiative Fund which does the following for Josiane and our other 470,000 + African beneficiaries, and their families:
- Provide complimentary testing for all of our beneficiaries, their siblings, and caregivers. Testing is not a requirement, and if they decline, we respect that decision. However, it is available to all.
- We bring awareness to all of our beneficiaries about HIV/AIDS. According to AVERT.org, only 24 percent of young women and 36 percent of young men in low-income countries are knowledgeable about HIV transmission and prevention. Last year alone, we trained more than 2,600 HIV/AIDS peer educators who focus on increasing knowledge about the disease to bring about behavioral change.
It’s About Giving
Let’s paint a complete picture of giving this holiday season and see what we come up with. Let’s see if what we uncover helps connect us more closely to Jesus and helps make giving a part of our everyday lives.
And the Winners of Blog Month Are…
Your participation and support of blog month helped offer hope and opportunity to thousands of children living in extreme poverty. And on their behalf we are grateful. Thank you.
My Sponsored Child Pinterest Contest
Ten separate sponsors will win a $25 gift for their sponsored child. Five separate sponsors will win a $100 gift for their sponsored child’s family.
September is Blog Month at Compassion
September is Blog Month at Compassion. And what that means is prizes, giveaways, blogging assignments and more children sponsored via the Internet than any previous September in our history.
World Malaria Day 2012
As they toured a village in Uganda, they came upon a grave on a hillside of a man – a father, a husband, a friend, a son – prematurely taken from his family because of malaria. Malaria, a disease preventable with as little as a mosquito net and an elementary health education.
6-year-old Fatao Needs Heart Surgery
The total cost of Fatao’s surgery, including passport, visa, travel, the surgery itself and follow-up care, is $23,000. As we did a few years ago with Alexander, we’re asking you for help. Please make a donation to help pay for Fatao’s heart surgery.
Today Is the Day to Do Something About Human Trafficking
How can we (and so many people we know) be so overwhelmed and so outraged about human trafficking and have it still exist in our world today?
We Have Six Things to Say to Water.org
We’re in the midst of a campaign to takeover the Water.org Twitter account. Water.org’s 432,000 Twitter followers represent a whole new audience for us. An audience that may not know what we do, why we do it or who we do it for. This is what we want to tell them.
It’s Time Extreme Poverty Came to an End
We want to end extreme poverty in our lifetime. And 58: is about all of the other children that we can’t sponsor, but want to.
Help Us Takeover Water.org’s Twitter Account
Please vote for us to takeover the Water.org Twitter account and encourage others to vote for us as well.
We Want You to Write Guest Blog Posts for Us
It’s time for you to take the stage. Your perspective is valuable. We want to learn from you. And we want to be challenged by you.
