If I Had a Million Dollars — I'd ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa: A how-to manual for individuals and groups wishing to make a positive response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.
Stephen Douglas
Presented by The York Region Committee in Support of the
Stephen Lewis Foundation "If I Had A Million Dollars Campaign"
with the kind and generous support of
Natural Heritage Books
Copyright © 2004 The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
Ordering Information:
All rights reserved. No portion of this book, with the exception of brief extracts for the purpose of literary or scholarly review, may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher.
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Published by Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. P.O. Box 95, Station O,Toronto, Ontario M4A 2M8 www.naturalheritagebooks.com
website at www.naturalheritagebooks.com. An electronic version of the book is available on the committee website
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
www.york4stephenlewis.ca. Please visit
Doug las, Stephen, 1963If I had a mFHion dqllai^^ I'd ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa : a how-to manual for individuals and ^ro4ps wishing to make a positive response to the HIV/ AIDS pandemic in Africa / Stephen Douglas.
our website for more information. This book was written to be shared, passed along to neighbours, circulated among association members and then
ISBN 1-897045-02-$
donated to your local service group or
1. HIV infections—Afriia. 2. AIDS (Disease)—Africa. 3. Stephen Lewis Foundation. 4. York Region Committee in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. 5. Fund raising—Case studies. I.York Region Committee in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation II.Title. RA643.86.A35D68 2004
"I'd Ease The Pain" by contacting the
362.196'9792'0096
C2004-905732-4
Canada Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing programme. We acknowledge the support of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation's Ontario Book Initiative. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Programme (BPIDP) and the Association for the Export of Canadian Books.
helping agency. We'd like to encourage as many people as possible to use this information to motivate and inspire their communities and help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Design and Layout: Pierre Leclipteux Cover Photo Credits: Jules, Nasa Earth Observatory Printed in Canada by a generous Canadian printer who wishes to remain anonymous.
Table of Contents Acknowledgements
4
Foreword — A Message from the Committee Co-Chairs
5
Introduction
6
The Face of HI V/AIDS in Africa—Quick Facts about HIV/AIDS
7
The Stephen Lewis Foundation
9
Meet the York Region Committee—Objectives and Goals
10
A Case Study... The York Region Committee Gives Birth to an Idea
12
The Spark That Ignites An Inferno About York Region
Legal Considerations
Seed Money
Getting Patrons On Board
Meeting the Need — Getting Started in York Region
15
Community Action
Education
Garage Sales
Arts
Health
Service Groups
Government
Labour
Community
Business
Seniors/Volunteers
Youth
Seeds of Hope
Faith
Legal
Media
The Gala Dinner as Major Fund Raiser When The Money Starts Rolling In The Spark Becomes An Inferno References... Relief Projects, Recipes, Resources What's Being Done to Ease The Pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa Throw an African Dinner Party Resources
o
<:j
32
Acknowledgements:
our thanks go to those folks who gave so freely of their time and expertise.
Special thanks to Stephen Douglas who spent countless hours going over the details of the campaign, meeting with the committee and writing this manual. Stephen is an award-winning, Canadian journalist and author with a special interest in southern Africa.
Thanks to our esteemed Patrons;
Pierre Leclipteux, the graphic designer for all
Hon. Lincoln Alexander, P.C., C.C., 0. Ont., Q.C.
our campaign material, was cajoled, bullied, and caressed to meet our ridiculously short
As you know, a great deal of time and effort goes into any awareness and fund raising campaign.There are a huge number of people involved with the York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and
Hon. George Smitherman, Minister of Health, Ont. Bill Fisch, York Regional Chair and CEO Dr. Lorna R. Marsden, President, York University Steven Page of the Bare Naked Ladies For the many hours of work, meetings, planning, phone calls, action and re-action, thank you to our Executive Committee members and extended committee volunteers;
timelines for the production of this book. Your commitment and design sense are most noteworthy. In large part, this book was made possible through donations from some very special people and we'd like to especially thank Natural Heritage Books. We'd also like to extend a very warm thank
Honorary Chair: Charles Beer Co-chairs: Mary Anna Beer and Steve Falk Chair Gala Dinner: Alan Wells Other members:Tessa Benn-lreland, Len Bulmer, Noel Cooper, Pam Cornelius, Cathy Gapp, Pam Gragtmans, Bunny Godman, Judy Gordon, Ken Hill, Carole Houlihan, Mari Iromoto, Marie Lauzier, Pierre Leclipteux, Kitty Molefe, Vusi Nkomo,Mbonella Phiri, David Savournin, Pattie Sullivan, Phil Tydeman, Philip Poole, and Robin Wardlaw.
you to Steven Page of the Bare Naked Ladies, who donated the use of their song, "If I Had A Million Dollars"for the campaign.
Our Thanks to these supporting companies and organisations: (at time of printing)
The Aurora Lions Club for donating the hall for our seed money Feast and Dance The Optimist Club of Aurora for a financial contribution to the Stephen Lewis Foundation Marquee Productions, Aurora, for their co-sponsoring a night of Forever Plaid at the Newmarket Theatre Rotary Club of Richmond Hill for allowing us to enter Africa Artwork in their TV Auction The Mayor of the Town of Newmarket,Tom Taylor, for his support in planning and providing an excellent locale for our first information session - Breakfast of Champions The Town of Richmond Hill for support in planning the 2nd Breakfast of Champions at Rouge Woods Community Centre There are many more who have given us a kind and generous helping hand along the way. Please accept our thanks. The Committee
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Foreword
A message from the Committee Co-Chairs
The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation was formed early in 2003 by a group of people who keenly felt the need to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. We
York Region. It was also agreed that we would encourage people to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation if they wanted to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.The Stephen Lewis
and we encourage you to seek out the projects and organisations that best suit your group's beliefs and objectives. For us it was the Stephen Lewis Foundation, for your group it might be another
were a group from varied backgrounds.
Foundation is an organisation that
organisation... in the end we all support the
Some individuals had travelled to Africa and seen first-hand the tragic effects of HIV/AIDS on people's lives. Others had read reports on Africa in the media such as those by Stephanie Nolen in the Globe and Mail. Still others had family members who had died of AIDS in Africa and were now struggling with the enormous issues of adopted children, their health and
quickly puts money to work in grassroots projects all over Africa.Their objectives were ones shared by our committee.
goal of easing the pain suffered by those affected by HIV/AIDS.
We felt compelled to support them and encourage others to find a suitable recipient for their generous donations.
If you are reading this guide, you are probably considering some measure of response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We hope that with this How-to manual we can share some of our enthusiasm for our
welfare from a distant home in Canada. Our group was restless with the need to respond in a way that reflected the seriousness of the issue. We resolved to leave a lasting impression on our community; one that would inspire people to act and reach out to those in need. We deliberated on how to raise awareness in the region and we discussed how to bring relief to those suffering through the tragedies of HIV and AIDS.Through those discussions we decided to launch a massive public awareness campaign across our region. We would divide the community up into sectors and find individuals to become sector champions; specialists in bringing the awareness message to their area of influence and interest in
We contacted the Foundation with the proposal and made arrangements so that we appropriately represented them in our activities. From this we developed our own entity "The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation'.' The The York Region Committee shares the Stephen Lewis Foundation objectives - but is completely autonomous from the Stephen Lewis Foundation itself. The views and opinions expressed in this manual are those of the residents of York Region involved in the The York Region Committee. Our 18 month campaign was born, a catchy song,"If I had a million dollars','gave us a fundraising target and a mantra for our campaign. We recognize that there are many organisations supporting the work of those struggling with the effects of HIV/ AIDS in Africa which are worthy of support,
o
project, inspire some ideas that may work in your community and motivate you to participate in your own personal response to the suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. Yours respectfully, Mary Anna Beer and Steve Folk Co-Chairs York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
Introduction Welcome to your guide to motivating, inspiring and informing your community
erasing decades of health, economic and social progress, reducing life expectancy
suffering from HIV/AIDS will feel the heat, the comfort, the medicine, the support
about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. This book will help you spark your community into action. After all, as we'll see, one tiny spark can ignite an inferno, just like it did in York Region, Ontario.
by decades, slowing economic growth, deepening poverty and contributing to and exacerbating chronic food shortages.
and the caring from this group of York Region residents.
This book is about a group of people who were moved to take action in their community. What moved them? What motivated them to take action? - the horrendous plight of children and families struggling with HIV and AIDS in Africa.The face of pain drove the group and action needed to be taken; decisive, direct, and immediate action.
Several of the York Region Committee had personal experiences with this pandemic, witnessing first hand what toll AIDS took on families and communities. "HIV and AIDS affects us all/'said Mary Anna Beer, one of the co-chairs of the committee. "We couldn't sit idly by and watch millions of people suffer. Action had to be taken." And, their actions reverberated across York Region, and will ripple across the country and around the globe.
A small group of energetic and caring people were to become the centre of a huge hub around which their community lurched into action.Their idea was to take the spark of an idea - to help the millions of people affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa - and ignite their community to get behind the issue and help those millions of people.The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation lit that spark and began informing, motivating and inspiring their community. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, throughout the world, continues to exact a devastating toll on individuals and families, especially so in African countries. HIV and AIDS is
In 2002, starting with a dinner in a church basement, a group of dedicated and concerned people formed the York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and initiated the"lf I Had A Million Dollars"campaign. Their goal was to inspire, motivate and inform each person in York Region to raise money and help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.Their hope was to facilitate raising one million dollars to be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation - one dollar from every resident of York Region.The campaign is underway and the fires of inspiration and fund raising have been lit. Soon the inferno will rage and people in Africa
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The ripple effect of this committee's actions will be felt across the country through this book. We're using the "If I Had A Million Dollars"campaign as a case study to illustrate how individuals or groups in other parts of the country can ignite their own inferno and help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.The hope is that you'll be able to use the information, the trials, challenges and successes of the York Region committee to initiate and inspire your community into action. We present this committee's work as a model, to be expanded upon, dissected, shrunk and adapted to suit your community, your neighbourhood, region or city. Speaking at the closing ceremonies of the 13th International AIDS conference in Durban, South Africa, Nelson Mandela reiterates the seriousness of the pain of HIV and AIDS/'Let us not equivocate; a tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding in Africa. AIDS today in Africa is claiming more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines and floods. It is devastating families and communities; societies and economies.There is a need to be focussed, to be strategic and to mobilize all of our resources and alliances, and to sustain the effort until this war is won." Please join us in our efforts to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The Face Of HIV/AIDS The numbers and statistics around HIV and AIDS are scary, overwhelming and almost incomprehensible. What does an assembly of one million people look like? What does 6,500 caskets look like? The numbers can be staggering and when presenting this information it's important to put these numbers into perspective. For example, the York Region committee presented information to the Aurora town council, a town of about 50,000 people. At this council meeting, Steve Falk quoted a figure that shocked the members and visitors at the meeting. In Africa, 6500 people die of AIDS every day. In less than a week, they lose the equivalent of the population of Aurora. A town the size of Aurora can be wiped out in less than seven days. By the time of the next town council meeting, most of the members of that group would be infected or dead. "Bringing the numbers home"is an important task for those presenting this information.Statistics and numbers are powerful motivators but nothing is more scary and inspiring than relating those numbers to the individuals at the meeting. When Steve spoke to the Aurora town council, he also mentioned that if this group were functioning in Africa it's likely that 30% of them would be infected with HIV. That's three out often council members. Is it your neighbour? Is it the council member sitting next to you? Of course, the face of HIV/AIDS cannot be summoned to the fore through numbers and statistics.The travesty of humanity that is AIDS lies on the faces of the dying women, men, daughters, brothers and grandchildren throughout the world. Those faces you see on TV and in the photos are real.They are real people dying of a disease that's overwhelming the medical community, the international aid networks, and all levels of government.
Quick Facts about HIV/AIDS
According to the Joint United Nations Programmeme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 2004 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, AIDS is an "extraordinary kind of crisis; it is both an emergency and a long-term development issue." No place, no region, no city, no country in the world is exempt from the expanding and astonishing facts surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For illustrative purposes and to help you understand what we're really talking about, please consider these facts from the UNAIDS Report, 2004, the World Health Organisation and other United Nations departments. • Over the 20 years since AIDS was first diagnosed, 20 million people have died. • Across the world, almost 38 million people are living with HIV.
1995 and 2000 is now just 49 years -13 years less than in the absence of AIDS. • In Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy of people born over the next decade is projected to drop below 35 years in the absence of antiretroviral treatments. (UN Population Division, 2003) • Young people, 15 - 24 year olds, account for nearly half of all new HIV infections worldwide. • In 2003, Botswana reported study figures that established HIV prevalence, male and female, amongst all age groups. For young women and girls, ages 15 to 19, in urban areas, the prevalence rate was 15.4%. For young men and boys of the same age, it was 1.2%. For young women between 20 and 24, the HIV prevalence rate was 29.7%. For young men of that age it was 8.4%. For young women between the ages of 25 and 29, the rate was 54.1%;for young men of the same age, it was 29.7%.
• In 2003, an estimated 3 million people became newly infected with HIV throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Almost 5 million people became newly infected, around the world; the greatest number in any one year since the beginning of the epidemic.
Putting a face on the numbers
• Sub-Saharan Africa is home to just over 10% of the world's population and almost 66% of all people living with HIV. 25 million people are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.
1997 and 1998, respectively. Seven years ago, I took responsibility for taking care for three of my late sister's four orphaned children. I become a "mum" to my sister's children. A couple of weeks agof I learnt that my "daughter"age 23 is HIV positive. She has just started taking herARV treatment and so far so good.
• Over 2003, the epidemic has claimed the lives of an estimated 2.3 million Africans. 75% of the three million AIDS deaths that occurred over that year were recorded in sub-Saharan Africa. •Ten million young people (aged 15-24) and almost 3 million children under 15 are living with HIV. In sub-Saharan African, if current infection rates continue, up to 60% of 15year-olds will not reach their 60th birthday. • In seven African countries where HIV prevalence is greater than 20%, the average life expectancy of a person born between
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I am a Zambian-Canadian who has lost many relatives to HIV/AIDS. My parents had 6 kids - 4 boys and 2 girls, My three elder siblings died of HIV/AIDS in 1981
She is one of the lucky few because I can share and spare a few dollars... and I happen to care. Mbonella Phiri, York Region Committee Member
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has used the words "a terrifying pattern" to describe the toll that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has taken on the women of the world and the women of Africa. In other remarks, he's talked about the vulnerability of young women and girls in Africa, the 15-24 year-old age group, particularly, and then noted that on a worldwide basis, the numbers of women and girls in that age group represented nearly twothirds of the total infected. •There are 4,650,000 young women and girls carrying the virus in Africa, increasing in numbers by over a million a year. If the patterns of gender inequality intensify, as they seem to be doing, then the youth of Africa are facing a slow, Darwinian extinction. In December 2003, women accounted for nearly 50% of all people living with HIV worldwide and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa. Women and girls bear the brunt of the impact of the epidemic; they are most likely to take care of the sick, to lose their jobs, income and schooling as a result of illness, and on top of that, they face the devastating negative stigma of discrimination. • An estimated twelve million children have been orphaned by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. So far, the AIDS epidemic has left behind an estimated 14 million orphans. More than 80% of the AIDS orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa.
The UNAIDS report also notes that in every single country in Africa for which data is available, women between the ages of 15 and 49 constitute over 50% of the infections.
• In Swaziland,Zambia and Zimbabwe, without antiretroviral programmemes, average life expectancy is predicted to drop to below 35 years.
The statistics and numbers quoted above were accurate as of this printing and were taken from several reliable and informed sources including:
Here are some of the prevalence rates
The 2004 Report on the global AIDS
among selected countries:
epidemic: Fourth global report. July 2004.
Angola
59%,
Published by The Joint United Nations
Botswana
58% 56% 59%
Programmeme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS),
Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon
which brings together nine UN agencies: the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programmeme
Cote d'lvoire
56% 56% 57%
Ethiopia
55%
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),the
Gambia
57% 56% 55% 65% 57% 56% 57%
Congo (Brazzaville)
Ghana Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi
59% 57% 56% 55% 36%
Mali Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal South Africa Uganda Tanzania
(WFP),the United Nations Development Programmeme (UNDP),the United United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),the International Labour Organisation (ILO),the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the World Bank. The full UNAIDS report can be found at: http://www.unaids.org/bangkok2004/ GAR2004_html/GAR2004_00_en.htm The World Health Organisation, which is the United Nations specialized agency for
58%
health. Information on AIDS and HIV can
' S'7%
be found at: http://www.who.int/topics/ hiv_infections/en/.
56% 59% : 55%
Swaziland • According to Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) 60,000 HIV infected babies will be born in South Africa this year.
The HIV/AIDS crisis continues to evolve.
Zambia
60% 56% 57%
Zimbabwe
58%
The Center for HIV Information (CHI), a programme of the University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine. Further information can be found at: http:// chi.ucsf.edu/. The Stephen Lewis Foundation website at: stephenlewisfoundation.org. Additional information and updated
• Every day, 6500 people die of AIDS.
statistics can also be found through several other sources included in the Resources section of this manual.
X
The Stephen Lewis Foundation There are many excellent and noteworthy
Stephen Lewis has focused much of
Most recently, Stephen was appointed
organisations working with HIV/AIDS
his humanitarian effort on the African
as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy
sufferers and those affected by the
continent. In 1997, Stephen was
for HIV/AIDS in Africa. His mandate is to
disease. After considerable debate and
appointed to the International Panel
ensure follow-up to the April 2001 Africa
discussion, the York Region Committee
of Eminent Personalities to investigate
Summit on HIV/AIDS and to the July
decided to offer support to the Stephen
the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. As the
2001 United Nations Special Session on
Lewis Foundation as their vehicle to
Canadian Ambassador to the United
HIV/AIDS. Stephen works closely with
help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Nations from 1984-88, he chaired the
African leaders, African organisations,
There were a multitude of factors to
Committee that drafted the 5-year UN
organisations of people living with AIDS,
consider in the committee's choice of
Programmeme on African Economic
the United Nations, the international community, and with relief organisations.
charitable organisations including the
Recovery. In September 1986, the
fact that the Lewis Foundation was
Secretary-General of the United Nations
Canadian, was working with grassroots
appointed Mr. Lewis as his Special Advisor
Stephen was Maclean's "Canadian of the
organisations in Africa, and was lead by a
on Africa to aid in "the mobilization of the
Year" in 2003, and is a recipient of Canada's
noted, international advocate for people
international community."
highest honour for lifetime achievement, the Companion of the Order of Canada.
affected by HIV/AIDS. It was felt that the goals and objectives of the York Region
From 1995-1999, Stephen was Deputy
Committee closely matched those of the
Executive Director of UNICEF at the
The Stephen Lewis Foundation leaped
Stephen Lewis Foundation.
United Nations headquarters in New
into existence with speed and urgency,
York.Throughout the 90s, Stephen
due in part to the astonishing outpouring
travelled, advocated for, and spoke
of support from Canadians who want to
passionately about the rights and needs
join the effort to address the horror of the
of children around the world, especially
HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.
children of the developing world. "The situation of people living and dying with AIDS in parts of Africa is so desperate that even the most basic help will bring solace and hope." Stephen Lewis, 2003. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is about bringing solace and hope to the people of Africa; those suffering from HIV/AIDS and their families affected by the disease. For more information on the Stephen Lewis Foundation, please visit their website at Stephen Lewis Foundation Newsletter - "Grassroots"
available at their website
V
www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.
Meet the York Region Committee
Objectives and Goals
From the very first discussions over coffee to the church dinner featuring South African boerewors, African stew and mango juice, this group of energetic people, community members, and socially conscious folks, were convinced they wanted to do something to help the children and families suffering with HIV/ AIDS in Africa. But, what to do; what to do? The task at hand - to help the women, men and children of Africa - seemed too large, too overwhelming... HIV/AIDS was just too big a crisis. What's a group of wellmeaning, committed Canadians going to do for the people - the millions of people - in Africa who are suffering with HIV/ AIDS? It's a daunting and overwhelming dilemma faced by countless millions of children, parents, grandparents, governments and villages. But, in York Region, the talks continued, smaller groups of people got together, and soon an idea started to germinate. "We want to help," were the words Philip Poole and Robin Wardlaw uttered and heard over the course of several months. "But, what can we do?"Indeed, what can be done? Other than wringing our hands, pondering our navels and dreaming up our own unrealistic dreams to end the suffering, what could be done? At times it felt like talking endlessly about the problem could somehow equate to helping the millions of families in Africa. Clearly, this group of people needed direction... something concrete to really grab on to. So, what evolved was this... a clear set of guidelines and objectives for
The York Region Committee in Support
The initial discussions were varied, vibrant and vital to setting some parameters for the committee. As the direction and original intent became more and more clear, a specific direction also unfolded.
the committee to work on. Of course, these evolved over time starting with several "far out"grand-scale notions and narrowing to this:
inspire, inform and motivate the people of York Region around the issue of HIV/AIDS and the tragedy this pandemic is reeking in Africa; to raise the level of awareness
/()
of the Stephen Lewis Foundation will
of this heinous tragedy; and encourage the people of York Region to collectively raise one million dollars for their chosen charitable organisation, the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The practical aspects of the campaign were slower to emerge but over the course of several months, further clarity would evolve. •The committee will act as a clearing house of information and inspirational focus for activities in York Region.The people of York Region are responding to the human tragedy of this pandemic. Their actions will reverberate in the lives of those most affected. •To raise awareness of this issue in a wide range of sectors of the community, including schools, faith groups, service clubs, business, labour, government, and health care. •To provide resources that would assist in raising awareness of this issue in York Region including a speakers bureau, literature, video resources and a website that will co-ordinate information and activities for the campaign. •To initiate and co-ordinate a Regionwide HIV/AIDS Awareness Week with specific programmeming designed for and by the sectors mentioned above. •To inspire activities in the Region that would help raise awareness and raise funds to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
•To motivate arts groups,service clubs, labour groups and other organisations to put this issue on their agenda for funding support and programmeming. •To encourage the people of York Region to raise one million dollars, by June 2005, to support the grassroots work of projects identified by the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Yes, you could say these were lofty ideals and grand notions. But, once the committee laid out these goals and objectives, things started to roll, to build, and to succeed. It's important to recognize, however, that the York Region committee realized they weren't about to end the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa. If only they could... but, the reality of the situation and the realism of committee members was crucial to the structure and direction of the committee. Steve Falk and Mary Anna Beer were very clear.The goal of the committee was to be a hub for creating awareness, motivating and informing the residents of the region. And then, whatever groups were involved, whatever an individual wanted to do, they would be supported by the committee. Steve was very clear that the committee couldn't do everything... "there were just too many great fund raising ideas, too many fabulous possibilities"So,the committee decided that motivating and inspiring others to get involved, to run their own fund raising initiatives, and get as creative as they could get would be a better direction for the York Region committee.
//
A passage from a presentation to a local town council sums up the committee's efforts and aims."Our goals are to raise awareness of this issue through all sectors of the community, faith groups, business groups, service clubs, health, education, and governments. We intend to motivate and inspire the people of York Region to work in the best way they can, within their areas of community involvement and interest. Secondly, we hope that through this awareness raising campaign we will inspire fund raising contributions to the Stephen Lewis Foundation over the next 18 months that will proudly show that York Region has not been indifferent to the cry for help from our distant neighbours in Africa."
A Case Study... The York Region Committee Giving Birth to An Idea A Spark That Ignites An Inferno The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation plans to change the tide of indifference by launching an 18 month campaign of awareness raising and fund raising across the Region. In the words of Stephen Lewis,"We cannot sit idly by while this pandemic ravages the children and their families in sub-Saharan Africa'.'And so began the journey. The York Region Committee decided they would divide the region into specific target sectors including education, health, labour, and so on.These divisions or sectors were identified to help narrow the focus of the campaign and to acknowledge the varied and diverse contributions offered by different parts of the region. Committee members were from all over the region and it was important to recognize and target all parts of the community. Initial impetus for a support committee arose from several people who had first hand experience in Africa.The United and Anglican churches in Aurora and Newmarket rallied behind information their ministers presented after they returned from a fact-finding trip to Africa in 2002. Philip Poole and Robin Wardlaw were the ministers who first started spreading the word in York Region. The word quickly spread among the congregations and soon an African church dinner was planned which inspired the idea for a committee...
earnest. Key volunteers were found and
committee and campaign due to the risk,
an organisation quickly evolved.
however small, of liability and that we
One of the considerations for the York
purchase directors insurance.There is a Region Committee was to decide where
fair amount of paperwork to incorporate an organisation and the committee was
to channel their awareness and fund
very fortunate to have expert assistance
raising efforts.There are many unique
and pro bono legal work performed by
and wonderful organisations working to
Mr. Hill and his law firm.
ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa and several possibilities were discussed. After
About York Region
numerous suggestions, the committee
York Region is one of the fastest growing
decided that they would approach
regions in Canada and is located just
the Stephen Lewis Foundation with a
north of Toronto, Ontario. York Region
proposal to raise awareness and money
is home to almost 900,000 people
to be channelled into Africa to grassroots
and includes nine municipalities from
projects.The Committee felt that the
cottage country on Lake Simcoe to the
goals, objectives and efforts of the Stephen Lewis Foundation very closely
commercial and corporate offices near the southern border. It's a large region of
matched their own.
just over 1700 square kilometres ranging from the Oak Ridges moraine through
In the summer of 2004 the Committee
regional forests to subdivisions and quaint
contacted liana Landsberg-Lewis
downtown cores.
at the Stephen Lewis Foundation with a proposal to raise awareness in
Seed Money
York Region and to suggest that the Foundation be a worthy recipient
Every campaign, whether it's an
of fund raising that this may inspire.
awareness raising campaign or a drive to
Representatives from York Region met
raise money, needs some initial money
with and discussed how they could support the Foundation and asked for
to start off.Talk is cheap, after all, but brochures, banners, letterhead, and office supplies are not. So, some seed money
guidelines surrounding legal and ethical considerations. Many aspects of this campaign needed careful consideration,
was required to kick off the York Region "If I had a million dollars"campaign.
from the use of the Foundation logo to the proper receipting of donations.
Interestingly, the York Region committee's
Much of this information is now covered
main goal was to inspire others to raise
in a FAQ on the Foundation website
money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation,
but early contact with the Foundation
but alongside that goal they'd decided
lays important groundwork for anyone
to host two major initiatives of their
planning a supporting project.
own.The first was a dance to raise initial seed money and the second was a gala
Legal Considerations
dinner to raise a substantial amount of
York Region community to get involved
One of the committee members, Ken
to have some seed money to operate
and to raise money in support of the
Hill,a lawyer in Newmarket, became
this campaign and that money was
Stephen Lewis Foundation. And, the
the committee's legal advisor. He recommended incorporating the
gathered through a fund raising dance in
to motivate and inspire the rest of the
networking and phone calls began in
money.The committee knew they had
/^
November of 2003.
Nearly 200 people tasted savoury,
organisation and campaign. It's interesting
The first step is to make contact through
authentic African food, listened to an African choir,"Soul lnfluence"and then
to note who and for what causes these
a personal connection. During that first
high profile folks are associated. If you
contact, pitch the problem.Tell the person
danced the night away to the sounds of "The Lushkings"and "The Thursday Night
stop to think about it, it's easy to recall who's involved with the World Wildlife
all about the pandemic that's gripping the women, children, grandparents and
Jam" who donated their time and talent
Federation, Amnesty International,
villages of Africa. Use the information
to the cause. In fact, the entire evening
Greenpeace, etc. Many high profile people
in a previous chapter to clearly state
was made possible through generous
are associated with these causes because
the HIV/AIDS crisis. Be clear what you're
donations of food, facility, time, and talent.
they firmly believe in the work of the
asking for during this approach.You are
The food was kindly prepared by the
organisation and their mandate. And, it
asking them to lend their name to your
members of the York Region committee
works both ways.The organisation often
campaign's patron list. You are not asking
from donations by area merchants, Sedo
benefits from a "star-power" association.
for money. You are not asking them to
Oakville.The local Aurora Lions Club
But, let's face it, we're not talking about
the people you approach will be busy,
donated the hall and the committee took
princesses, rock stars, Olympians,
will have previous commitments and
care of selling tickets, arranging details
professional athletes, or movie stars...
might not have time to donate to your
and cooking the authentic African menu.
or are we? You may be surprised to learn
campaign.That's ok because you're not
who knows whom on your committee.
asking for any of that... you're asking
By this time, a bank account had been
You may be surprised who's married to
for their heartfelt, honest declaration of
opened by the committee with two
a friend of a friend of a rock star. It might
support that will lend credence to your
signatories. It was agreed that the
surprise you to learn that a certain radio
message and your goals.
money would be used for promotional
broadcaster regularly donates to an AIDS
purposes, brochures, advertising space in
charity. Or, it might surprise you to learn
This, of course, brings up the third step
newspapers, banners, etc. It was somewhat
that your local sports hero is friends with
in approaching potential patrons. Make
surprising, pleasantly, how many services
someone who goes to your church.
sure you tell them about who else is
stuff envelopes for a mailing. Many of
Snaxs, Baxters and Florence Meats in
involved with the committee.They'll
and goods were provided free of charge or at a reduced rate.This allowed the seed
The key to choosing and developing
want to know because they are probably
money to be stretched out for a long time.
your honoured patron list is networking
concerned about the number and types
and informing. By working through
of organisations they lend their name to.
The seed money became the basis for
your immediate network of associates,
Make sure they want to lend their name
the campaign development. After several
committee members, business colleagues,
and association to your campaign by
months of meetings, chats, phone calls and get-togethers, things were starting to take shape. Response to the dance, the
or church members, you might just
quoting who else is on the committee and how the money will go straight to the aids charity of your choice.
call for volunteers, seeking patrons was all incredibly positive.The committee was on
to your campaign. It always helps to have a personal contact to work through and
Let's not forget, however, that not every
its way... the campaign was set to launch and money would soon be rolling into the
by closely examining who knows whom on your committee, you might discover a hidden gem for a campaign patron.
community will have a Steven Page or Dr.
Stephen Lewis Foundation office.
uncover a link to someone who would be willing to add their name and status
Lorna Marsden around to volunteer to be a patron. But, every community or region has someone who regularly appears in
As you know, many high profile people
the local paper, who volunteers for other
are often inundated with requests to
groups, who is often quoted on the local
It seems that every fund raising campaign
help, for money and/or support.That's ok,
radio show, or who teaches the children
has one if not several high profile patrons
because your campaign is different, which
of your committee members. Here's a list
associated with it.There's good reason
is what they all say. But, in your case, you're
of people you might want to approach
for this and it's important to recognize
going to be clear, concise and know exactly what you're looking for from them.
about becoming an honoured patron for your campaign.
Getting Patrons On Board
the value these folks can add to your
/3
• A family doctor • The head of the local hospital • The principal of a school • A local lawyer • A radio announcer
Once you've got your list of patrons, they'll want to know what's going on with the committee. Please, it's important to stay in touch with your patrons and make sure they know what's happening
In York Region, they used the "six degrees of separation" theory and put their
• The coach of the championship
and when.You don't have to invite them to all campaign activities. But, try to let them know your press releases are going out and being written about in the local paper. Keep them informed and in touch with the campaign. Send them copies of all your brochures, press releases, or pamphlets. You don't necessarily want to ask them for anything beyond their
of influence. Once the contacts were suggested, choosing spokespeople was easy. Invitations were sent out, formally, along with little personal nudges from the committee connections.
hockey team • Your town mayor or a member of town council • The publisher of the local paper • A local, well-known artist • A high-profile business owner Once you have a couple of patrons in place, you'll find attracting others will be easier and quicker. Word will spread, in other words, and if not then you could ask your patrons if they happen to know anyone else who might be interested in volunteering their name for the campaign. Again, it's word of mouth that's important and incredibly powerful during these initial stages of committee and campaign development.
support but it's always nice to let them know what the campaign and committee is up to. Of course, if you're really lucky, you'll find a high profile patron who wants to do more than just lend their name to a campaign. If that's the case, let them know what's going on and feel free to ask them to support the campaign by passing on contacts, appearing at a local event, speaking to a group of people about the campaign, or writing a letter of support that could be sent to potential donors.
/4
collective heads together to find patrons and volunteers. It seemed that everyone has a friend who is a friend of a person
} /o/ tf^fi (g?tev&n> t-yaae of & The Barenaked Ladies "The AIDS pandemic is the biggest, most monumental tragedy of our time. Even more tragic is the fact that it can be stopped, but hasnt been. In Africa, communities have been shattered by HIV/AIDS. Here in Canada, our strong and caring communities have the power to ease the pain and suffering. Let's unite our communities to help theirs."
Meeting the Need - Getting Started In York Region The Speakers'Bureau: Our Champions
It's important to seek those folks who
of the region's response, the "If I had a million dollars"campaign was sure to be
Selecting the community segments you'd
are comfortable in front of crowds, both large and small.They say public speaking
a success. People were talking; the issue
like to target is the first step towards
is the number one fear or stressor for
If early indications were to be indicative
had been raised at several churches and
developing a network of competent
people so be careful who you solicit
service groups. And, the committee and
and motivated speakers to address their
to speak on behalf of the committee
region was starting to buzz about easing
own groups or associates and others. The York Region committee decided
and campaign. Fortunately for the York Region committee, many of the people
the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
to develop and offer carefully selected
involved in the speaker's bureau are
The York Region Committee took centre
and appropriately equipped speakers
great public speakers who can represent
stage by developing an informative and
for any group that showed interest in
the committee and campaign very well.
motivational website. Check it out at
the campaign. What evolved from many
Again, as with many of the initiatives of
www.york4stephenlewis.ca.The website
informal discussions was the York Region
the"if I had a million dollars"campaign,
was to be another hub of activity as
Speaker's Bureau.
it's often informal connections,friends of
people heard about the campaign and wanted to know more.
friends, business associates and personal What is a speaker's bureau? Simply put,
leads that eventually build a group of very
these people are volunteers who are
confident and competent representatives.
The York Region committee was very
ready, willing and able to deliver the
fortunate to have connected with Pierre Leclipteux who designed the brochures,
message to small and large groups of
Where are these speakers appearing?
people.They might be asked to present
Well, you probably won't find them
the banners, and the letterhead for the
materials to associations, to member
headlining a gala event or appearing on
campaign. His expertise, time and talents
groups, to service organisations, etc.They
the Oprah show. But, speakers in York
are much appreciated and doubtless
are provided with information about
Region have addressed groups like the
contributed to the overall success of
HIV/AIDS, similar to the information
Lion's Club, the police association, local
the York Region campaign. It's vital to
contained in a previous chapter,"the face
doctors, and they've attended dinner
have professional looking brochures,
of HIV/AIDSTThey are coached on how to
parties to help spread the word.The more
pamphlets and letterhead.
present the information in an inspiring
people who hear about the campaign, the
While the campaign was getting off the
and informative way.They are given resource materials to present including a
more people will become inspired and motivated to action.
ground, the York Region Committee held
power point presentation, possible hand
"Breakfast of Champions"events across the region.These early morning events, supported by local advertising and town
out sheets, and video materials that might be available at your public library, Board of Education or AIDS Committee office.
councils, were another crucial step in identifying folks interested in carrying the campaign message back to their
Speaking to groups and associations often leads to other exciting possibilities. And, you never know who's going to hear the message and jump into action. It could be the Lion's club member who
specific sectors.These events were highly motivational featuring guest speakers,
Who are these people? Well, the noted speakers involved with the York Region campaign were previously recognized, community leaders, including the
owns a printing company that might be willing to donate the cost of printing a brochure or a banner. It could be the
information about HIV/AIDS in Africa and
Newmarket chief of police, town mayors,
teacher who hears about the campaign
then issuing a call to action. Essentially,
professors, AIDS committee members,
at a friend's dinner party and decides
the informal breakfast gatherings were
teachers, Africans living in Canada and
to approach the principal of her school
another way to get the message out.
people who'd travelled to Africa with first
to host a fund raising event. It could be
hand experience on the continent.
the local mayor who hears about the campaign at a town council meeting and offers to host a breakfast.
/O
In fact, the York Region committee was
Every path into a specific community
Community Action
sector will be different but it sure helps to
very excited by the reaction of the Aurora mayor,Tim Jones. Mr. Jones wrote a
It starts with community... your
have some kind of personal connection
column for the local paper outlining many
community, your city, your town, your
or contacts.The very first steps to this
of the campaign's goals. He went on to
region or your neighbours. Essentially,
process is a critical examination of who's
challenge other local governments and
the York Region committee is a group of
already involved in the committee, who
communities to also get involved.
like-minded, conscientious people who
do they know, who do those friends
want to make a difference in lives of the
of friends know... and how does the
people in Africa and in the lives of those in
committee make contact.You'll be
their own community. Community action
surprised at how many people know
brings global relief, in this case. Some of
someone who's involved in one or
the most successful campaigns began at
more of the community sectors you've
the grassroots level.
previously identified.
So, start with your community. Who's
Let's take the education sector as an
involved? What groups are around town?
example to illustrate the path that the
"We would also challenge other
Who's already working towards creating a
York Region Committee used to reach
communities to do the same, "wrote
better world? It's important to really look
such tremendous success.This model
Mr. Jones, "with the hope that we, as
at what and who is in your community.
could be applied to any community
some of the wealthiest and healthiest
Look to the local service organisations,
segment and is not something that's
the local churches, other committees, and
written in stone. Every contact is different;
other campaigns.Try to segment your
every sector is different.
places in the world, could help some of the poorest who are facing such an incredible challenge."
community into specific sectors.The York Region community model might provide
Once the education sector was isolated
The mayor went on to specifically
some hints as to what sectors might be
challenge other members of town council
present in your community.
as a potential area for involvement, it became clear that the committee had to find an "in" to that world.The key is
and each and every resident to help raise money and get involved. His plan is to
Once you've clearly identified a group
to cultivate, through personal contacts,
place 50 coin boxes around the town so that residents can help support "The
or community sector you can plan a targeted approach.The York Region
someone who can direct you to the right person, through the appropriate
Mayor's Twoonie Drive to Ease the Pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa'.'
Committee tended to rely on a specific model that involved personal contacts,
channels, and onto the right path. Ideally, you should try to find someone who
phone calls, and lots of meetings over
knows and is involved with the sector as
coffee. But, what was fundamental to every approach was the "inspire, motivate
a whole. Knowing a teacher is one thing but knowing a teacher who's worked
and inform" model.That was the goal of
on several projects with the board and
any meeting or telephone chat.
is involved with the teacher's union is
/6
another. And, finding a teacher who's got experience with community initiatives and who knows how to navigate the halls of her board office is crucial.They can introduce you to the "right" people, refer you to an appropriate office or champion the campaign directly to the decisionmakers within the board. Fortunately for the York Region committee, there were several teachers and retired teachers associated with the group.Those folks, including Mary Anna Beer, were able to channel the approach and direct the information to the most appropriate
presentation is someone who will take on the challenge of being a "sector champion" You're hoping to find that one person who can usher the awareness and fund raising campaign through the necessary channels to the delivery stage or classroom stage. You will be there to support that champion with information and motivation but they will develop initiatives for their specific sector, perhaps pull together two or three people to help coordinate the activities, and maybe run several awareness and fund raising events.
people. After you find out who the "right" people are at the board office, try to arrange a quick meeting to discuss HIV/AIDS and your campaign. Go over the details of your presentation and follow the "inspire, motivate and inform" model. You're trying to get these people on your side, which shouldn't be too difficult given that they are already involved with children, health, education and fund raising.
While the York Region Committee were meeting with Board Members and planning the action plan, many teachers and students were already performing their own generous acts of support. If the process to reach the key individuals in an organisation fails or proceeds slowly, never be surprised if individuals within a larger organisation take it upon themselves to assist with your campaign goals.
This one meeting should lead to a larger presentation where you can present the campaign, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation or a charity of your choice, to a larger number of people. In the example of the education sector, the second presentation involved a group of teachers at a joint meeting. What you're looking for out of this larger
//
Education Using the now familiar model of approach, schedule and routine, it was time to engage the schools and children of York Region. It wasn't difficult to find a responsive teacher but the key to getting involved with the schools was to meet with people at the Board level. So, a representative from the York Region committee met with officials of both the public and Catholic school boards. Both boards were receptive and initiated their own schemes that involved teachers and students. In fact, the committee learned that several individual teachers had already taken up the cause and were instituting their own information sessions and fund raising goals. The education sector is a key segment of all communities and one that's worth targeting and actively recruiting support from. Most schools and school boards are receptive to community initiatives and you should find them open and eager to get involved. However, as with most targeted sectors, the school board has probably been inundated with requests for support or action. So, bearing this in mind, you might have to be patient and persistent in order to get the attention of the boards and individual schools. School boards regularly function between September and June, so it's important that your campaign somehow overlap the school year.The York Region campaign was scheduled over 18 months, in part to allow for schools and businesses to plan their initiatives up to a year down the road. Also, when approaching the schools or boards you'll
have to be somewhat mindful of their schedules and pre-existing commitments.
In many communities, private and public schools co-exist and can be wonderful
For example, the school boards in York Region regularly undertake fund raising efforts for the United Way in November.
avenues to reaching children, raising
At the school level in York Region, there are a number of initiatives already underway.The York Region District School Board and The York Region District Catholic School Board are preparing plans to involve their staff and students in an awareness raising campaign over the 2004 - 2005 school year. Other classroom initiatives have been planned including the "A Coin for Every Country" programme (see below). The York Region committee was able to address the education sector by approaching each Board, directly. Starting at the top was a very appropriate thing to do but if you're having trouble getting access to the decision-makers at the Board level, then you could start by approaching the principal of your school, your child's teacher, or even your elected trustee. Anything to get the ball rolling, in other words.
money, and to spreading the word about the campaign and the crisis occurring in Africa. Interestingly, if you're able to work with the school board and the schools, you'll also reach the parents of those children. So, while you're preparing materials for the children, it might be prudent to also address some information to the parents. One option is to give each of the children in the schools a campaign brochure to take home to their parents. Projects are blossoming at schools across York Region. Schools are accessing the York Region Speakers'Bureau for assemblies and information sessions. One of the nice things about working with the education sector is that you're dealing with a group of people who are very familiar with developing curriculum, motivating kids, and raising money. Schools have been doing that for years. The thrust of your interactions with the school boards, teachers, principals and staff, is to inform them about HIV/AIDS and inspire them to do something about it.
In York Region, several private schools are already showing a keen awareness of the issue and a desire to help. St. Andrews College, in Aurora, has set a goal of raising $15,OOO.This amount, roughly one year's tuition at a private
Here's another natural fit with many of the goals of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. School fees, uniforms, attendance, and issues around orphaned children in Africa are problems that
school, represents school supplies, fees and uniforms for about 150 orphans in Africa. Pickering College, another private school in Newmarket, has recently organized information assemblies with
Canadian schools and school-age kids can understand and empathize with. When you talk about how children in Africa, some as young as ten-years-old, have to stop going to school to take care
guest speakers from the York Region Committee's Speakers Bureau.
of their dying mother, that really hits home with educators and children.
/#
If you're dealing with the school board, you'll probably encounter a great deal of enthusiasm but also a great deal of process.There's a process by which any issue or campaign must go through. Committees within the education sector may well develop. Action groups within the board or teacher's a^spciatipn may develop.These are all great steps towards getting the message to the children and then to their parents. And, it's the people involved who are doing the planning and running the campaign within their sector. Teachers and principals are grlatat coming up with awareness and fund raising initiatives. Leave it to them to come up with innovative and creative ideas to teach the children and raise some mofiey to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
A Coin For Every Country An example of a public school based educational fundraising programme. One of the projects taking shape in York Region schools is called,"A Coin for Every Country''It's a fund raising campaign, geared to intermediate level classrooms, that is both fun and educational.The great thing about this idea is that it can be tailored to meet the needs of almost any age group or classroom of children. This programme is in the development stages and will be presented in two York
Region schools during the fall of 2004. Of course, anticipation is running high and expectations are that this will be both a fund raising success and a very valuable learning experience for the kids involved. The purpose of this project is to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa and in so doing to raise money to help ease the pain of those suffering from HIV and AIDS. HIV and AIDS affects millions of children in Africa and teaching the children of York Region about this crisis will be a very valuable endeavour. Funds raised will be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation - specifically to the York Region "If I had a million dollars"campaign; Of course, this example can be adapted and altered to suit any individual requirements but it's something that's being spearheaded in York Region and should prove to be both educational and fun while raising money. Each child in a daSsroom will be given a small coin bag with a drawsfcring made from African cloth prior to the activity. These coin bags were sewn fay a group of volunteers.The children will be encouraged to collect one coin for each country in Africa.There are actually 54 countries in Africa but the number has been rounded down to 50 for ease of understanding. On the day of the programme, students will participate in an activity fair with 10 stations featuring 5 countries each. Groups of children will visit each station, starting concurrently, and participate
•/9
in a brief learning activity related to the countries being studied. At the end of the activity, students will deposit one of their coins in a box for each country. Or, they will drop five coins in one station box representing the five countries studied. Each station will have a highlighted map of the countries being studied and each station will be hosted by a senior student or a volunteer who will lead the activity and teach the learning point. At each Station, students will learn about HIV/ AIDS, the specific country's geography, its peoples, education system, dress, and customs. Learning tools such as word scrambles, taste tests, map studies, drawings, physical feats like carrying a tray of food on their heads, language investigations, and so on will be used at each station. Other learning tools available Include, listening to African music,dressing up in African outfits, examining money from African countries, writing a letter to a Canadian government official, playing an African drum, learning to do an African dance, counting in Hosa or lssizulu,etc. By the time each student participates in all ten stations, they will have deposited 50 coins, learned about African countries, orphans, and HIV/AIDS. And, they'd have hopefully enjoyed the process. For further information, contact: DrJanePhilpott, Email:
[email protected]
Garage Sales The Garage Sale for Africa project is a campaign that is easily handled by a student or a small group of students. The premise of the campaign is to encourage people holding garage sales to contribute their proceeds to the Stephen Lewis Foundation or the AIDS relief charity of your choice.Throughout the summer, garage sales are very common in York Region as people clear out basements, attics and sheds. A Garage Sale Kit, available through the York Region Committee member Pam Gragtmans, includes some signs for the neighbourhood, brochures that can be handed out at the sale and a fax back form that will alert the committee that a sale is coming up.The committee will assist with the promotion of the sale by placing it on the website and by including it in the monthly Garage Sale section in local papers.
Arts The arts sector in your community can be a vibrant and active resource for all kinds of inspiration and innovative ideas for raising awareness and funds.There is a historical association between the arts and AIDS in
Other activities that occurred around the York Region campaign included hooking up with an African choir, Soul Influence, who've lent their voices, their enthusiasm and charm to many of the committee's
North America so it's another natural fit to
events and activities.They've helped raise money, performed grace at dinners, and added a great deal to the campaign.
approach this group to get involved with HIV/AIDS in Africa and your campaign.The arts sector can involve music, visual arts, theatre, dance, and so on.There are usually several such groups in most communities and the best place to start making your connections, outside your own committee, is the local art gallery or art shop. You may be surprised by the reception you get from this group.They are active in the community, for the most part, and they are usually motivated to help with social change around the world.
Soul Influence is an acappella ensemble featuring African rhythms, Christian convictions, jazzy styles and service to God and man as their focus. Soul Influence is currently based in Toronto, Canada and is composed of seven young people, originally from three different countries in Africa, Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Their style is a unique and distinctive harmony that combines traditional African melodies with a contemporary African feel.
This community initiative is a very easy and practical way for people to raise money and donate to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. And, in Ontario, high school students are required to perform several hours of community service before graduation. If students work on a garage sale in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, those hours can be counted towards their community service requirements. Several students are planning to or have contributed their community service hours to the campaign by participating in the Garage Sale for Africa project. In fact, there are several opportunities through the "if I had a million dollars"campaign for students to obtain their community service hours.
&OUJ Influence And, there's a great deal this sector of the community can offer your campaign. One of the most important areas is in the design and production of your brochures, pamphlets and banners. It's crucial to have a "quality, professional look"to your materials and the arts sector can be a huge help designing this look.They can ensure that your public face, the image of the committee, is both appealing and intriguing.That's very important when dealing with all other sectors of the community. You want to look polished and professional.
?o
Other arts activities included a local art store owner, Clare Bolton of Artistic Revival, in Newmarket, who ran a very unique and successful art auction. Clare asked several local artists to design masks for an exhibition at her store/ gallery.These masks were later auctioned off and the proceeds went to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation. A local theatre group, Marquee Productions donated $1 per ticket during one night of its production of "Forever Plaid" The generous and
creative folks in this group also gave the York Region Committee time, just prior to the play, to introduce the topic of HIV/ AIDS in Africa and to give an overview of the "if I had a million dollars" campaign. This evening helped increase awareness of the campaign while raising money to support the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The arts sector also played an active part in developing the initial seed money to operate the campaign.The dinner and dance featured two live bands/The Lushkings"and "TheThursday Night Jam" who donated their time and talent towards kicking things off. And of course, everyone will recognize one of the York Region Committee's patrons, Steven Page, of the Bare Naked Ladies. Steven and the Bare Naked Ladies are international recording artists with hits such as "If I Had A Million Dollars" Many thanks must go out to Steven for lending his support to the York Region Committee.
Health For very obvious reasons, the health sector of any community is a vital segment of the campaign. Doctors, nurses, naturopaths, chiropractors, dentists, and the whole range of healthcare providers should be contacted and rallied into action.They have a vested interest in health and will be quite familiar with the global HIV/AIDS crisis. In fact, there are probably groups of healthcare providers or public health workers who are already working with the AIDS issue and have a
In York Region, the committee was fortunate to have the help of Dr. Jane Philpott, a family doctor practicing in the Markham-Stouffville, Ontario area. Jane's approach and idea was a marvellous example of how a specific sector champion could address and then mobilize a group of people. In Jane's case she approached the doctors who worked out of the Markham-Stouffville hospital. She was supported in her efforts by the CEO of the hospital, Dr. Jim Mclean. Dr. Philpott had been asked to present to a group of doctors at an annual dinner of medical staff for the hospital. She used this fabulous opportunity to talk about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and urged the medical community around her to take action. Her fund raising proposal for the doctors at Markham-Stouffville hospital was to donate a portion of their billings to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.The donation day is to be December 1, World AIDS Day, and doctors across the hospital will wear a button proclaiming,"Today, I'm working to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa/'What a great message to send to visitors and patients at that hospital. Informing the public is a large part of the"if I had a million dollars"campaign and it's quite conceivable that thousands of people will see and hear about the doctor's efforts. Information tables will be set up at the hospitals and volunteers will hand out brochures and campaign information to visitors and patients at the hospitals.
vast knowledge and resource base you might be able to draw from. Check out your local hospital or public health office
It's a natural fit, as they say... a very good example of how a specific sector can take on the HIV/AIDS issue and raise money using their own creative initiative
to learn about existing initiatives around HIV/AIDS.
and ideas.The impetus might have come from the York Region committee
2/
but the fund raising idea, the specific approach and the creative initiatives have come from that specific sector of the community. Another interesting aspect to this fund raising idea was a challenge to other local hospitals to meet or beat the amount of money donated by the doctors at the Markham-Stouffville hospital.The fund raising campaign has expanded to include all medical staff at each hospital and will undoubtedly raise thousands of dollars. The activities in the health sector of York Region clearly demonstrate the power and potential of what a sector champion can accomplish. Dr. Philpott's commitment and drive, her inventive and creative approaches, and her perseverance are great examples of what can be done. And, it provides a very good example of how one inspired person can lead an entire movement across a sector of the community. Congratulations Jane and thank you. While you're thinking about the health sector of your community you'll probably realize that there are hundreds of potential awareness raising and fund raising possibilities.The first approach is to address the sector and find a champion or leader who can carry the message to the broader members of that specific sector.Then, after those folks are informed and motivated, they'll come up with their own unique and effective fund raising ideas and campaigns. You'll be amazed at how creative some groups of people can be.
Service Groups Service groups exist in every community. In fact, they can often be found selling hamburgers at a town event, giving money to the local hospital, meeting in a local restaurant or digging in to assist charities and helping associations.They truly are "service" groups providing money, muscle and motivation to thousands of people across Canada.They don't often seek attention but they're usually around, quietly doing their good work. When you're going through your community demographics, it's hard to miss these active and socially responsible groups. Scratch the surface of your town and you should be able to find a listing or a member of one of these groups who can introduce you to other groups. You'll find below a list of some of the service groups that function behind the scenes in many communities. Find out who the president of the group is and give them a call. Don't forget to mention your personal connection to the group and ask if or when you can address the club. Even if they're booked for speakers you might want to find out when their next meeting is and show up to introduce yourself. Again, you're looking to inform, inspire and motivate this sector.You're also looking for a champion to take on the task of contacting other service groups and speaking to them about the HIV/
constantly inundated by requests for money, support and assistance. Be patient but persistent. Be specific in your address and in what you're really looking for from them. You'd like to get them on board with the campaign. You'd like one of their members to champion that sector and take the message to other service groups. But, most of all, you'd like them to donate or raise money for the HIV/AIDS relief charity.They're very well acquainted with raising money and doing good work, you'd just like them to channel some of their efforts towards the campaign. Community service groups 4-H Clubs Civitan Club Kinsmen Club Kiwanis Clubs Knights of Columbus Lion's dub Masons Optimists Rotary dub Royal Canadian Legion Shriner's Organisation Interestingly, the Rotary Clubs are very keen on health and global initiatives. Their PolioPlus Programme was initiated in 1985 to protect children from the consequences of polio.The World Health Organisation, UNESCO, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control have spearheaded this campaign with significant help from the Rotary Club. The world has achieved a 99% reduction in the number of polio cases worldwide. That's an outstanding achievement.
AIDS pandemic, and your campaign. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the The York Region committee addressed several service clubs and tried to inform, motivate and inspire them to get involved with the campaign and the issue of HIV/AIDS in Africa. A word of warning, though, these groups are
United Nations has said,"Rotary's PolioPlus Programme is a shining example of the achievements made possible by cooperation between the United Nations and non-governmental organisations."
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The Rotary Club is already starting to get involved with the HIV/AIDS crisis and are in the process of choosing another disease or epidemic to focus their efforts upon. In 1985, they chose polio and in 2005 they might choose HIV and AIDS. They choose a large scale disease or condition to target and continue to raise awareness and money for that cause. Many Rotary clubs are already supportive of efforts to relieve AIDS suffering. That's just one example of how service groups can be motivated to get behind an issue or a campaign. And, one of the most wonderful aspects to having service clubs involved is their experience with awareness and fund raising campaigns.They've been down that road before and now you'd like them to join you on the road to easing the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Steve Falk receives a cheque from Ken Mclsaac, President, Aurora Optimist Club.
Government Traditionally,foreign aid and overseas commitments have fallen into two camps;the non-governmental sector and activities of national governments. When thinking about the government sector in your community, it's important to realize that they're probably not in the business of funding overseas organisations or even local awareness campaigns. But,your municipal and provincial governments can be important allies in your campaign. There are several vital aspects to consider when looking at this sector. The first is that many government representatives are very well connected to people and organisations in your community.They tend to know a lot of people, in other words. As an ally, these representatives can introduce you to people who might be interested in donating to your campaign or assisting you in your awareness activities. As we've seen, one contact often leads to another. What else can the government sector offer? You've read about what one local mayor,Tim Jones of Aurora, is offering. And, there are lots of ways government can help. Firstly, like the mayor of Newmarket,Tom Taylor, they can loan you facilities to hold activities and events. Most likely there's a local arena, town hall or concert venue that's run by your local government that would be great for holding concerts or fund raising events. The York Region Committee requested time at municipal meetings to present the HIV/AIDS crisis and inform town councillors about their"lf I had a million dollars"campaign. In fact, the York Region Committee spoke to all nine municipal councils in York Region and
garnered support from local mayors and councillors. Here's an excerpt from a presentation made by Steve Falk to the Aurora Town Council: "Thankyou forgiving me the opportunity to represent my committee here at Council tonight. In some countries in Africa, public servants, such as teachers and town councillors, are dying at twice the rate at which they can be replaced. Businesses and farms falter as the only experts in commerce and entrepreneurship die and leave a gaping hole in what little production there is in this poor part of the world." What can you do as members of Aurora Town Council? • Support our York Region-wide HIV/AIDS in Africa Awareness week November 29 - December 5th, 2004. • Encourage local groups to run projects in support of this campaign by offering Town facilities or resources. • Work together with your acquaintances and other town councils in the Region to show your commitment to this issue. • Finally, join us at our Gala Dinner on December 2,2004, during World AIDS Week, where Stephen Lewis and Steven Page will speak about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. For some of you, this may have been the first time you have heard about this campaign. I can assure you, it won't be the last time. With the kind of support that we feel welling up around our community, the caring people of this Region will soon be sending a clear message to those suffering in Africa - we will have done our small part in helping to ease the pain of those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
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Labour The York Region Committee considered this segment of the community quite seriously but unfortunately didn't make any inroads into the local unions or labour organisations.The campaign is just reaching its midway point and hopefully a labour sector champion will emerge to help inspire, motivate and inform these important groups. Your community probably has several sectors that feature labour unions or associations. Schools, hospitals and government offices are great places to start contacting unionized workers. They're worth locating and contacting. Use the familiar model of finding someone involved, meeting with them to explain the campaign and checking out the possibility of doing a presentation at a union meeting or an association function. Again, someone from the labour movement on your committee would be most helpful as a champion for this sector. There are a range of activities that labour unions can participate in, from straight donations to the AIDS relief organisation of their choice to fund raising events within their organisation or place of work.They'll know how to handle these events and they'll probably have a lot of experience with organizing awareness and fund raising activities. Also, some large labour unions have regular member newsletters and communications pages. If you've got something written about your campaign and the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa, it's worth investigating whether you could include that information in their materials. It's just another way of getting the word out... and raising awareness.
Community Themed dinner parties are a great way to meet new people, to catch-up with old friends, to talk about global issues including HIV/AIDS, and to raise some money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The folks in York Region have been thrilled with the response to these African theme dinners.To help you develop an African dinner party, we've included several recipes that are delicious and easy to prepare (page 33). Your community probably has a number of unique and local public events that are great places to highlight your campaign and raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.These events, from harvest celebrations to heritage festivals, attract hundreds if not thousands of visitors making them uniquely suited to handing out brochures, speaking to people, and doing some fund raising. In York Region, the "If I had a million dollars" banners, brochures and volunteers were stationed at booths during Canada Day celebrations in Newmarket, street festivals in Aurora, and dragon boat races.These public events are also good for attracting other volunteers, meeting new people and spreading the word among different sectors of your community.
Business Local businesses can play a major role in your campaign offering anything from printing to sponsorships. A great place to start your investigations into this sector is your local Chamber of
Commerce. Of course, nothing is more effective than personal contacts and individual networks.
day of support for easing the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa will be championed by these businesses across the province.
Business owners in York Region have already developed some creative ways of contributing to the York Region campaign.The campaign committee has been busy contacting local businesses to encourage them to develop their own fund raising ideas and contribute directly to The Stephen Lewis Foundation or to
One of the things that the committee is approaching businesses about is the December 2,2004 Gala Dinner with guest speaker, Stephen Lewis, Steven Page and host Steve Paikin. Businesses are being given a range of sponsorship opportunities and partnership activities.
the AIDS relief charity of your choice. In fact, there are all kinds of ways local businesses can participate in the campaign.
The business community in your area could be a wealth of inspiration,
Here are a few ideas that may inspire others to participate in a way that best suits their business: On Main Street in Newmarket,The Artistic Revival gallery and store, will be hosting a silent auction on October 2,2004. Local artists will be donating masks that they have created especially for this project. Various other merchants on Main Street will be participating in a day of support on the same day as the silent auction. Mount Albert Security has kindly offered to donate the first year of alarm monitoring services, valued at approximately $150, to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.This offer would apply to new installations or subscribers who switch their monitoring to Mount Albert Security.You can call them at 905-4731233 to find out more about this offer. There is an excited group of Greenhouse operators who have been inspired by Newmarket resident, Ole Madsen,of Madsen Greenhouses & Garden Centres. They are working on a project that will involve Greenhouse and Garden Centre operators across the province.The details are still evolving but it is hoped that a
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information and fund raising initiatives. "Ask and you shall be rewarded."
Seniors/Volunteers We sometimes overlook folks who have a wealth of experience, a long life history and usually some time on their hands. Yes, the senior population in your community could be a very valuable source of volunteers, expertise and talent... and time.Visiting a local senior's club, addressing a retired teachers meeting, or hooking up with a senior's organisation can offer unique rewards to any awareness and fund raising campaign. Many people, after they retire from the workforce, are looking for something to dedicate their time to. In York Region there are several senior's centres where retired folks gather to play billiards, cards, bingo, do woodworking projects, take courses or just hang out with friends. At this point, the York Region Committee has identified this community sector as a potential source of ideas and fund raising activities.There isn't a sector champion in place, yet, but the potential is there and the committee will be looking at how to contact and utilize this wealth of experience and expertise.
Youth ''Orphaned children are the most vexing issue related to care, because there are not enough adults left to do the caregiving - no one to hand down knowledge or experience, or perhaps most important of all, values, from one generation to another/' Stephen Lewis
Another energetic and enthusiastic community sector is the younger population. You can usually find them at the mall or hanging around their schools just waiting and willing to be inspired into action. Ok, that sounds a little unrealistic to some but there are a large percentage of kids who are motivated and eager to help or volunteer for global change.There's another unique aspect to this community sector and that is the connection with the children and youth of HIV/AIDS ridden villages in Africa. As you know, children as young as 10-years-old are raising their younger siblings, caring for their dying parents and working to put food on their tables. In Canada, our children and youth hopefully don't have to deal with these sorts of issues... we're very lucky that way. But, if you talk to a group of kids about the HIV/AIDS crisis, they can be inspired to take significant action, raise money and get involved. It's important to emphasize that even the smallest action or activity can help the children of Africa. Whether it's helping with a garage sale
Seeds of Hope or stuffing envelopes or motivating their classmates or soccer team to hold a fund raiser, these youthful folks have a lotto give. And, it will all make a difference. You don't need to hang around the mall to reach these kids. You could approach a sports association like the soccer club, the hockey organisation, or the local youth drop-in centre. From there, you'll be able to hook up with kids and their parents.Tell them about the HIV/AIDS pandemic, inform them of the millions of children who have been orphaned by this disease, and motivate them to take action. In many cases, school sports teams, hockey, soccer or baseball teams are very well acquainted with raising money.They could, with the right motivation and information, hold a fund raiser to help ease the pain of AIDS in Africa.
1 have a dream..."Martin Luther King said it and so did rtine-ytar-old Cbra Reeves of Aurora, OntafiaOk, they had different dreams and Clara's involved the children and parents affected by HIV/AfDS in Africa. In Clara's dream, children were bang
taught how to read and write while doctors treated their parents for lifethreatening diseases. Clara's neighbourhood played a major part in her dream. And now, the residents of Aurora andVorfc Region are helping make Clara's cfceam a reality. Clara teamed up with the York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen lewis Foundation to mise money so her dream could be reaNzedXIara began her campaign by selling flower seeds and fruit seeds from a street-side tableJhe se^ds were donated by the local Canadian Tire store and Clara hoped to raise $ 1000 to donate to the Stephen lewis Foundation, Word of CtaraVseeds of hope* mission, part of thelfl had a nrpon dollars* campaign, soon spread and people began donating more and more seed packets to Clara for her to sell Street sales, churth bazaars, garage sales, and in front of tocal
The York Region Committee is working through the local schools hoping to reach as many as 100,000 school-age kids.This effort can have phenomenal impact and the committee is looking forward to watching the inferno spread through classrooms and schoolyards. It's important to recognize that from small seeds sometimes bear very large trees.
merchant's stores were Clara's pathways to spreading the word about HIV/AIDS in Africa and selling her seeds* Clara presented a cheque to liana lansberg-lewf $, ixecutive Director of the Stephen lewis Foundation, at a committee barbeque in June. As little Clara stood, radiantly, on a deck chair, liana opened the envelope containing almost $1500. Ctera beamed with satisfaction and joy while her parents, Jennifer and Brent, stood nearby* And, as the cheers and clapping subsided, liana gave Clara a warm hug.
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Faith "Now, we enter another battle the battle against HIV/AIDS -
Faith communities can acquaint
for inclusion in a Sunday bulletin or
themselves further with the crisis of HIV/
denominational newsletter.
AIDS in Africa through your committee, or through the York Region Committee
The York Region Committee winds up
and the Stephen Lewis Foundation
its million dollar campaign in spring of
we need solidarity, passion,
website. Information about sickness,
2005, giving time for faith communities
commitment and energy/'
orphans, the rate of infection and the
to set themselves a real challenge for
limited means available to treat the sick
compassion and support,and reach it.
South African Archbishop Ementos, Desmond Tutu.
and work to prevent further infection abounds.
Find out what the neighbours are doing about HIV/AIDS in Africa.Check
There are over 250 faith communities in York Region.They vary in size, and in faith affiliation. All of them are committed to the well-being of people in their own congregation, in the region, and around the world.
Faith communities can begin by setting
with nearby churches and other
a target for how much awareness and
faith communities, and plan to share
money they would like to raise.The
resources, speakers, events and the
target can be based on the membership
challenge. York Region is a pioneer in a
of the community, or in light of previous
region-wide response to this challenge.
efforts to respond to catastrophes.
The old saying about strength in numbers applies to easing the pain
Faith committees are playing a vital
Church members will need to hear and
of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Contribute to
role in the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, and
see information about the spread HIV/
something important in our world, and
in the Canadian response to it. Leaders
AIDS in Africa, and the consequences
grow stronger relationships with other
share information and concern about
that many African people,families and
faith communities while you're doing it.
the terrible plight of people in a distant
nations are suffering as a result. Print
part of the world with the members of
and video resources are becoming
A faith community may channel its support
the communities, and members respond
more common with every passing week.
through the Stephen Lewis Foundation or
with awareness raising,fund raising,
Congregation members may benefit
through an existing campaign of its faith
and acts of solidarity with sisters and
by hearing from someone with first
group or denomination. In York Region
brothers in those other lands.
hand experience of the pandemic. A faith leader who has returned from a visit or work in Africa, a member of the community with family in Africa, one of the speakers from the York Region
faith communities choosing to contribute through their own faith or denomination are asked to let the committee know of their goals, plans, and accomplishments for 1) sharing as an inspiration to others, and
Committee speaker's bureau, or even
2) including your funds raised in the York
a member or leader of a neighbouring
Region tally towards the goal of $1 million.
Many faith communities have direct ties with parts of Africa: denominational partnerships, overseas personnel or missionaries whom they support, members who came originally from an African country. And faith communities
faith community may help make the
have a strong tradition of responding
message more real. Another way of
The different faiths in York Region
to crisis in the world, from flood, to
letting church members know about the
distinguish themselves from one
earthquake, to war, famine and disease.
campaign is to write up a brief synopsis
another, but they are not separate
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from one another, or from people In any part of the globe.The York Region Committee's goal for the faith sector is $150,000 toward the $1 million overall goal. Early responses by some faith communities give reason to think that goal may be surpassed easily.Together we will make the world closer, friendlier and safer for those so terribly affected by a disease that still has no cure. One example of what a faith congregation did during the York Region campaign was to hold a music night.The church, Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, in Newmarket, held a chorale night featuring "Soul Influence"as a guest choir. Donations were accepted following the presentation and information sessions were planned for several weeks following the concert.This church is now organizing a church-wide African Dinner for the Fall.There seems to be boundless energy there.
Legal As with almost any campaign or fund raising activity, it's Important to get legal advice and help. So, if at all possible, try to get a local lawyer on your committee who can share their information and expertise.
There may be legal concerns or issues of incorporation, insurance, etc that a lawyer should really look at and hopefully deal with. Sage legal advice is crucial, in other words. As with other sectors of your community, you may have legal associations such as the York Region Sar Association, or informal organisations of lawyers who meet every now and again. If you can, a legal sector champion can carry your message to their larger group to inform, inspire and motivate to action. Chances are that local lawyers are very
Soul Influence performs acappella
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familiar with your local courthouse That may be a good starting point to making contacts with this sector* Or, another route to making contact with the legal community is through a local business who's used a lawyer or someone who knows a lawyer.Tht nice thing about working with this sector is that lawyers have a tot to offer an awareness and fund raising campaign, TTiey could offer legal advice or help your committee shuffle through the paperwork of incorporation. The York Region group was very fortunate to have the help of Ken Hill, a lawyer m Newmarket Ontario, as a member of their committee Ken also became a sector champion and was able to spread word of the campaign to several of his colleagues. Additionally, the legal sector is working with a legal textbook publisher that proposes to have an HIV/AIDS information session at its next public meeting.
Media We all know about the power and influence of the media.They can be great allies and partners when running an awareness and fund raising campaign. Very often towns and regions will have one, if not several, community newspapers. And, very often those newspapers are civic-minded and committed to serving their communities. This, of course, makes them excellent partners for your campaign.
materials outlining who's involved with the committee, what your goals are, how long the campaign will run, what events are planned by specific community sectors, and, most importantly, a list of possible ways the paper can help. The York Region Committee attended a meeting with the editor of the local paper and was able to talk in depth about the crisis in Africa and about the "If I had a million dollars"campaign. Being very specific with your request will help the editor or publisher delineate your campaign from the hundreds of
You might start out by identifying all the media outlets in your target area. Make a list of these businesses and have them handy for any press releases, campaign news, updates or planned events.The newspaper gets hundreds of press releases a week but it's important to keep them informed about what you're doing and what events are planned. Again, a sector champion would be a wonderful addition to your campaign. Try to find someone in your committee who can keep the newspaper and radio station informed about the committee and activities. As with other groups, your local paper, radio station, or television station is probably inundated by requests for help or sponsorship. But, again, your campaign is different. You're seeking to inspire, inform and motivate your community behind a very specific cause... to inspire your community to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. You're engaged, to some degree, in community development work and as such your local media outlet should be very interested in what your campaign is doing. It's best to approach the publisher or editor of your newspaper with a detailed and comprehensive package of
to fill some extra space.The newspaper could commit to some editorial coverage of events and activities having to do with the campaign. Nothing says "it's great"or adds credibility to an initiative more than a photo and article in the newspaper.They could commit to contacting other media outlets and run their own awareness and fund raising event. One of the things the York Region Committee tried was to run a sequential story, written by a close friend of the committee, highlighting the difficulties of living in an African community with HIV/AIDS.The story was to run in six parts and each segment would include part of the story, some campaign highlights, garage sale listings, and a puzzle piece of a map of Africa. It was thought that readers could collect the serialized story and pieces of the map and redeem the completed puzzle for a small prize. The other possibility for this idea was to generate interest among children who could collect the African puzzle pieces and take them to school.
others going on in the community. It's important to offer a range of sponsorship or partnership possibilities.
Unfortunately, this idea didn't generate the response that the committee hoped for and the serialized story idea was put on the back burner for now. Very
Here are some ideas you might suggest to your local media outlet.You could request a partnership where the paper provides free ad space for your"if I had a million dollars"campaign. Very often a newspaper
few people visited our website despite newspaper distribution of over 100,000
will have a few extra lines of space to fill
possible editorial coverage. This traditional format for advertising in local papers was not effective in our experience. A human interest story in the paper seems to get more attention than formalized advertising.
just before they go to press. If you can, offer them a small, generic, ad about the campaign that they could run in those small,filler spaces. You might be surprised at how often your small ad appears, just
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copies.The largest local newspaper in York Region did provide discounted ad space and offered support through
The Gala Dinner and Major Fund Raiser The"lf I Had A Million Dollars"campaign will be hosting a Gala Dinner with guest speaker Stephen Lewis on Thursday, December 2,2004.The event is a keystone in the York Region campaign to raise awareness and financial support for African HIV/AIDS issues. This exciting event will be held in the 1000 seat Le Pare Banquet Hall in Thornhill. Steve Paikin, of TVO fame, will be the host for the evening, which will feature plenty of entertainment including the African youth choir Soul Influence, Steven Page of the Bare Naked Ladies, and other special guests. There's no question that running a large fund raising gala is a challenge.There's lots to do, rooms to book, speakers to confirm, menus to plan, decorations to solicit, and so on.The York Region Committee was very fortunate to have several volunteers who've run these events in the past and who are familiar with how to organize this type of special event.There's no need to re-invent the wheel here as other groups and associations have run these activities before. Look to those groups for help and use them as examples of what to do and when. This gala event is meant to be the second fund raising activity of the York Region Committee.The first was to establish seed money.The gala dinner and evening is being held to raise money for donation to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Tickets are being sold to individuals, businesses, and service organisations and sponsorship packages are available.
All documents have been made available as PDF files to download from the website www.york4stephenlewis.ca
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When The Money Starts Rolling In The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation decided not to directly handle any monies outside of initial seed money and money raised from the gala evening. It was simpler, cleaner and more effective to have people donate directly to their charity of choice, in many cases the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Fund raising, for the York Region Committee, was almost secondary to its primary goal of increasing awareness and sensitizing people to the tragedy of HIV/AIDS in Africa. You may decide to set up your committee or group differently and handle donations directly, providing the charity of your choice with one large lump sum. The donations received by the Toronto office of the Stephen Lewis Foundation are eligible for a charitable donation receipt, which will be issued from the Foundation. Receipts are issued for donations over $10.The Stephen Lewis Foundation is tracking all the donations from the York Region area as part of the "If I had a million dollars"campaign.
The Spark Becomes An Inferno The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation offers this case study as a guide to what they did, the challenges they faced and the successes they achieved and are set to achieve.YouVe probably noticed that the"lf I had a million dollars"campaign is different from most community development or fund raising campaigns. The differences are many but the thrust of the York Region campaign was to raise awareness, inspire others and motivate the community into action... to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The spark of inspiration and motivation was lit by the York Region Committee but the inferno now rages across many sectors of the community. Each sector is raising awareness and funds in their own unique and creative ways, drawing
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upon the talents and expertise of its own people and experience. It's fascinating to watch how the message was spread, how different sectors stepped up with varied activities and how a community was united towards a common goal... to focus attention on the AIDS pandemic in Africa and to help ease the pain of those suffering with HIV/AIDS by raising money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation or other charitable relief agencies. The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to spread through cities and villages in Africa and around the world.The York Region Committee in Support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation fired up their community and will continue to inform, inspire and motivate others to carry the torch and help ease the suffering of those affected by HIV and AIDS.
References... Relief Projects, Recipes, Resources What's Being Done To Ease The Pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa
According to the UNAIDS report, 2004: Since 2002, there has been a resurgence of energy and commitment in responding to the epidemic. Finances
While the horrifying numbers around HIV/AIDS continue to overwhelm governments and helping organisations, there are glimmers of hope and seeds of solace dotted across all of Africa occurring at very grassroots levels.
have increased considerably, and donors are exploring ways of channelling AIDS resources more quickly and efficiently to where they are most needed.The cost of antiretroviral medicines has tumbled, and concerned efforts are being made to extend treatment to millions of people
Stephen Lewis has said/The situation of people living and dying with AIDS in parts of Africa is so desperate that even the most basic help will bring solace and hope/The Stephen Lewis Foundation along with its donor partners, are
in low and middle income countries. There is now more funding available for prevention.Together, these efforts are making a difference in curbing the spread of HIV and restoring the quality of life to infected people and their families.
working at that grassroots level and funding organisations that work directly with those affected by HIV and AIDS. There are pockets of active, caring, nurturing people and organisations all
The Stephen Lewis Foundation helps fund several unique and effective relief organisations in Africa.The need is great but the will to help remains undaunted.
over Africa, working with the most basic of supplies and the most noble of intent. They are there to help the suffering and give voice to the voiceless.
You'll find several of those organisations that receive funding from donations to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
FIGURE 1-2: THE WORST IS YET TO COME: EPIDEMIC CURVES, HIV/AIDS AND ORPHANS
African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) AMREF Uganda AIDS Orphans Project Luwe?o/N®ka$®ngaiaf Uganda AMREF is a 40-year-old, non-governmental, umbrella organisation committed to improving the health of the people of Africa through African-led initiatives. Based in Kenya, AMREF operates over 90 health projects including health worker training, AIDS prevention and the Flying Doctors Service. AMREF Canada supports this vital work through resource development and public education. The AMREF AIDS Orphans Project in Luwero/ Nakasongola district is a community-based programmeme that assists families coping with the enormous number of children affected by both HIV/AIDS and war. Started in 1991, AMREF's AIDS Orphans Project assists orphans and their guardians with school fees, small business loans, social services, apprenticeships, and basic community services. Many of the orphans and their families are HIV positive or have full-blown AIDS. AMREF provides medical assistance and counselling to these families. Catholic AIDS Action Promoting School Participation by Orphans and 1/nffieraWe Children in Namibia Windhoek, Namibia Catholic AIDS Action was founded in 1998 and has become Namibia's largest NGO provider of HIV services in the country, with 13 field offices spread across nine regions. Both Catholics and non-Catholics are served equally in all of CAA's community-based programmes. A recent study on orphans and vulnerable children projects 145,000 orphans by the end of this year out of a total population in Namibia of 1.8 million people.The goal of the project is to ensure that as many orphans and vulnerable children as possible can attend school with a similar sense of acceptance and opportunity as those of their peers. The Stephen Lewis Foundation provides funding to enable 500 children to attend school and get the necessary psycho-social support, uniforms and materials they need. The cost per child is CDN$56 per year (3 trimesters).
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This programme is a part of more extensive volunteer-based outreach and support service, which includes: awareness/ prevention, support for people living with HIV/AIDS, home-based family care, counselling and psycho-social supports for orphans and vulnerable children. Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) Reducing the Burden of HIV/AIDS in Rural /Vfd/dwi According to a recent study commissioned by USAID/'AIDS is now the leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 49 in Malawi" Malawi is home to 11 million people with 85 percent living in rural areas. Since 2001, CPAR has been reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS in rural Malawi by improving the quality of life for Malawian women and children. CPAR concentrates their focus on three primary areas: reducing the prevalence of unsafe sex practices; improving the care and support for AIDS orphans; raising the income levels for female-headed and child-headed households. Child Protection Society (CPS) Support (psycho-soci< educational, nutritional arid corej for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS - HaroreMufakose, Zimbabwe The Child Protection Society (CPS) is a humanitarian organisation established in 1952 to cater to the needs of disadvantaged or marginalized children in Harare. CPS continues to champion the rights of children facing difficult circumstances including families affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. All the programmes have a strong focus on issues which affect girls and young women. Currently, CPS runs a programme in which the children affected by HIV/AIDS receive psycho-social support, educational assistance, supplementary feeding, early childhood education and child fostering.
Reach Out Mbuyaf IVIa$akaf Uganda The "Reach Out" project offers counselling, testing, healthcare, orphan care, supporting grandmothers, and ideas for incomegenerating projects. Cotlands Turffontein Support for Children Living with HIV/AIDS and their Caregivers Johannesburgf South Africa About five million South Africans are currently infected with HIV. More than 114,000 children are living with HIV/AIDS. In Gauteng one quarter of women attending antenatal clinics is HIV positive.Two thousand HIV infected babies are born every year in Soweto and 40 percent of the children admitted to the general paediatric wards at the Baragwanath Chris Hani Hospital are suffering from HIV infection. Care and support services to children living with HIV/AIDS are fragmented and uncoordinated.The overall aim of this Cotlands project is to provide a continuum of care services to children living with AIDS and their families by attending to the medical needs as well as the psychosocial, emotional and material needs of the children and their families. The Cotlands project aims to: • provide holistic outpatient care to the HIV positive babies and children referred to the paediatric HIV clinic at the Baragwanath Chris Hani Hospital. • conduct clinical and other research with the objective of improving the care of children living with HIV/AIDS. • empower primary caregivers of HIV infected children through training and support. • support the families and especially the caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS. • create a 'safety net'for children living with HIV/AIDS and children affected by the epidemic through early identification and intervention programmemes.
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Gogo Grannies Start-up Funds for Gogo Granules Support Group - Johannesburg, South Africa The Gogo Grannies are a group of 30 grandmothers, once filled with desperation and sadness that have learned to support each other as they care for their extended families and the many orphans in the community. The Gogo Granny Outreach Project has several basic aims: • to provide team-building activities for a group of elderly women who have been recalled from retirement to raise a second generation with scant resources. • to provide garden start-up materials such as seeds and fertilizer so that the Gogos who have yards can start their own gardens to provide both food and income. • to provide one-time building grants as well as guidance, so that several of the grandmothers can make needed improvements to their houses to provide shelter for their growing families. • to provide an educational model for other communities to learn about the importance of mental health support for caregivers. The Umoyo Girls School Lusaka, Zambia This is one of the best girl's empowerment schools in southern Africa. All of the girls are orphans, aged 14-17.They learn to deal with the trauma of loss, to be confident, especially about their own sexual and reproductive rights, and to absorb serious academic studies.
Umoyo Girls School
Rwandan Women Community Development Network (RWCDN) • Village of Hope HIV/AIDS tare and Support Kagugu Sector, G/sozi Village of Hope (VOH) was established in 1995 by the Rwanda Women's Network, as a support centre for the victims of sexual and gender-based violence during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.The genocide left Rwanda with a large number of widows and orphans, many of whom are now infected with HIV and AIDS.The Village of Hope, built entirely by women for women, works in two locations: Kigali Urban in the Gitega Sector and in the Kagugu Sector. The Stephen Lewis Foundation provides funding to: • disseminate information about HIV/AIDS to 500 families, including a strong contingent of youth. • empower those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS to meet their emotional, psychological and physical needs. • improve the quality of home-based care for the terminally ill including helping with hygiene, nutrition, and special care requirements. • food baskets will be provided to the terminally ill on a monthly basis. With the help of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, 87 people living with AIDS, and their families, will be attended to for one year.
Support to Rural Communities Living with the Affects of HIV/AIDS (SWAPOL) Manzini, Swaziland SWAPOL is an organisation for People Living with HIV/AIDS and their affected families. SWAPOL was established in 2001 by five HIV-positive women after experiencing problems with their in-laws and their communities.They decided to form the organisation to reduce the negative stigma and discrimination of People Living With HIV/AIDS. SWAPOL understands the importance of working closely with local chiefs, authorities, religious groups and other organisations doing similar or complementary work. SWAPOL has worked to mobilize rural communities in the areas of training and education, disseminating information about HIV/AIDS. SWAPOL also trains community caregivers in home care and referrals. The organisation has its own home-visit programme and encourages PWLHAs to engage in healthy nutrition. SWAPOL has also worked with child-headed households to grow small gardens for the provision of healthy food to orphans and other vulnerable children. An orphan care centre has been established at Mahlangatsha, where 46 children are provided with two meals a day, five days a week. Support from the Stephen Lewis Foundation will help SWAPOL establish an office with paid staff, desks and computers, coordinate home visits to terminally ill patients, provide counselling in rural communities and promote positive living. Also, SWAPOL will help develop income-generating projects for the women volunteers caring for the 46 orphans at the Mahlangatsha neighbourhood care centre. Monies will provide sewing machines, fabric and other materials.
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Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK) Home and Hospital Care Visits and Orphan Care and Support - Kayole, Dandora and Dagoretti in Nairobi Province? Kenya WOFAK was founded in August 1993 by a group of ten women, most of whom were HIV positive.They came together to give support to one another and to other women who were experiencing discrimination and rejection. WOFAK is an AIDS support organisation run by women (80% of whom are HIV positive) and for women infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The sexual and economic subordination of women fuels the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Women must therefore empower themselves by networking, forming alliances, and advocating for change.The purpose of the "Home and Hospital Care Visits and Orphan Care and Support" programme is to scale up comprehensive care to women and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The programme will also support families and communities to ensure their increased involvement and commitment to the care of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) at home.The programme will also create education and awareness components with the aim of controlling the further spread of HIV/AIDS, associated stigma and discrimination in the target communities.
Throw an African Dinner Party!
Our thanks to Mbonella Phlri of the York Region Committee for assembling some of these recipes and for sharfng a bit of her experience around the cooking fires of Zambia, For more
Cornmeal - "Sima"- The Must Have "Sima" Is a cornmeal dish that accompanies all vegetable, fish and meat dishes.There are variations, from region to region, in the way Sima is prepared and in the type of corn or flour that is used - white cornmeal, yellow cornmeal, casava, millet and sorhgum flour.
delicious recipes please check out our own website, www.york4stephen,ca or some food websites Including wwwxongocookbook.com, www^fricaguidexom/cooki ng, wwwafrichetcortK Mbonella's parents are both from the Ngoni tribe. They are part of the Tumbuka clan from the eastern part of Zambia»The following are tried and tested recipes from their kitchen, a,k,a» mum's and grandma's verbal cookbook* Despite a few modifications, these recipes are African and authentic. "OdiVOditittCarifcit"
Knock knock! Come in and welcome to ow home! "Taonga Chomene" We thank you very much! "Mwa Gwila Nchito" Job well done! "Yewo mama, yewo dada" Many respectful thanks and congratulations! Have fun preparing these dishes and add a generous amount of/1ai$sez~faire"ahd lightness to the whole event The key to a successful dinner party is to have a good laugh,and, if the dish doesn't turn out right ~ it will get better next time
You'll need a medium size wooden cooking stick or spoon and a medium size pot with a heavy base. White or yellow cornmeal 4 cups of water Method: Bring 4 cups of water to a quick boil. In a medium size pot, mix 2 cups of dry cornmeal with some cold water to make a somewhat watery paste. Add the boiling water and transfer the pot to a preheated stove top burner. Stir carefully but quickly to make a smooth paste much like when you make porridge. The porridge mixture should be thick enough to boil for a few minutes (5-10 minutes on medium heat) but not too thin to boil over! Be careful - the hot porridge might sputter on you - close the pot with a lid but leave a bit of an opening so that the porridge has room to "steam" out. After about 10 minutes of consistent simmering, start adding a bit of dry cornmeal to the porridge while stirring continuously with a wooden stick to make a smooth but not to heavy consistency. The result should be smooth, soft and firm "polenta-like" or mashed potato-like consistency. This is very good exercise for your biceps! Make sure that there is not too much heat to burn the bottom of the pot but not too little to slow down the simmering process. Keep stirring over medium heat to cook the dry cornmeal that you've just added. Do this for another 5 to 10 minutes to ensure that the cornmeal is cooked.
and if not so what? Oh, and don't forget/ the utensils that are typically used to eat African foods are God-given - your fingers!
Lower the heat, and cover the "Sima" tightly with a lid and let it "simmer" or heat through for a few more minutes. With the pot still on the stove at a low heat setting, scoop out small balls of "Sima" directly onto a platter or individual plates. If you'd like to store or keep some of these Sima balls, wrap them in individual pieces of plastic wrap. Sima freezes ^ //" <->/
very well, too, so you can bring them out for breakfast or another meal.
Appetizers Thinly shaved Biltong pieces. Roll the biltong with cantaloupe or melon and serve on a large platter. Biltong is a South African delicacy of dried meat, not to be compared to beef jerky. Authentic biltong is made from game, ostrich, beef or pork. Boerewors Sausages These come in various flavours and are a delicious appetizer or light lunch idea. A great way to serve boerewors is to bake, grill or barbecue them, then cut them up into small bite size pieces and serve on toothpicks. African Tomato-Avocado-Buttermilk Soup A delicious warm weather soup that serves eight. 3 Ib tomatoes, peeled and seeded 2 tbs tomato paste 1 cup of buttermilk. You could mix 1 tsp of vinegar with 2% milk to make a similar concoction. Let the milk stand for 5 minutes after you stir in the vinegar. 1 tbs olive oil 1 avocado, mashed to a puree Juice of 1 lemon 2 tbs finely minced, fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste Hot pepper sauce Puree tomatoes in a food processor then press through a sieve to remove seeds. In a large mixing bowl, beat the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, buttermilk, and oil.Toss pureed avocado with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to hold the colour. Add the avocado, remaining lemon juice, and parsley to the tomato mixture; stir to mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and a generous number of drops of hot pepper sauce. Refrigerate several hours before serving. At serving time, taste soup for seasonings and adjust if necessary. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with a peeled and sliced cucumber with sour cream or plain yogurt. Don't forget to pass around the hot pepper sauce to add piquancy.
Drinks The liquor store or local wine store wMt probably sett a variety of South African red and white wines. Give them a try; they'll add to the ambiance of the evening. *Kumala*is a good one and the ones with the K WV designation am not shabby at all "Kanokop* produces an ^ccellent pinotage and "Hamilton Russef makes a*t excellent chardonnay. Also, the western cape of South Africa is tome to the Stettanbosch Vineyard which makes fabulous wines and has recently been awarded the Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association {WIETA) accreditation. Castle beer and a few others are popular In Africa, checfc to see If your Beer Store sells any other African brands. Sorry, Mbonella can't share her recipe for the real "African Umuquombotr*- African brewed beer* You'd need gourds and specialized roots for that Ohl Too bactl And, one of our favourite juices is the "Ceres Fruit Juices? which come In a variety of tropical flavours Including guava, mango, apricot papaya, iychee, strawberry, orange and peach.
Main Courses Chicken-"Nkhuku" 1 medium to large chicken or a large tray of chicken legs Paprika Cayenne Pepper Salt 2-4 Cloves of garlic One large onion or 2 medium ones Tomatoes 3-4 very ripe ones or use tinned stewed tomatoes Mixed/Italian Seasoning 1 or 2 chicken boullion cubes (optional). It gives the chicken more flavour, however, if you use chicken boullion please reduce the amount of salt. 1 tbs of Chicken Bisto or flour to thicken the gravy. Cut the chicken into pieces. Remove the skin. Season the chicken with salt (very lightly or omit altogether), paprika, and cayenne pepper.
If you're preparing things in advance, you can season the chicken the night before and store it in the fridge. Place the chicken in a deep casserole pan leaving enough room to add the gravy later on. Place the seasoned chicken in the preheated oven at 250-350 degrees or under the grill to brown ...keeping an eye on the browning process, of course. Brown the chicken on both sides. Now make the gravy in a separate pan. Pour a small amount of vegetable cooking oil (half a cup) into a saucepan and let it heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, and let it cook (saute) but not brown or burn. Add the tomatoes (diced or mashed...the stewed tomatoes can be put in the blender for a short spin). Add the chicken boullion, a teaspoon of paprika, cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Thicken the gravy with the Chicken Bisto or flour to a nice light consistency. Add the gravy to the chicken and leave the chicken to simmer in the oven at 200-250°C degree for 10-20 minutes to blend the chicken and gravy. Cover the pan with tin foil to keep it moist. If you do not have enough gravy, just add some boiling water to thin the gravy out. African Vegetable Stew A spicy vegetable stew. 1 very large onion, chopped 1 bunch Swiss chard 1 can, 500 g, garbanzo beans or chick peas 1/2 cup, 75 g, raisins 1/2 cup uncooked rice several fresh tomatoes (or 1 large can 800 g of canned tomatoes) 1 clove garlic (or more depending on how you like it) 2 yams salt and pepper to taste Tabasco sauce to taste Fry onion, garlic, and white stems of chard until barely limp. Add chopped greens and mix while they fry. Slice the yams into thick slices and add to the mixture. Add garbanzos, raisins, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture in the pot. Put the rice in the well and pat it down until it's wet. Cover and cook until rice is done. It should take about 25 minutes. Add Tabasco sauce to taste.The
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flavours of the vegetables will stand out if you add a good dose of Tabasco sauce. You should add enough to make the stew seem spicy to you. Time: 15 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking. (Serves 4) Precision: no need to measure, be creative! Collard Greens - "Mpangwe" 1 bunch fresh collard greens (you can substitute pumpkin leaves, bean leaves, kale, rappini, cabbage, spinach or a mixture of any of these vegetables - the flavours are surprisingly tasty and very healthy!) Salt 1 medium size onion or 2 small ones 2-3 medium size fresh (very ripe tomatoes) or use 1/4 to 1/2 cup tinned diced or stewed tomatoes (chop the stewed ones up) Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cut up the greens into VERY thin slivers - this allows the tomato and onion mixture to season them thoroughly. Wash the thinly cut vegetables in a sink of water mixed with a handful of salt - this is just to ensure that your vegetables are thoroughly cleaned! Drain. Pour a kettle full of hot boiling water over the washed vegetables - to pre-cook them, mix well - your vegetables should be a bright green colour. Drain in a colander to remove the excess water. In a saucepan, pour a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and let it heat. Add the diced onion and saute for a few minutes paying attention not to burn the onions and then add the diced tomatoes. Season with a bit of salt. Stir well to make a nice onion and tomatoe sauce but do not overcook. Add the vegetables a little at a time to the onion/ tomato mix and stir until well mixed, cooking at medium heat. Veggies should not be overcooked; they should have a bit of crunch and a nice green colour to them. Do the taste test and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Variation to this recipe -"Mpangwe Ya Ndendelo" Add 3-4 tablespoonfuls of smooth peanut butter to the cooked vegetables. Please reduce the amount of salt or omit it altogether since peanut butter tends to be fairly salty already. Mix well and cook a few more minutes before serving.
SauteedSpinach -"Mpangwe Ya Spinach!" 2 bags or bunches of spinach Salt 1 medium size onion or 2 small ones 3-4 cloves of garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Piri-piri chilli pepper or hot pepper seeds (optional) Remove the stems from the spinach and discard the old leaves. Break up the spinach leaves with your hands in halves or in threes. Wash the spinach and drain. In a heavy pan or pot, pour a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and let it heat. Add the diced onion and the thinly sliced or chopped garlic. Saute for a few minutes paying attention not to burn the onions and garlic. Season with a bit of salt. Add the spinach to the mixture and add a few hot pepper seeds. The more you add, the spicier the dish will be. Be a little daring though, it's worth it. Drain excess cooking liquid; spinach tends to be quite moist. Save this liquid, though, for other recipes. It's a delicious stock. Do the taste test and adjust the seasoning accordingly Variation: Add 2-3 medium size fresh (very ripe tomatoes) or use 1 /4 to 11I cup tinned diced or stewed tomatoes (chop the stewed ones up) to the spinach mix.
Futari (Coconut-Peanut Pumpkin) 2 cups pumpkin, peeled & cubed 2 cups sweet potatoes, cubed 3 tbs onion, finely chopped 1 tbs oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 112 tsp cloves 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cup coconut milk 1 tsp cinnamon Fry the onion in oil until golden and sweet. Combine the onions with the pumpkin and sweet potatoes in a heavy pot. Add lemon juice, cloves, salt and the coconut milk. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover, stir gently and add cinnamon. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. You might need to add more milk if necessary. Yield: 8 servings Variation: Instead of coconut milk, you could also thin 1 /4 c peanut butter with 1 /2 c hot water, adding water a little at a time. Add more water to make a cup. Mushroom Mix-"Nkhowani" 1-2 Ibs each mushrooms: button mushroom, brown mushrooms, portobello or any type of mushroom you can find in your supermarket.Try a variety but aim for about 1 pound each. Salt 1 medium size onion or 2 small ones 4-5 cloves of Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fresh Ginger - a 2-3 inch peeled cube, finely chopped Black pepper or chilli (piri-piri) pepper Thoroughly clean the mushrooms. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop up the mushroom stems and the mushroom heads into good size chunks about 1 inch cubes. Dice the onions into small cubes. Finely chop
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the garlic mixing it with a bit of salt to make the chopping easier and to avoid oxidizing or browning of the garlic. In a heavy pan or pot, pour a small amount of olive oil and let it heat on medium. Add the diced onion and the garlic. Saute for a few minutes, paying attention not to burn the onions and garlic. Add the finely chopped fresh ginger and season with a bit of salt. Add the chopped mushroom mixture and stir until well mixed and simmering rapidly. Heat until the mushrooms are cooked and the liquid has been reduced to a nice, fairly thick, sauce. Add the black pepper or chili peppers to taste. Stewed Red Kidney Beans- "Nchunga Za Musuzi Uswesi" Can of cooked red kidney beans or you could cook the dry ones Salt 1 large size onion or 2 medium ones 5 cloves of garlic, minced Extra Virgin olive oil 1 can diced tomatoes Smoked turkey meat or any other smoked meat you like - in hunks/cubes Juice of 1 Lime and/or 1 Lemon In a large heavy pot, heat up a bit of olive oil and saute the onion and garlic. Add the tomatoes along with the tomato juice. Simmer at a medium heat for a few minutes. Drain the red kidney beans and rinse under warm water. Add the drained beans to the sauce mixture in the pot. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the beans form a nice thick sauce. Add the cubed smoked meat and simmer at low to medium heat until the meat is tender but not overdone. Do the taste test and adjust the seasoning accordingly, adding some of your favorite seasonings and herbs (thyme, marjoram, rosemary, etc.). You could make this into a vegetarian meal by leaving out the meat. Whatever suits your dinner guests and tastes.
Desserts Gather outside and shake the mango tree or whatever fruit tree might be bearing fruit at the time Get out of the way to avoid being conked in the head and voilal, you have yourself a juicy and healthy desert! Mbonella telfs a funny story about gathering dessert in Zambia. Her favorite thing to do growing up was to send her Httte brother up the tree to get the juiciest and ripest mango - of course, she could not do It herself, because of those big Chameleon eyes looking at her. She's terrified of those little creatures that love to live m mango trees.Of course, her BttJe brother was often a "nasty* fittte brother and he sometimes wouldn't share the prizei Serve fruit - sliced or in a fruit salad - mangos, cantaloupes, watermelon* ^ngerfnes, oranges, lychees, guavas, peaches and any other tropical fruit you have on hand Check out your local fruit and vegetable market Koeksisters An African donut worthy of any Tim Morton's. 12 oz flour 8 oz sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice 4 oz butter 1/2 tsp yeast fat for fry ing Coating: 1 1/2 Ib sugar 1 pint water Mix the yeast with a little sugar and then add the mixed dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture. Knead all together and leave to stand for 1 hour. Roll out and cut into rectangles. Fry in deep fat. When cooked, dip into a syrup made from the 1 1/2 Ib sugar and water boiled together. Add a touch more cinnamon for taste.
Kolombyntjes A simple cake 8 oz butter 1 Ib sugar 5 eggs 12ozflour 2 tsp cream of tartar pinch salt 1 tbsp milk 1 tsp bicarb, of soda or baking soda 6 oz currants 1 tsp lemon juice Cream together butter and sugar. Add the beaten eggs, flour, cream of tartar and salt. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and beat into mixture. Finally add the lemon juice and currants. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes. "HeerlikePoeding" (pronounced "here-lick-a pudding") literally means "Delicious Pudding" in Afrikaans. This is a recipe from South Africa, but it may not have originated in that country. Interestingly, this is not exactly the kind of dessert to be served at refined dinner parties but how many of those do we really go to anyway. It is a truly delicious baked pudding that is perfect for hearty appetites on cold, wintry days. It's easy to make, too. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons apricot jam 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 egg pinch of salt (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) Beat egg and sugar together. Add the rest of the ingredients, keeping aside the milk. Mix well, then add milk and mix well again. (The mixture will be very liquid, but that's okay.) Bake for one hour at 350 degrees F in a *deep* uncovered casserole dish -- say about 7 to 8 inches square or round and 3 or 4 inches deep.
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Just before the hour is up, prepare the following syrup: 1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine Bring the syrup to the boil, then pour it into the dish, while the pudding is still hot from the oven. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Can be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Leftovers may be reheated either in the oven or microwave. It seems to taste even better the second time around! Vetkoek This is a traditional Afrikaans recipe (like a sweet scone).They are delicious when cut open, buttered, and then filled with either cooked mince meat, or spread with syrup or sweet jam. 1 cup cake flour 3 ml salt 5 ml Baking powder 1egg milk oil (for deep frying) Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Beat the egg lightly in a cup and add to the dry ingredients. Add sufficient milk and beat till a smooth batter. Heat the oil in a pan, and drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil (be careful). Fry, turning them over now and then, until golden brown. Cut open, butter, and fill. Of course, the one sure bet with any African recipe is that they will be played with and altered. Experiment with any kind of filling you might like. I'd suggest staying away from anchovies or sardines, of course.
Resources It's sometimes difficult to recommend resources,
The Global AIDS Alliance:
websites, books, or other sources of information.
www.globalaidsalliance.org
Books for Youth
Why? Because we cannot endorse the actions or mandates of any particular group or resource. But we wanted to supply some links to groups we believe are doing good work on HIV/AIDS issues. Of course, because we list them here
Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research
If you're looking for resources for children
Division: www.heard.org.za
and young adults about HIV/AIDS in Africa, these ones are exceptional and readily
The Hopes and Dreams Team:
does not imply our blanket support of all of their
"Chanda's Secret "by Allan
activities and policies. We simply couldn't list all
International Council of AIDS Service
of the great agencies, organisations and groups
Organisations: www.icaso.org
doing this wonderful workTheir absence from our list is not a criticism or meant to be exclusionary. Aids And Africa www.AidsinAfrica.net is an online resource for current information on HIV/AIDS in Africa.This website uses visual models, such as animated maps and diagrams, to make the the statistics behind HIV/AIDS in Africa more engaging and
available.
www.hopesanddreams.com
Keep A Child Alive: www.keepachildalive.org Link Community Development works in Ghana, Uganda and South Africa improving the quality of education available to under serviced regions and the children of AIDS victims:
Stratton, published by Annick Press. www.annickpress.com/catalog/ chandrassecrets.html And, a book written by a little girl, Paige Pedlar, called, "Who Will Cuddle Them When They Sleep" published by Essence Publishing, part of the Rotary Club's initiative on HIV/AIDS in Africa.
www.lcd.org.uk
www.cuddletheorphans.com. Mac Cosmetics AIDS FUND: "The Heaven Shop" written by Deborah
www.macaidsfund.org/
Ellis.This young adult novel is published by
easy to understand. MedecinsSansFrontieres: www.msf.ca or All Africa: www.allafrica.com
www.msf.org
The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy is an
Oxfam: www.oxfam.caorwww.oxfam.org
Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2004.
excellent resource for fund raising information, donation requirements,and all things related
Plan International: www.plan-international.org
to giving, receiving and channelling monies to charitable organisations, www.nonprofitscan.ca Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) listing of volunteer positions with
Rotary Club International: www.rotary.org SAHARA Network: www.sahara.org.za/ Save the Children: www.savethechildren.ca
member NGOs: www.ccic.ca/e/006/volunteering.shtml
Stephen Lewis Foundation: Please see the website at: www.stephenlewisfoundation.org where you'll find information about the
The Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa: www.tac.org.za
foundation, sponsored programmemes, and options for donations.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA): www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/...
There are many ways to give to the
UN AIDS website: www.unaids.org/en/default.asp
Canadian Association of Nurses in AIDS Care: www.canac.org
Unicef: www.unicef.ca or www.unicef.org
Candlelight memorial site:
VSO Canada: www.vsocan.org
www.candlelightmemorial.org/kit.php World Health Organisation: www.who.int Care Canada: www.care.ca World Vision: www.worldvision.ca Foster Parents Plan: www.fosterparentsplan.ca
www.worldvision.org
Hope For African Children:
Xtending Hope: www.stfx.ca/xtendinghope
Cheques should be made payable to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
www.hopeforafricanchildren.org Stephen Lewis Foundation The Robertson Building 215 Spadina Ave., Suite 134 Toronto, ON M5T2C7
Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development: www.icad-cisd.com International AIDS Vaccine Initiative:
Phone: 416.533.9292 Fax: 416.850.4910
www.iavi.org
www.york4stephenlewis.ca
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Notes
Notes
