Bishop Reding Students Host Pasta Dinner for World AIDS Day 2009

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Give a Day

Alex Schroder, Give a Day supporter at Bishop Reding High School in Milton, Ontario writes…In honour of World Aids Day, the Student Athletic Association at Bishop Reding High School hosted their second annual pasta dinner on December 2nd.

When deciding where to direct our money this year, Give a Day and the Stephen Lewis Foundation seemed like the perfect decision; as the founder of Give A Day, Jane Philpott, is a close friend of mine and having heard Stephen Lewis speak on numerous occasions, he inspired me by his passion to “turn the tide on AIDS” by helping individuals at the grassroots level. The night began with a delicious dinner provide by East Side Mario’s. Over 100 community members attended, local retailers donated items for the silent auction and the new “Harambee” CD was for sale. Margaret Wright, the Director of Operations for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, was our guest of honour. She gave a moving speech on the plight of the millions of AIDS orphans in Africa. I believe that it is important for people our age to be made aware of what is happening in our world and that the deciding factor that determines your likelihood of getting treatment for HIV should not be the country you are born in.

Students signed the "We Gave a Day" poster to show their support.

The evening was a huge success, raising over $2000 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, and it has inspired others to take action and create awareness for the AIDS/HIV pandemic. By supporting this event people in our community were recognizing the need for change and responding to the crisis.

Alex and Katrien with cupcakes that were donated for the event.

Bishop Reding Fundraising Committee and Student Athletic Association who helped make the evening happen.

World AIDS Day 2009 – Harambee Blues

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Give a Day

In honour of World AIDS Day 2009, and to celebrate the release of the Harambee! CD, on Tuesday, December 1^st an extraordinary night of music took place at the Silver Dollar Room in Toronto. Harambee Blues was organized by Anne Stadlmair and the Tia Anita Project and those attending were inspired and entertained with fantastic music from Blue Room, Mike Stevens, Madagascar Slim and Digging Roots. Hosts for the evening were Uitsile Ndlovu and Simba Nyawiri from Soul Influence. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Anne Stadlmair and to all the artists who showed their support for the Give a Day campaign and recipient organizations Dignitas International and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Information on purchasing copies of the HARAMBEE! CD is available by contacting info@giveaday.ca or by visiting the Tia Anita Project website.

Dr. Jane Philpott addresses the crowd. Photo by Ed Michael Roth.

Hosts for the evening, Simba Nyawiri and Uitsile Ndlovu. Photo by Ed Michael Roth.

Blue Room. Photo by Ed Michael Roth.

Harmonica virtuoso Mike Stevens. Photo by Ed Michael Roth.

Madagascar Slim. Photo by Ed Michael Roth.

An incredible performance by Digging Roots and Madagascar Slim.

Strength and Hope – The Grandmothers of Africa

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Give a Day

Dr. Lorna Adams, Give a Day supporter writes…There is no doubt. The grannies of sub-Saharan Africa are holding the continent up on their shoulders. I have met so many grannies, and they are the glue that is keeping what is left of the families of this continent together. They are making new families. They incorporate the children of their next door neighbour into their new family group, and the children of their deceased sister’s friend’s daughter, and the children of their grandchildren’s teacher, into their family unit. And then they look in on the children in the home down the street, where there is a 13 year old, raising her brothers and sisters. They are utterly exhausted, at times, with the demands that they have accepted for themselves. But they continue, because, who else will do it? They know there are too many deaths; there is a coffin maker in every town, even if there are not many other businesses. There is always need of a coffin during this pandemic that is HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. And the grannies continue on, caring, loving, doing as best as they can, in a situation that does, at times feel overwhelming.

Grandmother Grace with her grandson, Emmanuel

But, there is HOPE. A recent report, prepared by the WHO with UNICEF and UNAIDS, states that there has been significant progress in care of people living with HIV since the beginning of this decade. This report states that 42% of people in the developing world who are infected, and should be on ARV medication are now on medication. Just a few years ago, there was still debate among AIDS experts about the safety of offering a difficult treatment program to people in areas of the world most affected. Dignitas International has proven that it is safe, feasible, affordable and completely doable. As Jane Philpott has said, “AIDS is outrageous….and solvable”. I’m not sure I entirely agreed with Jane before I went to work in Africa with Dignitas International, but I sure do now.

University of Western Ontario Harambee

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Give a Day

Kris Dundas, Give a Day supporter from the University of Western Ontario writes…A Give a Day to World AIDS ‘Harambee’ will take place Dec. 8 at Western’s University Community Centre atrium. Displays will be set up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and remarks begin at 12:30 p.m. An African dance and fashion show will be held from 2-2:30 p.m.

All students, staff and faculty are welcome to attend. Speakers from the AIDS Committee of London and Western Heads East will be participating. There will also be displays from Save the Children and Free the Children.

Schulich medical students are asking the Western community to fight AIDS through research, raising awareness, volunteering or donating a day’s income (or whatever you can afford). For more information please visit the Western News .

World AIDS Day 2009 – We Share This Path Together

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Give a Day

Dr. Jane Philpott, Give a Day Founder writes…My love of African proverbs is no secret. It always makes me happy to stumble on a new proverb about health or education or justice. This week I learned a new proverb from Burkina Faso that speaks to the work of the Give a Day movement. It says: “If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk with others.”.

To reach a world without AIDS, we have to walk far. We must therefore walk the path together.

How I wish we could walk fast and see this pandemic ended immediately. Every extra day that it takes means a difference between life and death for thousands. The solutions are not simple. Clearly we need to “walk with others”. When we do work together, I’m convinced the problem of HIV is solvable.

Yesterday in this blog, Tim O’Shea wrote about the heartwrenching statistics on vertical virus transmission. He said that “The fact that transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child continues to occur at such rates at a time when we know how to reliably manage this risk should be source of shame for the entire international community.” I wholeheartedly agree. So what will it take?

It will take money… large amounts of money from the international community and smaller amounts of money raised by movements like Give a Day.

It will take political will… which is built by movements like Give a Day where ordinary people act in solidarity with people they will never meet to address an injustice that affects us all.

It will take solid infrastructure to be built and maintained in order to deliver and sustain the top-quality healthcare systems that everyone with HIV must be able to access.

It will take a concerted commitment to address all of the global issues that impact health including food security, gender equity, education and more.

We may be daunted by the magnitude of the task. But we have already come a long way. In the five years since the Give a Day movement started, the number of people in the world on antiretroviral treatment has increased by ten-fold! This has happened through extraordinary efforts of countless people around the world.

To reach a world without AIDS, we have to walk far. We share this path together.

Please engage in an act of solidarity today. Please give a day’s pay… because a day makes a world of difference.

Dr. Jane Philpott, Founder of Give a Day to World AIDS

Reflections on the AIDS Epidemic Update for 2009 – Dr. Tim O’Shea

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Give a Day

Dr. Tim O’Shea, Give a Day supporter writes…UNAIDS recently released their AIDS Epidemic Update for 2009. In previous blogs I have emphasized how important it is to keep in mind the personal stories behind the staggering statistics associated with this virus. However, reflecting on the information contained in the update, it becomes clear that the numbers do indeed speak for themselves. The overall numbers are jarring; in 2008 there were 33 million people living with HIV, an astounding 2.7 million new infections and 2 million deaths. Looking deeper at the statistics, however, reveals what for me is one of the most outrageous aspects of the HIV pandemic . The burden of this disease is being borne increasingly by the women and children of sub-Saharan Africa. Over 14 million children have been orphaned since the start of the epidemic, and astoundingly 91% of the 430,000 children born with HIV in 2008 were born in sub-Saharan Africa. The fact that transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child continues to occur at such rates at a time when we know how to reliably manage this risk should be a source of shame for the entire international community.

Reading and reflecting on statistics such as these can leave one alternating between feelings of deep outrage and depression, guilt and hopelessness. The scope of the pandemic seems so overwhelming, and the problems so complex that it is difficult to know how to make a difference. That is why it is so essential to learn about the work that organizations such as Dignitas International and the Stephen Lewis Foundation are carrying out. Visit their websites, attend a talk, volunteer, Give a Day. Getting involved with these groups will begin to replace your sense of rage with a sense of purpose, and your feelings of despair with hope.

Harambee Blues – World AIDS Day 2009- The Silver Dollar Room

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Give a Day

On Tuesday, December 1st, World AIDS Day, come to “Harambee Blues” – a night of music for World AIDS Day , and the CD launch of “Harambee!” featuring Madagascar Slim, Digging Roots, Mike Stevens, Blue Room with hosts for the evening Uitsile Ndlovu and Simba Nyawiri (of Soul Influence). The event takes place at the Silver Dollar Room in Toronto (486 Spadina Ave) – doors open at 6:00pm (dinner menu available), and the show begins at 7:30pm. Admission is $10.00 http://www.silverdollarroom.com/

Harambee! CD – Proceeds benefit Dignitas International and the Stephen Lewis Foundation

Give a Day Pledge Week at Cassels Brock!

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Give a Day

On Monday, Give A Day pledge week began with a “pop” as the delicious smell of fresh buttery popcorn filled the hallways of Cassels Brock. All of our articling students took a break from their due diligence and drafting assignments and joined the Give A Day team in the staff lounge to help pop and fill 500 cups of popcorn.

The response from the firm was amazing – pledge forms rolled in and everyone enjoyed their afternoon snack. Campaign representatives were also available to answer any questions that people might have about the Give A Day Campaign.

Our next event was a “Book Sale with Free Eats” on Wednesday afternoon. We received over 35 boxes of donations which were filled with all kinds of books, magazines, CDs and DVDs. During the sale, we played Give A Day’s informational DVD on a large screen and treated our shoppers to fruit, cheese, crackers and desserts.

Now that it is getting close to the end of pledge week, our group is busy baking 500 chocolate-chip cookies to distribute on Friday as a big “thank you” for participating in the Give A Day Campaign. We expect to receive plenty of donations over the next two days and look forward to tallying the grand total at the end of the week.

News from Malawi- HIV/AIDS is “Coming Out”

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Give a Day

Dr. Lorna Adams, Give a Day supporter writes…It is becoming clear to me, as I spend more time in Malawi working in the HIV/AIDS Clinic run by Dignitas International, that HIV and AIDS are coming ‘out’ in Malawi. There are posters everywhere, encouraging people to “know your status”. Signs in stores and offices ask people to reduce transmission of the virus by using condoms, and there are education programs in schools about how the virus is transmitted. Posters encourage people to be tested, and there is a significant attempt to reduce the ‘stigma’ of being diagnosed HIV positive.

In the nursing school that is associated with the Zomba Central Hospital and the Tisungane Clinic, I walked by a sign showing two young people, gazing into each other’s eyes, with the caption “AIDS/HIV….if you don’t have it, don’t get it. If you have it, don’t pass it on”. It was quite clear and to the point.

I worked with Alice Kadzanja in Malawi, a nurse who was portrayed in Stephanie Nolen’s remarkable book, “28 Stories of AIDS in africa”. Alice is HIV positive, and supports people in their decision to consider being tested, using herself as an example of someone who was sick, and is now well because of treatment. Alice played volleyball on the Clinic Sports Day, proudly wearing her T shirt which declared “ARV’s are essential drugs for people with AIDS”.

Nurse Alice Kadzanja, Tisungane Clinic, Malawi

I met another woman on a bus, who was happy to have me photograph her with her shirt that proclaimed for all to see that she was on therapy. It is actions like this that reduce the stigma of being diagnosed HIV positive, and encourage people to discuss their risk of infection. The Dignitas Program has allowed many people in the Zomba area of Malawi to understand that AIDS is a treatable disease. In a continent where HIV infection knows no age, socioeconomic, educational, gender, political or cultural bias, this is a remarkable and very important step forward in the fight against this pandemic.

Kingsway Harambee – Inspires and Entertains

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Give a Day

Over 70 west-end Toronto guests were inspired as well as entertained at the Kingsway Harambee hosted by Jennifer Keenan and Jo-Anne Sheffield on November 21st. There was good food, great music from Soul Influence, a live auction of Shona sculpture from Zimbabwe donated by ZimArt and a motivating presentation from the Give a Day founder Dr. Jane Philpott.

The group at the Crooked Cue were gathered for the inaugural Kingsway Harambee to learn more about the AIDS pandemic and the Give a Day movement. Donation totals are not yet in but if the live auction was anything to go by, this event could be an annual highlight.

Wonderful music from Soul Influence

Host Jennifer Keenan

Host Jo-Anne Sheffield

Dr. Jane Philpott inspires the crowd