Thanks to all the ONE members who rallied and contacted their elected officials in support of PEPFAR reauthorization. Last week’s action by Congress will bring hope to millions of children living in countries hit hard by the AIDS crisis. If you are curious about how your actions will trickle down to the country and community level, let me share the stories of four young boys orphaned by AIDS in Africa. PEPFAR is helping them cope with their loss and look to the future.

One country that has been particularly hard-hit by the AIDS crisis is Ethiopia, struggling to meet the needs of four million orphans nationwide. This year, a popular children’s television show, “Tsehai Loves Learning,” has helped orphans deal with grief, while changing attitudes among other young children about children made vulnerable by AIDS. PEPFAR funding made it possible for Whiz Kids Workshop, in partnership with Save the Children, USAID and other partners to produce and broadcast four episodes devoted to helping the youngest Ethiopians understand the issues faced by children orphaned and affected by AIDS.

You only have to see the changes in a little boy named Yonatan, now 8 years old, and his half-brother, Dagmawi, 16, to appreciate how PEPFAR funding is benefiting countless children in Ethiopia. Yonatan was only five when his mother died, but he recalls her death as if it happened yesterday. “He always remembers her, tells stories about her and cries,” says Dagmawi.

Through simple puppets, a little animation and a lot of imagination, “Tsehai Loves Learning” has taught both brothers some valuable life lessons. “That was emotional for me,” said Dagmawi, who watched the first episode about coping with grief with his younger brother. “Not to exaggerate, but tears came up. But it gave me the idea that whenever I’m sad about my mom, I can imagine that I’m talking to her and can tell her that I’m doing ok.”

In Mozambique , twins Samuel and Pedro, 5 year-old orphans who lost both parents to AIDS, live with their grandmother in Guemulene village in Mozambique. Samuel and Pedro now attend preschool thanks to PEPFAR, which funded construction materials for the classrooms, teacher training and education materials. We’re talking about a poor community, where many of the men work in South Africa’s mines and there is a high rate of HIV/AIDS.

When Save the Children first started working in this community, there was only one toy — a hula hoop — which all the kids had to share. The PEPFAR funding is awakening hope for change for these children. Pedro’s grandmother said, “The school will help Pedro to grow and find something to do when he grows up. He says, ‘I want to take my bath and eat so I can go to school.’”

This week, we await President Bush signing the bill into law, and in doing so, Save the Children will be able to help change the lives of millions of children worldwide.

-Tonya Nyagiro, Associate Vice President, HIV/AIDS Program Save the Children

This entry was posted on Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 12:06 pm and is filed under Ethiopia, PEPFAR2008, Mozambique, HIV/AIDS, PEPFAR. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.