We had about 35 people show up for last night’s University of Wisconsin-Madison screening of “The Lazarus Effect,” which included students of a class working on an HIV/AIDS project.
ONE member Shawn Alexander and the UW-Madison film team helped me prep and run the event. It was wonderful to have an HIV/AIDS professor there to answer questions from an education point of view, and tell us a little about the current issues surrounding the Global Fund, PEPFAR and the impact of antiretroviral drugs.
We are very sorry to announce that Bwalya Liteta, the 12-year-old girl featured in HBO and (RED)’s documentary, “The Lazarus Effect,” passed away on August 14 due to complications from AIDS. We know that many ONE members have been deeply moved by her story and will remember her courage and strength. Our sympathy goes out to her family and loved ones.
This month, we’ll be featuring blog posts that help illustrate the Global Fund’s effect on programs that fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria around the world — and the people suffering from these diseases.
Some stories are so good you have to share them with others. In the documentary film “The Lazarus Effect,” 11-year-old Bwalya Liteta talks a lot about her favorite school subjects, her friends and her favorite game “chicken in the den.” Bwalya is the epitome of a healthy, happy kid.
But this was not always the case. Bwalya is in fact HIV-positive. When we meet her in the film, she weighs 24 pounds, looks closer to 5 or 6 years old and is stuck at home, too sick to go to school or play with friends. Once she gains access to AIDS medication — called antiretrovirals — provided by the Global Fund, she is back to full health and back to school within three months
Bwalya is a living witness to something we call the “Lazarus effect” — lives transformed by smart solutions like those provided by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
What’s exciting is that ONE members are already sharing the news of “The Lazarus Effect” in their faith communities. Nearly 100 congregations, small groups and youth groups have signed up so far to take action this August and September to help ensure that others can experience this remarkable “Lazarus effect” from death to life.
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
This week, Indianapolis ONE volunteers met at the Irvington Branch Library to discuss ONE’s involvement in the upcoming Indiana elections and watch “The Lazarus Effect.” ONE volunteers openly discussed ways to engage local legislators and demonstrate a presence in the community. After viewing the film, a volunteer born in Zambia gave his personal account of HIV/AIDS treatment effectiveness in Africa.
Since July, more than 1,000 new volunteers have signed up to join ONE Vote 2010 in Indiana. The ONE Vote 2010 team looks forward to hosting similar events that will engage the community in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.
Be sure to connect with other ONE Vote 2010 Indiana members on Facebook and Twitter.
- Maddison Klontz, ONE Vote 2010 organizer, Indiana
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
Last night, nearly 30 ONE members of all ages got together in Columbus, Ohio to view “The Lazarus Effect” and learn more about ONE Vote 2010.
ONE members really enjoyed the stories of people living with HIV/AIDS from the documentary. They were astonished to see the ARV’s positive, fast-acting effects — and many people didn’t know that it only costs 40 cents a day to put someone on these lifesaving drugs.
Overall, it was a great event. Ohio ONE members are excited for ONE Vote 2010 and they’re ready to hit the trail with the candidates!
Be sure to connect with other ONE Vote 2010 Ohio members on Facebook and Twitter.
Recently, I coordinated and organized a team of Brownsville, Texas, ONE members to host a screening of (RED)’s documentary, “The Lazarus Effect.”
The screening was held at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (UTB-TSC), and we’re happy to say it was a success with just twenty people in attendance.
Through this screening, we not only recruited about 15 new and excited volunteers, but continued to build relationships with university and community representatives.
We wanted to give a shout out to:
Dr. Eldon Nelson, the dean for the health and sciences department at UTB
Tom Demaar, a respected doctor and veterinarian who has frequented sub-Saharan Africa and dealt with some of the medical issues we discussed
Gloria Miranda, UTB administrator and representative of Rotary Sunrise
Dr. Enrique Escobedo, Brownsville community doctor and board trustee for Brownsville Independent School District
Oscar Garcia III, president of College Branch of Kiwanis
Other groups such as Rotaract, Boy Scouts Troop I and the Valley AIDS Clinic have shown utmost interest to join our work as well. Thanks so much for jumping at any opportunity to help make this event possible!
I am also happy to express my utmost enthusiasm for two students from Hanna High School . Both Michelangelo Sosa and Analisa Cantu were inspired from what they learned in the film and ONE’s mission statement. They plan on creating a group at their high school highlighting ONE as their main focus.
Fantastic things are sprouting in Brownsville. Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas), Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kay Hutchinson (R-Texas) need to know about the important bipartisan coalition that Texas ONE members have built to address issues of extreme poverty and global disease.
ONE Brownsville is an example of how enthusiasm can increase involvement from local organizations, churches and campuses. Together as ONE, we can make a difference — no matter who or where you are.
Across the United States, ONE has presented screenings of “The Lazarus Effect” to help show Americans the phenomenal progress we’ve made in a short period of time with tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. Our hope is to impact hearts and engage minds into the conversation.
A caring group from all over Phoenix, Ariz., gathered at the Phoenix Central Library for a screening of the film last weekend. It was a SUCCESS!
Following the film, our participants were encouraged to engage in a conversation about what they had just seen.
Many felt the film was a powerful and encouraging account of how much progress has been made with the distribution of ARVs.
The transformation of lives was palpable — many of our participants expressed their desire to join ONE and turn their passion and energy into action and help educate our communities on how each and every ONE of us can make a difference with just our voice.
Live in Arizona? Connect with other ONE members in your area on our Western Region Facebook group.
-Amy Campbell, ONE member, Arizona
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
