Sunday, May 31, 2009

Jester's Fundraiser~ Update!



We only have $193 to go for Jester's IGP fundraiser to be complete!!! We have come a long way. Though I have not received the info needed to start Wilfredo's fundraiser, I want to make sure that his fundraiser can start as soon as I get what I need from CI... I have big hopes that it will come this week.
With that being said, I have something to sweeten the fundraiser. In addition to getting the raffle tickets for the blanket that Stephanie knitted, I am offering something. For everyone who donates $50 or more, I will send you a keychain (like the ones above) with your sponsored child's photo. On this keychain, there is room for 2 different photos (one on each side).
Even better, you can include the amount you have already donated!!! Make sure that after you donate, you send me your name and address & photo attachments in an e-mail. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing. Thank you, everyone for your continued support of our children!!!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Letters from Barbara's sponsored children

I apologize that I do not have pictures to go with these letters right now. I will post some soon.

"Dear Barbara

First I'm greeting you and your friends. I hope you are all fine. Nsenzeni and I we are fine. Yes, she had malaria but now she is very well. Barbara and you too are so special to our family. I appreciate very much but those chickens you have mentioned here in Zambia I can't raise my standard of living. I just say if you can boost my business so that it can grow well I will appreciate very much. [This relates to a small start up micro-enterprise I sent last year to start selling vegetable, dried fish and beans].

Leya, she's doing fine with her youngest daughter and name is Ailedi. Barbara, Nsenzeni is saying your living is very well. She is asking when are you coming to visit her? Blessing Banda is not our relative. On Christmas day we celebrated in Church. Thanks very much, Yours Lontia and Nsenzeni."

The second one is from Pearl Daphne from Quezon City in relation to the visit from the two CI representatives. The letter is beautifully written and well spaced and she is only six years old.

"Dear Barbara,

Hi Greetings from beautiful Country of Philippines! I'm glad that you send another letter for me. Yes,I enjoyed shopping during my Easter gift. You are alone. Are you happy with that? [She is referring to my single status and lack of family here in Canada].
I saw the pictures of your country it's very beautiful. Someday, I wish I could visit your place.
With regards to Sponsor's visit I had thought you are the one visiting me here. But even I couldn't saw you in person I am so thankful and excited that day. Thank you. Always Pearl Daphne.

The last one is from Marelyn and yet another one from her mother Carolina.

"Dear Sponsor Barbara

This letter is to thank you for the wonderful gifts which you sent me. I received [followed by the usual boring list of gifts!!].....Let me tell you that here in Guatemals the summer is so hot and for that reason I drink iced drinks or iced water. Let me tell you that my family is well. I love you very much. Marelyn Magdalena"

Amongst the gifts I sent was a child's writing pad and I was delighted to see that Marelyn's mother, Carolina, made use of it and wrote me a three page letter.

" Dear Barbara;

I hope that you are well when you receive this letter. I want to share with you many things about my family. Well, during the Holy Week here in Guatemala I and my husband Luis sold [candies] in the city during the Easter processions for a week so that we could take Marelyn and her siblings to Esquipolas to visit the black Christ, located in Chiquimula. Then we took them to a beach called 'Dorada' . Let me tell you that Marelyn enjoyed the trip, playing all day in the water near the bank of the lake.she loves the water, but she cannot swim I would like to send her for a swimming course. As you know when people can swim, the most they enjoy. The summer here in Guatemala is so hot, but we drink iced drinks, which are so delicious. We were all so very happy.

When Marelyn receives your direct packages she is always so happy and likes everything that you send her. She likes the many photos that you sent her, because through them she can see the beautiful places of Canada. She says that she would like to visit them herself one day. Marelyn always remembers you every moment. She is a beautiful young girl and very intelligent. Anita, Luisa and Fernando also can't wait to see the photos that you send to Marelyn so that they can see the places that you visit and the gifts that you send to them. I want to thank you for the joy that you give my family. Thanks to you they share happy moments. May God pour out his Blessings on you. I say goodbye with much love. Carolina."

Friday, May 29, 2009

I need feedback

Travel cosmetic bag/ bag to carry your bath items in ($10)
Hair barrettes ($4 each pair)

Squishable, huggable caterpillar pillow ($10)
Candy shaped fruity lip gloss ($2)

Lollipop shaped fruity lip gloss ($2)

Popscicle fruity mini-lip gloss ($2)



Cupcake shaped lip gloss with cupcake flavors to match ($3)

Muddy piggy bank ($12)

Bone shaped calculator ($13)

These little animals hold photos or memos ($3)

These wire 6" stands hold photos or memos ($3)
Photo frame comes in large ($10)
Photo frame comes in small ($7) or large ($10)
Butterfly alarm clock makes a kissing sound to wake you up ($15)
Rooster alarm clock says "Cock-a-doodle-doo" to wake you up ($15)

Dog alarm clog barks to wake you up ($15)

Animal key chains/zipper pulls. The limbs are posable & the animals are so cute ($3)

Large dog tote bag ($22)



Make your own envelopes & cards template kit ($3)

Large cat tote bag ($22)

36 count mini colored pencils ($4)


12 count mini colored pencils with pencil sharpener ($3)
I am setting up a web-site designated for Jaden and Morgan to sell items for non-profit use. Eventually, I would like to create a non-profit that would help out our sponsored children and their communities. My big idea is to create volunteer vacations where several volunteers would come together in places like Ecuador, Zambia, etc. and spend a couple of weeks/months building something for that community... Maybe a library, latrine, well, school, and bring joy and hope to the children and their families.
Children International will not allow volunteers to go to work with them because they don't have the staff to take care of a group. However, there is nothing to stop a person from starting their own non-profit that will benefit these same children and their families. This would not go against CI, but work to improve the whole community that CI serves.
That is just the big picture of what I am thinking. For now, I am starting low. Jaden and Morgan are convinced that it is us (me and them) that can bring smiles to the kids' faces, and that we need to go to each country to help them. Unfortunately, we have to START somewhere. before we can get to that point.
The items above are items that they could sell on the web-site. I am curious to get feedback on what the rest of you think. Which items draw your attention, and which items do you feel would not sell? A few months down the line, I plan to put other items pertaining to our sponsored children as well. For example, if you send us a picture attachment of a drawing(s) that your sponsored child made you, we will make it into Christmas cards. All of the proceeds will go to whichever sponsored child we are focusing on at that time. We have several children that have BIG needs, so if there is a large fundraiser for one of our sponsored children going on at that time, the funds will be added to that project.
Other items that I plan to sell on the site are embroidered burp cloths, bibs, hand towels, and custom embroidered/monogramed items. These are VERY cute, but I don't have any examples to show right now. I plan to have a few in a week or two.
Eventually, I would like to use the site to raise funds for a volunteer trip & the supplies needed for that project. Of course, I have a lot of work to do to get details for all of that. It will be in the works in a few months... Maybe I can get everything set up by the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012. That is when I plan to make a trip to Ecuador and Colombia. It would be nice to stay there for a few weeks or months & make a difference before we leave. Is anyone else on board for that?
OK, my questions to you are:
Which of these items do you think would/would not sell?
Are you interested in a volunteer trip to help our kids' communities?
Now, here is the web-site that I have set up for Jaden and Morgan's fundraising:

Thursday, May 28, 2009

A New Picture of Diego!

My mission from now until this time next year is to find a way to put a smile on his face!!! I know he doesn't feel well, and he is having a hard time coping with the death of his parents. I just have no clue what to do to ease his pain :(
He suffers from a serious health condition, so he is at a constant risk of getting very sick from things that only give the rest of us small symptoms. I, also, know that a person is at more risk of becoming sick if they are stressed or depressed. The stress and depression weakens the body's immune system, and his is already weak from his health condition.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can say or do to make him feel less depressed?

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A New Picture of Regine!

I just love how Children International is doing their photos of the kids now. They are more animated & in a better background. This is the most recent one that Efrain received of Regine in the Phillippines.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

This was a wild surprise

http://http://ilovemykids08.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-for-those-in-need.html
You may or may not remember one of the things that my girls got involved with around Christmas time last year. I put the blog post link above, just in case you missed it... Jaden, Morgan, and I packed up Christmas presents for children with HIV/AIDS and took them to a non-profit that works with these children and their families. A month or so later, I received a magazine from the organization. I didn't even look at the magazine. I put the magazine in the pile of junk mail. 5 months later (today), I decided to flip through it and was surprised to see our names in an article about Christmas items they received. In the picture above, you can, also, see our brown lunch bags that we put Christmas decorations on. We are not pictured (thank goodness!! I mean, thank goodness I'm not!!) If you have trouble reading the small words, you can click on the picture above to maximize the attachment.
I wanted to mention that I have begun a new book that is inspiring. It is giving me many more ideas of how to help people, and include my children. Maybe we can even start a non-profit! Whatever we decide to do, we won't be doing it to get our name in a magazine, though. I hope that we can make at least one person's life better, but I believe we can do more than that (with the help of others).

Monday, May 25, 2009

A Letter from Mwanza!

Dear Heather,
I am greeting you together with your family with great love. I and my family, we are doing well. Thank you very much for the letter and for the coloring pictures. It's nice to hear that you have found two small jobs which are making you busy. I am very happy for you for being so close to me and helping me in every corner of my life. At school I am improving and my best subject is math and reading books. Waiting to hear from you soon.
Yours
Mwanza

Sunday, May 24, 2009

A different perspective

“Some people grumble because roses have thorns; I am thankful that the thorns have roses. ”
—Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808-1890);critic, journalist, and novelist

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Dulce, a whole year older

Wow! I got this picture in my account today. I am so amazed at how grown up Dulce looks! In her last picture, she looked like a little girl. Now,she looks like a teenager! Is she tall, or is it just the way that they took the picture? I love getting surprises like this one (new pictures)!!

Friday, May 22, 2009

A Letter from Jon!


Greetings Dear Mrs. Mack:
I hope you are in good health and may our Lord bless you along with your family and that he fill you with blessings.
I want to tell you that I am well, thanks to God, and that I passed my last grade and I am in the sixth grade and that I had wonderful vacations. I am playing a lot of soccer, and I help my mother at home with chores, and that I go to church on Sundays.
Well, thank you for all the benefits you provide me through the program. May the Lord bless you, take care and best wishes.
I say good-bye to you very affectionately.
I wish this year comes blessed for you.
I say good-bye to you,
Jonathan

Thursday, May 21, 2009

FirstGiving Update + Guidelines for large projects

I want to let everyone know where we stand on the rest of the fundraisers. I heard back from our CI contact today that said responses from the field should be expected to take about 6 weeks. Wilfredo's project information should be here in a couple of weeks for Aila's project. Heather G's sponsored child Diego and Holly's sponsored child Yoselyn will be next in line after Aila. Heather G & Holly G's requests should arrive by the end of June. Tamara's sponsored children Jhonalyn & Angelito (sharing a fundraiser) will have their requests after Heather & Holly's.
As you can see, we still have a lot of waiting to do to get the information for the other projects. With that being said, please e-mail me ASAP if you have a fundraiser in mind for this year. Requests will take 6 weeks, so it is imperative that we get the requests in to CI as soon as we have one in mind.
I am not sure how long it will take to complete Jester's fundraiser, but I am HOPING that we will have Wilfredo's information by the time Jester's funds.
Other requests that have been submitted to CI & are pending responses for the next round of fundraisers:
Robyn's child Wilmer
Barbara's child Nsenzeni
Heather's child Jonathan
Su's fundraiser already has info, but she will be in the rotation as well.
Chrystal, did you request another one? If so, please send the info again, so I can make sure it was requested.
Wilfredo, I think we need to wait and see what the special needs for Aila turns out to be on this round before we request another one for the same child.
Heather G & Holly G, my e-mail is acting up, but I know I have your requests for the next round, & it has been sent to CI.
Tamara, Did you want to participate in the next round? If so, do you want me to request bed quotes for the rest of the kids?
Did I miss anyone? Mack, Jennifer, and Alice have fundraisers pending in the larger group with Stephanie. If any of you have smaller ones that you want me to do, let me know.
If any of the rest of you want to put in a request, send the usual information to me at kidscanchange@gmail.com
Thanks!
Heather

Now, here is some information for Stephanie's group of fundraisers:

Guidelines for projects over $500 -
In order to start a fundraising project for one of your sponsored children that requires $500+ dollars in donations, I will need to obtain the following information from you:
1. The letter from CI stating the $ amount of the project + the items that will be purchased with the funds.

2. A few personally written paragraphs introducing your child and the project you wish to raise funds for. You can provide facts from his/her family profile, quote letters, etc.

3. Some photographs of your child, especially ones that show his/her living conditions (if possible).

We will be capping our large projects at $2500. So you would have to pay anything above that.
We are keeping the large projects (anything over $500) separate from the under $500's. I am happy to help you put by getting the page together and letting everyone at the Google group know about it etc. But the big projects are not going to be included in the pay it forward model that we are using for the smaller ones. We won't expect you to pay forward 25% of this project - nor will we expect other sponsors to pay into your project as part of their own pay it forward percentage. We just don't think the small circle of sponsors at the Google group can support large projects and also we don't expect that many sponsors would be able to pay forward 25% of such a large project. That's why we are keeping them separate. So this means that you will have to be more involved in fund raising by promoting the project on a personal blog, amongst your friends and family etc. I'm sure that other sponsors will support your project but we can't expect them to be able to be the only people helping out. There just aren't enough of us to fully fund the large projects. :(
So, essentially, we will help by setting up the page for you, telling the Google group about it and using the account we already have set up with CI. The rest will mostly be up to you.
Please email me if you have any additional questions.
- Stephanie Amythyst69@aol.com

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Letters from the kids

Yessica in Guatemala City wrote:
Dear Heather:
I thank you for the letter and three pictures that you sent me. I am very happy with all that you have sent me. I feel very happy that you work in the hospital, and I like the babies. I pray that God allows you to go on with your work. My family and I are fine, and so is my education. I am fine thanks to the support that you send me. I will have time off at school soon. I say goodbye with a strong hug.
Yessica

Henry in Cartagena, Colombia wrote:
Dear Heather
My family and I hope that you and your family are well. We are doing fine. We have one week of vacation for holy week (semana santa). I am playing a lot, watching t.v., and doing my homework.
Thank you for your letters and for always thinking of us. I wish you and your family a lot of blessings.
With nothing more, I say goodbye
with a lot of love,
Henry

Leydi from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic wrote:
Thank you for your pretty letter. I like that you write to me. I love you very much. I am doing very well in school. How great that you work in the hospital. Thank you for worrying about me. with a lot of affection, thank you for the stickers.
Leydi

Katherine is one of the children that I was looking for a sponsor for. Jim (Mack's father) is now her sponsor. She was in my account for about a week or so. I wasn't sure if I would find her a sponsor, so I sent her a letter in that time. Her mother responded with the longest most detailed letter I have ever seen. This letter is posted here for Jim to enjoy!:
Dear Mrs "(last name removed):
It is a big joy to be a part of the sponsorship program provided by Children International! Your sponsored child's name is (here she lists Katherine's name in its entirety). I will tell you some things about her so that you can know each other much better. Let me tell you that I am so proud that you have accepted my daughter as your sponsored child. She is a seven-year-old girl. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She is restless. She enjoys dancing, painting, playing and going to the park and coutryside in order to see the animals, especially the iguanas. Her favorite foods are: chicken soup, rice with beans and meat. She likes maracuya juice. She likes all kinds of fruits, especially watermelon. She is attending school now. She is in Pre-school (equivalent to 1st basic year in Ecuador), but she can't write yet. She has four older sisters and she sleeps with her sister because she is the last one. I say goodbye with affection,
Miriam, your sponsored child's mother

Regine from the Phillippines wrote to Efrain. Here is the letter Efrain wrote back to her,as well as the letter she wrote to him:
I just sent a letter to Regine. This is what I wrote to her, what I surround with parenthesis is not part of the actual letter:
May 14, 2009
Dear Regine,
Kumusta ka? Mabuti naman ako. (How are you? I'm very fine.)
I am extra happy to receive your letter. This was what you wrote:
“Dear Sr. Efrain Caro,“A blessed day to you and to your family. I have received a letter from you and I am happy writing to you once again. As you were asking, yes. I always wanted to write to you. I am fine and doing good in school. I am study my lesson very hard to got high grades in my reportcard. I am excited to be in grade next school year. I am sad that your workplace will closed but promise that I will pray hard for your upcoming business. Congratulation in advance. Regards and thank you for your letter. Hope to hear from you again.“Love,“Regine"
That’s your letter word by word. (I deleted her last name to protecther identity)
I’m happy to know that you are a good student. Continue to learn what they teach you. What you learn is what you will take with you from school when you graduate. That’s what matters.Maraming salamat (thank you very much) for your congratulations on my upcoming business and for your prayers. I am trying a few Filipino words in this letter. Nakakaintindi ako ngkonting Tagalog. (I can understand a little Tagalog.) I hope that sentence is well written. The course I’m taking teaches to talk Tagalog, but not to write it. I hope to go visit you somewhere this year or maybe next year. I’m not very good on speaking English; my native language is Spanish; so I hope that knowing a little Tagalog makes a difference. Take good care of yourself. Your loving sponsor, Efraín
That was my letter to Regine. In order to put her "yes" reply in context, this is what I have previously written to her:
"Would you like me to write more often? I remember that when I was a child, time seemed to pass much slower than now. I suppose it’s the same with you. Maybe by the time you get a new letter of mine, it seems centuries since the last time you wrote."

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Welcome to Project #7!!




If you were a sponsor in April of 2008, you may remember Jester. He was in a slideshow of children waiting for sponsors: http://www.children.org/flash/WaitingChild08/slideshow-WaitingChild-4-15-08.asp
Stephanie became his sponsor, and has been sponsoring him now for 1 year.

A message from Stephanie:

Jester lives in Tabaco, Philippines. He is almost thirteen. I sponsored Jester when he was featured in a slideshow of children who had been waiting for over two years for a sponsor. My son considers Jester to be his sponsor child. They write letters back and forth and have a great relationship. It's amazing how well they connect when they are worlds apart in so many ways.
Jester is a wonderful, funny boy. He shares his hopes and dreams in his letters to us. Recently, Jester was chosen to be on his school's ping pong team. He worked very hard with his coach after school. Jester's team ended up winning the tournament and he won a trophy. We were very proud of his hard work and dedication!
Jester's home has a dirt floor, tin roof and concrete walls. Jester sleeps on a mat on the floor. The cooking is done over an open fire and the family uses a community latrine and community water faucet. Jester has three brothers (two older and one younger). His father has abandoned the family. Jester's mother Agnes works as a maid in another city. She would like to open a business with a friend in which she will sell ready to wear clothing. She will sell the clothing at a stall in the local market. This business will enable her to live with her sons who currently live in Tabaco with their Grandmother. The money we raise will be the capital needed to purchase the clothing for Jester's mother's Income Generating Project.

Here is the link to the first fundraiser over the $200 limit: http://www.firstgiving.com/clothingsalesigp This one was actually project 11, so that is why it is close to $500. The other smaller fundraisers will begin as soon as the information for them is received from the field offices.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Project #6 is complete!

Thank you to everyone who has made this a success!!! We have a bigger task ahead of us, but I know we can do it. The projects that were set to to be numbers 7 through 10 do not have the information back from Children International. It may be a few more weeks before we get it from them. In the meantime, project 11 already has the information back, so we will do that one next. Then, we will resume with the others (hoping that we will have the information back by then).

I had a helper (Barbara) add up everyone's total amount donated thus far. I will be sending out the totals later today. I don't want to post it here for all to see, so I will e-mail everyone individually. This will be beneficial to those who want to have a project in the larger fundraising category. Here are tips to know what to do with the information:

You have a fundraiser you would like to do, that will cost $500.
You must have donated to other sponsors' projects between projects #1 & #10.
You must of donated at least 25% ($125) before your project can be put in the line up of the next fundraisers.
If you get an e-mail stating you have donated $65 so far, you need to doante another $60 before project #10 ends in order to have a $500 project in the next round.

I really don't want it to be where I have to monitor the amount that everyone donates. I hope that we can perfect the fundraising, and get to a point where it is all for one and one for all. I can guarentee you that there are people helping others with their fundraisers, and they don't have much money to part with themselves. Of course, we all want "our children" to have a better standard of living. I don't know about you, but I personally do not have $500 to send. However, if we work together as a team, promoting others' fundraisers and contributing what we can, our children get helped too. And, isn't it more beautiful to know that not only did you help one of your children, but you helped 9 others as well!!!???

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Wondering what's new?

I apologize to everyone that I have gotten behind... Emails, fundraisers responses, the blog, etc. I have been working daily (almost every day straight) for the past 2 1/2 weeks. I have now hit my breaking point with the job, and may have to make a trip to the psych hospital...
But, don't worry, I will be back soon. I am still waiting on responses to several of my e-mails that were sent to our special contact. I am not sure what is going on with that. I know I will have to just contact someone else at CI to see what's going on. Maybe our special contact bailed on us? Maybe I will see her when I check MYSELF in at the psych hospital. She might have gone crazy last week...
The jobs that I have been doing have gotten crazy & taxing. It is taking a toll on everything that I do, so I am taking the next 4 days to recover. I hope to be able to post great news in that time, and respond to some e-mails and questions.
In the meantime, if you are wondering if I am ignoring you on purpose, or if you are the only one that I am not responding to... The answer is "no" to both questions.
Now, I have been up since 4AM, and I am wiped out! Stay tuned. I promise it will be worth it!!!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Have you ever heard of Efavirenz?

More than likely, if you are not HIV+, or at least work with the HIV+ community, you have never heard of Efavirenz. Efavirenz is one of several prescription drugs an HIV+ person will take in their lifetime... That is, if they have access to it!!! How unfortunate that as we come around the bend of a new generation of people willing to help provide these drugs to the poorest of people, to give access of these drugs to EVERY person, there are always people waiting to take something away from those who need it the most.

I am a very optimistic person, and so it is hard for me to deal with the realities of HIV & AIDS. Back when I first started working with children with HIV & AIDS, there was not much they could do but wait to die... Really!! It was so sad because the medications that were supposed to prolong what little life span they had made them so sick they couldn't even enjoy the days or their nights they had left in this world. In 1992, when I started working with these children, it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel... the light that never came for half of the kids I met that year. I watched them little by little turn into skeletons of their former selves (literally). They were so miserable at the end.

I remember well a small 5 year old named Chucky. We were told not to pick him up and not to give in to his pleas to be held. The reason, the director said, is because he had become so spoiled, and he needed to be using his muscles. Chucky didn't have muscles you could see. He was literally skin and bones! He couldn't sit down because even with pillows underneath him, it hurt him to sit. He died a few months after I met him, at the age of 5!

Thinking back to that time now, I regret having listened to that director. Chucky might have needed to use his muscles, but what about the heart muscle? Who was concerned about his heart? I wish I could run to him now and pick him up... and NEVER put him down! I wish I could tell him that I'll love him & remember him forever!!

He was born at a time that did not have the answers he needed to live. They were close to the answers, but not close enough... In 1996, the break through came. It wasn't a cure, but it may as well have been for hundereds of thousands of people who received a second lease on life. In fact, the break through (a combination of medications that prolongs the life of an HIV+ person) was named the top "Breakthrough of the Year" by "Science".

This explains why the children now though HIV+ at birth, live a relatively "normal" life. This life only remains stable for as long as the children have access to and take the prescriptions that they need to take on a regular schedule (as well as vitamins and nutrional supplements). In most countries the HIV medication is now available to everyone. This includes countries such as: Colombia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.

Now, you can imagine my horror to find out (last night on the news) that people are stealing this medication from the people who need it!!! Why would they do that? To get high!!!! Are you kidding me? Can they be charged with manslaughter when the people that don't get their medication die? I am livid!!! I guess you can tell. So, I thought I would share the article with you... My goal was to make sure that ALL of the children with HIV or AIDS in the CI program have sponsors that will be there with them through it all- They are now all sponsored!! The CI program provides them with things that are essential to survival. The regular CI sponsored child benefits tremendously from CI's programs. Imagine what it can do for a child who is battling to stay alive!! Because of the sensitivity of the issue at hand, specifics can not be told here.

Now, here is the article I was speaking of (Reader Descretion is advised):

A drug intended to treat HIV and AIDS is sweeping the townships of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is cheap and powerfully addictive.
"Nightline" witnessed the drug's effects upclose on a 17-year-old addict we're calling Joshua to protect his identity. A high school junior from a middle-class neighborhood in Durban, he said his parents would kick him out of the house if they knew. And yet he smokes the drug every day before and after class, despite his dreams of becoming a doctor.
"Once you've first started there's no turning back," he said, adding that he wants to stop using but can't.
When he uses, "it feels like you got no problem at all. Like yesterday if you killed a person and you smoked this thing you wouldn't remember that you killed a person yesterday."
The drug Joshua and his friends are abusing is the anti-retroviral Efavirenz. When taken properly, it's part of a lifesaving treatment for HIV patients. When crushed and smoked, it's a cheap high with no medical benefit.
When the teenagers finished smoking, they didn't have to hide. Everyone in the neighborhood seems to be aware of what they're doing, and they say the same was true when they went to purchase the drug.
South Africa has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world and KwaZulu-Natal province has the highest rate in South Africa -- 40 percent. For the infected, anti-retroviral drugs, or ARVs, are the only things standing between life and a painful death.
The drug is so cheap and plentiful, thanks in part to a well-meaning effort by the American government to distribute ARV', a program that has helped extend the lives of more than 500,000 AIDS patients.
But as the medical director of one U.S.-funded clinic said, ARV abuse is threatening to turn an HIV success story into a health crisis.
"It's extremely frustrating," said Dr. Njabulo Masabo, from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "It's extremely, you know, discouraging because on one end you're trying to fight this epidemic that has ravaged the world so much ... the results are catastrophic."
Drug Dealer: 'They Shouldn't Blame Me'
How ARV abuse began is uncertain. Taken as prescribed, Efavirenz can cause vivid dreams. Someone -- possibly an HIV patient experimenting -- discovered that smoking the drug greatly enhances those hallucinations.
Today, some of the illegal drugs come from HIV patients selling their own lifesaving medication for profit. Others are stolen from patients or pharmacies.
Pharmacies in the townships have banklike security. The drugs are kept behind vault doors, because they have an enormous black market value. Just one container of the ARVs is worth $60, and a whole shelf is worth $3,000.
Driving through the townships, a local AIDS health worker named Zola Shezi showed us the extent of the black market in ARVs. She saw drug dens everywhere; one she identified had children playing right outside.
"Just here, the man he owns the house, he built all these rooms & one, there's one room where his customers stay and crush and do things."
The few police we saw did nothing.
In just three years, ARVs have grown from a niche drug abused by a small number of HIV patients into a widespread addiction, increasingly among young people.
Many ARV abusers are young students, and in a neighborhood like the one we visited you'll find dealers on almost every street, selling to students during school hours and just after.
In his house that doubles as a drug den, we met one of the dealers face-to-face. Dinda -- he gave us a false name to hide his identity -- said he earns many times what he could make, if he could find a job.
He acknowledged that the drugs are meant for people with HIV, but said "nobody can give me that money while I'm sitting at home; I have to go and do something for money."
Recounting a story that's not unusual in the area, he said he's the only one of eight siblings still alive. His siblings were all victims of HIV or gang violence, leaving him to take care of a large, extended family.
"I'm unemployed, four of these years I am not working, if I can stop this we can all suffer," he said. "So they shouldn't blame me for what I'm trying to make a living out of."
HIV Could Build Resistance to Medication
For families of abusers, it's a very different story. ARVs are powerful enough to turn even young people into violent addicts. We met Dudu, who told us her 21-year-old son steals from her to pay for his habit.
"Sometimes if I said I'm going to call the police he said he going to kill me," she said. "I believe him."
Now, South Africa may soon face a deadly consequence of ARV addiction. By smoking the drug, abusers are in effect giving HIV a small taste of anti-retroviral medication -- not enough to kill the virus, but enough for it to potentially develop resistance to the drug.
It's like "educating the HIV," said Masabo. "And so you'll find that we have a second epidemic emerging, an epidemic that we cannot control with the current drug that we have."
Back in the drug den, the teenage addict Joshua told us what happens to HIV patients isn't his problem.
"I feel guilty sometimes, but hey. I know what I'm doing is wrong, but what I've started I must carry on."
The cemeteries of South Africa are already crowded with victims of HIV. Now, a new danger is threatening to put the country's best defense up in smoke. (article taken from ABC news, and can be found in its entirety here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/Story?id=7227982&page=1 )

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Fundraiser Update

Hi, everyone! In case you haven't been keeping track, we are on fundraiser number 6 http://www.firstgiving.com/brendaicedrink !!!! You know what is so cool about that? That means that 5 children have been helped already in the space of 1 month!!! If we stay on this same course, we will help 60 children a year with extra gifts!!! These gifts can be life changing. An income generating project can mean that the family is able to:

1. eat 3 meals a day
2. buy clothing appropriate for the season
3. make home repairs
4. gain a sense of confidence that they can provide for their familes

You are making a difference in so many lives. The very exciting part is that soon, we will be able to see the difference. In about 2 months, we will start receiving the responses from the children and their families. We are funding these so quickly that we will have responses pouring in!! I will post them all, of course.

Now, here is the update you have been waiting on for the next round of fundraisers. Unfortunately, I do not have a list of the next 10 fundraisers as I had hoped to have. Here is the reason why: I am waiting on several special needs requests to come in from CI for several sponsors. This means that if I don't get them soon, I will have to start on the next fundraiser that I have the info for (instead of the next one in line). I have no idea on the order of things right now. I have three fundraisers with info that are projects #11, #13, & #15. Number 11 will get bumped to #7, if I don't get the info for #7 by the time #6 ends.

I hope I am making sense... Feel free to tell me if I am not :0) I will do up a rough draft list in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, I will have some responses back from CI by then. Thank you for your patience & your continued support of our kids!!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Childless on Mother's Day








Last Sunday, on Mother's Day, Mack and her mom visited Barbara for lunch and sharing photos of their sponsored kids. Mack took some pictures of the scrapbook given to Barbara by her sponsored girl, Daphne, from the Philippines. What a special gift!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Jonathan gets out of his crib!

Jonathan next to his crib sized bed.



Remember this child because I will be speaking of him a few months from now. I started sponsoring Jonathan back at the end of last year. Mack took one of my other sponsored kids (Mercy), so that I could keep one more of the kids with serious health problems. I requested pictures of Jonathan in his home, and received them around December 2008. At the time that I received the pictures, there was a note stating that Jonathan's health was stable and if I wanted to help him, he could use a bed.
I wasn't sure why they said that he needed a bed. I could clearly see him standing next to one (see the very top picture). However, since Jaden decided to provide beds for all of "her" sick sponsor kids, I helped her with Jonathan's. The fundraiser that a group of us participate in every month, finally landed on my turn. March was my turn to receive the funds from the other 3 people. I took that money, and added my own share, and sent it off to CI.
I was so surprised to get the follow up from the field stating that the family was very grateful for the bed and sheets. It said that his grandmother (who only makes $50 a month) was not able to afford one, and so Jonathan had been sleeping on a bed the size of a CRIB!!!! He is 10 years old, and has been sleeping on a bed the size of a crib! Wow!!! I am sure he was VERY excited to be able to stretch his legs outin his full-size bed!!
(a small note: I have sent a request to CI to see if his grandmother is possibly interested in an IGP, so hopefully, I will be doing a fundraiser for his IGP next time my turn comes up on the big group fundraiser.)
Now, here is Jonathan's letter:
Hi to you and your family. I hope that you are all in good health. We are doing well. I am writing to thank you for the gifts that I received:
1. sheet set
2. full size bed with frame
I am very happy. May God bless you in your work and every day of the year. I, also, wanted to tell you that I went to the beach with my aunt and cousins. We played a lot.
Thank you from all of my heart for being a magnificent sponsor! I say goodbye with a strong hug, Jonathan
(footnote: Jonathan lives with his grandmother. His mother and father have both passed away. While he is battling a serious health condition, he is always upbeat and happy. His grandmother does a lot for him to keep him happy. They go on walks & to the beach all of the time. I hope one day to be able to recognize his grandmother by doing something to make her life easier. She stepped up to take care of him when his family was no longer there, and I am sure she was helping all of them before the parents died. What a wonderful, self-less person!!!)