7/30: Our Hands Are Not Tied

As a preface to my comments this week on what can be done to help Forgotten Voices - check out this cool video (below) that I was just sent.

Forgotten Voices was recently featured in a project by students at Cabrini College, outside Philadelphia. They were highlighting what people in the United States can do to make a difference in the HIV/AIDS crises, as well as help define the realities of the crises.

It is an incredible project by some passionate students! They plan to share this information with legislators, classmates, colleges around their area, and just see what happens as it circulates the web.

Join me in thanking the students (Megan Pellegrino, Kara Schneider, and Jillian Smith) for using their voices to help orphans in southern Africa.

-Ryan

WATCH THEIR VIDEO HERE.

Produced, written, and edited by Megan Pellegrino, Kara Schneider, and Jillian Smith.

2008 Cabrini College 89.1 WYBF-FM Radnor, Pa. 19087.

Many organizations, large and small, are attempting to control and prevent the spread of AIDS. These organizations reach out to individuals in the United States and elsewhere to assist.

Global organizations hold promise to bring worldwide attention to this devastating disease. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected over 60 million people in the world; 20 million people died of AIDS overall and in Africa it is the No. 1 cause of death.

Catholic Relief Services, with its headquarters in Baltimore, Md., is an international organization that works with partners in 100 countries throughout the world and strives to create an impact worldwide that will bring about new hope in the battles of hunger, war and disease along with other global struggles.

President Bush has developed an emergency plan for AIDS relief known as PEPFAR, President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, which is the biggest initiative by any one country dedicated to HIV/AIDS.

Another major organization, The Global Fund, has committed itself to coordinating and providing 1.8 million people with antiretroviral treatment.. The Global Fund has distributed over $10.1 billion to over 136 countries in the world. This unique program will reach 62 million people in hopes that they will receive voluntary counseling and testing services for HIV prevention.

Every individual can make a difference. A local example of a single person finding a way to make change is Ryan Keith of Mechanicsburg, Pa., the founder and president of Forgotten Voices International. This organization relieves and assists the HIV/AIDS pandemic by funding local churches and community programs to help better serve nations in need.

-Kara Schneider