Every year on December 1^st, World AIDS Day commemorates individuals who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as those who have died from the disease.  In 2009, the theme for World AIDS Day is “Universal Access & Human Rights,” emphasizing the importance of HIV/AIDS as the central human rights issue of our times. The red ribbon is an internationally recognized symbol of support for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.  Today, in honor of World AIDS Day, please remember to wear a red ribbon, and to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge World AIDS Day through your blog or facebook page.  And please take a few moments to read today’s post, which is a little bit longer than usual.

Today, I am sharing my personal perspective on HIV/AIDS, as founder and director of Tariro.  HIV/AIDS is simultaneously a deeply personal, yet deeply political disease.  What does it mean to be infected?  What does it mean to be affected?  Who is considered an orphan?  Who is made vulnerable by the disease, and how?  These questions are central to understanding the effects of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, and guide Tariro’s approach to working with communities affected by the disease.

In Zimbabwe, the prevalence of HIV infection has ranged from between 15-30% of the population in the past decade, some of the highest infection rates in the world.  With these extremely high prevalence rates, it is important to stress that HIV/AIDS affects every individual, community, and family, leaving no one untouched by the disease.

Tariro’s students are among those whose lives have been most deeply affected by the effects of HIV/AIDS.  Many of our students have lost one or both parents to illness, and many others live with an HIV-positive parent.  In some instances, their parents are diagnosed as HIV-positive, or known to have died from HIV-related infections.  Often, however, individuals die without receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis, and the majority of our students do not self-identify as AIDS orphans.  For this reason, Tariro has moved away from the label of “AIDS orphan,” emphasizing instead our mission as one of educating and empowering orphaned and vulnerable children in communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

This approach reflects Tariro’s belief that HIV/AIDS does not simply affect individuals.  Instead, its effects are felt throughout entire communities, which are weakened and made less resilient by the cumulative effects of HIV/AIDS and poverty.  Singing about HIV/AIDS in the song “Todii,” Zimbabwean popular musician Oliver Mtukudzi has observed, “the workers go first, the young go first, only elderly men and women are left.”  Tariro’s students have been affected by HIV/AIDS not only by the loss of their own family members, but also through the loss of teachers, nurses, pastors, and other community leaders.  HIV/AIDS rends the social fabric of entire communities, making all of their members more vulnerable.

Tariro’s approach to addressing HIV/AIDS works to strengthen communities through strengthening girls.  By educating girls, we create young women who can assume leadership roles, and contribute back to their communities.  Working with children is an important way to strengthen and stabilize communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

I’m leaving you with a video of Oliver Mtukudzi’s song “Todii,” written at the height of the HIV epidemic in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s.  “Todii” is a meditative and somber reflection on the effects of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe.  Despite the challenges, the losses, and the sorrow of losing friends and family who have died of HIV-related illnesses, Tariro’s students continue to inspire me to work toward the future with hope, and I value and appreciate this opportunity to make a tangible difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS through Tariro’s work.  Thank you all for supporting Zimbabwean communities affected by HIV/AIDS through your support of Tariro.

Mercy (right) and Melissa (left) are sisters sponsored by Tariro

In this week’s post, I’d like to introduce Mercy and Melissa, two sisters sponsored by Tariro.   Mercy and Melissa lost both of their parents to AIDS-related illness in 2004, and currently live with their mother’s elder sister.

Exceptionally talented academically, both Mercy and Melissa passed entrance exams at Makumbe Visitation, a boarding school located just outside Harare.  Tariro’s small size and flexibility enables us to accommodate the needs of gifted and talented students such as Mercy and Melissa, who are benefiting from this chance to obtain a truly outstanding education through Tariro.  By working with young women who have outstanding potential, Tariro empowers young women to become future leaders, encouraging them to contribute back to their communities.

Melissa, who is in Form 2,  enjoys accounts and science in school.  She plays basketball, and is on the school team.  She dreams of going to university after finishing high school.  Her younger sister, Mercy, is in Form 1.  She enjoys singing, and hopes to join the school choir. She enjoys all her of subjects, and recently received two prizes for being the best student in her year in agriculture and Shona.  Mercy hopes to be an accountant when she grows up.

In addition to caring for Mercy and Melissa, their aunt also cares for another orphaned child, her brother’s daughter.  Overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for three orphaned children in addition to her own family, Mercy and Melissa’s aunt depends on Tariro’s support to keep Mercy and Melissa in school.  The story of these two sisters illustrates the huge burden faced by families affected by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, and the importance of providing assistance for families caring for orphaned children.  As we approach World AIDS Day on December 1st, I encourage all readers to think about how we can connect with and support communities deeply affected by HIV/AIDS, including the communities that Tariro works with in Zimbabwe.

Tariro’s sponsorship of Mercy and Melissa has been made possible by an amazing group of women from Santa Fe.  In the coming weeks, I will be posting more information on how these women connected with Tariro, and with these two sisters, as well as links and information about World AIDS Day.  Please revisit our blog on World AIDS Day, which is December 1st, for the next post!

Following up on Jake’s guest blog on youth helping other youth through the arts, I’m posting a video clip showing a group of Tariro students in the low-income neighborhood of Epworth.  Here, our students perform a song they composed about HIV/AIDS.  For many of Tariro students, traditional music, dance, and poetry constitute important means of self-expression.  In a society where HIV/AIDS is often stigmatized, music helps young people to openly speak about the disease, and to share their experiences as individuals living in communities deeply affected by the virus.

Additionally, music, dance, poetry, and drama are ideal activities for organizations working with youth in low-resource settings, as students can engage with music and dance for little or no cost.  Tariro’s marimba and dance program costs around $150 per month, benefiting 15 of our students who participate on an ongoing basis, as well as other drop-in participants.  Our program has largely paid for itself, through the production of an album of field recordings of our students performing, which we sell at benefit events in the US.  The album is available over mail order as well- contact us through the website to request a copy.

Finally, activities such as drama, music, poetry, and dance encourage confidence, creativity, and self-expression, which are especially important for young women.  Our students report that learning about culture through music and dance has also assisted them in school, particularly in classes about Shona language and history.  As in the United States school system, however, there are often debates in the nonprofit world about whether or not organizations should fund this type of “extracurricular” activity, or stick to the basics, trying to extend essential services to the greatest numbers of those in need.  My personal opinion is that the additional awareness we are able to raise about our programs, both in Zimbabwe and in the US, makes this type of program well worth it!  Do readers have personal experiences or other perspectives to share about working toward peace and justice through sharing artistic expression?

At the Hokoyo benefit for Tariro, held on November 6th in Eugene, OR

This week, I’m posting a guest blog entry by Jake Roberts, a senior at South Eugene High School in Eugene, OR.  As part of the youth marimba band Hokoyo, Jake recently helped organize a benefit concert on behalf of Tariro.  His post is a wonderful inspiration to others who may be thinking about how to contribute to Tariro in their own communities.  Here is Jake on the recent benefit:

After hearing that Tariro’s budget had shot up, because of the closure of public schools, I had a realization. Until this point, I had never taken it upon myself to fundraise, and instead just played as part of someone else’s schemes for making money. As I was thinking about the implications of this change, I had a moment of realization – what if it didn’t happen? What if Tariro didn’t pull $40,000 out of a hat, and kept their students in school? I realized that something had to be done, and that because nobody had stood up to take this challenge on, I would myself.

Hokoyo had been talking for a while about retiring our name, and moving onto other things. We thought we should end our era deliberately, and not as a result of people leaving. We did not want to finish a random concert, and come to the realization that the performance we gave was in fact our last. It needed more recognition than that. I sprung the idea of ending our name with a benefit for Tariro, and we agreed it was a wonderful mix of a good cause, and, as sinister as it sounds, manipulation of our fans. We figured we could get way more people to come see us at our last performance than a “regular” one. Why not harness this power for a good cause?

The benefit was far more successful than I had ever imagined. On final tally, (including $500 that Hokoyo had left over in our account), we raised $2220, one of the largest outpourings of support I’ve been a part of. Still, so much more is needed before Tario’s goal is reached. I highly recommend putting on a fundraiser. Even though I’ve never taken something on of this size before, I found it one of the most rewarding work I’ve done for Tariro.

Thank you Jake and all of the Hokoyo members for this incredibly successful youth fundraiser!  I would love to get more youth in the US involved with Tariro’s work, which provides a great opportunity to teach youth about HIV/AIDS, development, women’s education, and social justice.  Do readers have ideas on how to involve youth in greater numbers in our project to educate and empower their counterparts in Zimbabwe?

Jennifer with Vanessa, Tariro's youngest sponsored student

Hello Tariro friends!  In my last post, I promised to offer suggestions of ways you can get involved in supporting our work.  Today, I’m writing to offer a few ideas.

Hold a benefit event

Most of Tariro’s annual donations come from community events held on behalf of Tariro in cities as diverse as Albuquerque, Boulder, Lopez Island, and Santa Cruz.  Community events to raise awareness of our work, and the financial resources to enable us to continue our mission, are critical to our success, and represent one great way for you to support Tariro by giving your time to create a worthwhile event.

Houseparties

Examples of events held to benefit Tariro in the past include houseparties featuring storytellers, music, or other entertainment.  If you’re interested in having a houseparty to benefit Tariro but can’t find live entertainment, we have a starter pack we can send you, which includes a CD of our students performing traditional music from Zimbabwe, as well as a powerpoint slide show accompanied by speaking points to guide you through letting friends know about the critical need for educational sponsorship in Zimbabwe, and the great work Tariro is doing in this regard.

Concerts

We have also worked closely with various musical groups, and a big portion of our donations comes from concerts held to benefit Tariro.  If your group is interested in putting together a benefit show for Tariro, please let us know!  Student performing ensembles and bands have also pledged to sponsor a child jointly through Tariro, whether from individual donations, the proceeds from CD sales, or benefit concerts.

Public talks

Not a musician?  We’ve had great success with people hosting talks about Tariro in schools, churches, libraries, and community centers, in addition to house parties.  The powerpoint slide show and talk are a perfect way to give this type of talk to raise awareness and funds for Tariro.  Additionally, since I travel frequently on behalf of Tariro, it’s always worth asking me if I will be in your area in the coming year if your community is interested in having me come and give a talk in person.

Get the word out

Finally we’re in full expansion mode right now, seeking to get the word out there in as many ways as possible.  If you write on a blog, please consider posting about Tariro’s great work, and refering your own readers back to our blog and website.  If you think of a good print source we could be featured in, such as a local newspaper, weekly, alumni magazine, newsletter, or other publication, please let us know.

Join us on Facebook

Our online presence is also growing, and I encourage you to join us as a supporter of our causes page on Facebook, which you can find in the links section on the righthand side of this page.  Once you have added Tariro to your Facebook site, don’t forget to spread the word to family and friends about our great work!

Sign the mailing list

Last but certainly not least, please visit our website and sign up on the mailing list, in order to receive important news and updates over email.  You can register for the mailing list at https://tariro.org/news-updates/#joinlist

Or…

Obviously, these are only a few out of many suggestions of ways you can get involved with Tariro’s work.  Please write in and let me know if you have a creative idea you would like to initiate in your community!  We always welcome new initiatives to support our work.

In closing

As Tariro nears the end of the second month of our fundraising campaign, we’re pleased to have raised almost $15,000 in donations toward our goal of $40,000.  Donations are welcome at any time, and are easy to make online through JustGive, a secure, non-profit donation site.  If you haven’t already made an annual contribution to Tariro, please consider doing so!  And for all those who have donated, I can’t thank you enough for helping ensure the continuity and growth of our work with Zimbabwean girls in communities affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.

Currently in Form 3, Melody is one of Tariro’s rising stars

Melody is an articulate and engaging young woman from the Domboshava rural area of Zimbabwe.  Upon losing her parents, Melody was at high risk of dropping out of school, with no one able to cover her educational expenses.  Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Tariro supporters, Melody was able to continue her education, putting her on track to realizing her dreams of becoming a doctor.

When I met Melody last spring to interview her for her enrollment in Tariro, I liked her immediately.  She is confident and bright, with a winning smile.  She is now enrolled in Form 3 at St. Mary’s High School in Kuwandzana, and we are expecting wonderful results from Melody when she writes her Ordinary Level Exams next year.

This spring, on Global Women’s Day, Melody participated in a mentorship program through the US Embassy in Harare.  To learn more about the medical profession, she shadowed the head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for a day, attending a high-profile meeting with Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health.  She then attended a public speaking workshop through the British Council, and presented on her experience with her mentor at a Global Women’s Day celebration.  The celebration, held at Zimbabwe’s National Gallery, brought together students from Tariro and Zimbabwe’s Girl Child Network with a variety of other high school students, parents, and public figures.

Tariro needs your support in our work with almost sixty Zimbabwean girls like Melody.  Please join us today by contributing to our 2009 fundraising campaign, as we work toward raising $40,000 toward covering our program costs in 2010.

I will write next week with some ideas for creative ways to get involved in fundraising, through house parties, benefits, etc.  If anyone would like to contribute to that conversation, please write in with your comments!

You can also donate online through our website or our blog, or mail a check to:

Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans
PO Box 50273
Eugene, OR 97405
USA

Check back on our website regularly to see what progress we’ve made toward our fundraising goal.  So far, we’ve raised over $10,000 toward the $40,000 which will enable us to maintain our programs through 2010.  Your donations make a huge difference in the lives of Zimbabwean young women and girls!  Thank you for your support.

Currently in Form 3, Melody is one of Tariro's rising stars

Melody is an articulate and engaging young woman from the Domboshava rural area of Zimbabwe.  Upon losing her parents, Melody was at high risk of dropping out of school, with no one able to cover her educational expenses.  Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Tariro supporters, Melody was able to continue her education, putting her on track to realizing her dreams of becoming a doctor.

When I met Melody last spring to interview her for her enrollment in Tariro, I liked her immediately.  She is confident and bright, with a winning smile.  She is now enrolled in Form 3 at St. Mary’s High School in Kuwandzana, and we are expecting wonderful results from Melody when she writes her Ordinary Level Exams next year.

This spring, on Global Women’s Day, Melody participated in a mentorship program through the US Embassy in Harare.  To learn more about the medical profession, she shadowed the head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for a day, attending a high-profile meeting with Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health.  She then attended a public speaking workshop through the British Council, and presented on her experience with her mentor at a Global Women’s Day celebration.  The celebration, held at Zimbabwe’s National Gallery, brought together students from Tariro and Zimbabwe’s Girl Child Network with a variety of other high school students, parents, and public figures.

Tariro needs your support in our work with almost sixty Zimbabwean girls like Melody.  Please join us today by contributing to our 2009 fundraising campaign, as we work toward raising $40,000 toward covering our program costs in 2010.

I will write next week with some ideas for creative ways to get involved in fundraising, through house parties, benefits, etc.  If anyone would like to contribute to that conversation, please write in with your comments!

You can also donate online through our website or our blog, or mail a check to:

Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans
650 Harlow Road, Suite 240
Springfield, Oregon 97477
USA

Check back on our website regularly to see what progress we’ve made toward our fundraising goal.  So far, we’ve raised over $10,000 toward the $40,000 which will enable us to maintain our programs through 2010.  Your donations make a huge difference in the lives of Zimbabwean young women and girls!  Thank you for your support.

Tariro students at the 2009 Empowerment Camp

I wanted to just briefly post two photos from this year’s empowerment camp, which happened in August.  Nyasha, our program coordinator, reports that over 50 students attended the camp.  With facilitators from an HIV prevention program run through the University of Zimbabwe, the girls discussed the importance of education, issues related to gender and sex, and their hopes and dreams.  Before returning home from camp, the girls made the commitment to work hard to achieve good results in school, to stay focused so as to achieve their hopes and dreams, and to be a gift in all they do.  We’re happy to support them on their path!

This year’s empowerment camp was supported by funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), through the US Embassy in Harare, as well as additional funding from RTI International.  We’re always on the lookout for grant opportunities to help ensure that we can continue to hold the camp on a yearly basis, so if you have any ideas, please let me know.

And enjoy the photos!  I love to see the girls getting to try new things outside of their normal daily routine, and the ropes course was definitely something new.

Tracy participates in the ropes course at camp

Beula Choto

Tariro is saddened to report the death of one of our former students, Beula Choto. Beula was one of the first students to be enrolled in Tariro, and was sponsored by Tariro at Rwizi Secondary School until she finished Form Four in 2008.  After completing her studies, Beula joined the Tariro sewing club in her rural village of Mhondoro, where she was a talented member of our embroidery group.

Beula’s death is very difficult for me to write about.  Of over a hundred students Tariro  has sponsored during the six years we’ve been working in Zimbabwe, Beula is the first student we have lost.  We learned of her death when her family sent a message to us that she died last month after a short illness. Her relatives did not report the exact cause of her death, and given the breakdown of Zimbabwe’s health care system, it is possible that she never received a diagnosis or proper treatment for her illness.

We will never know whether Beula’s death was HIV-related, which is not an unusual situation in Zimbabwe, where many families never learn the HIV status of family members who pass away.  From our perspective, however, knowing whether any one death is HIV-related is less important than recognizing the overall impact of poverty and HIV/AIDS on Zimbabwean communities.  As we know, HIV/AIDS has a detrimental effect on communities, robbing them of caretakers, leaders, and productive workers, and increasing poverty.  In turn, the poor are at higher risk for contracting HIV, and are much less likely to be able to access the treatment that would prolong their lives.  Tariro’s work with girls is a critical part of trying to break the cycle of poverty and HIV/AIDS that undermines development in Zimbabwean communities.  Losing Beula, however, shows us how difficult this work is.

Tariro recently received over a hundred panels from the embroidery club of which Beula was a member.  Over a dozen of these panels were sewn by Beula.  We’re currently thinking of ways to use these panels to create a meaningful tribute to her life.  Some of our ideas include sewing a quilt, or making a set of prayer flags featuring the panels, which could be displayed at various events in communities which support our work. Losing a young, educated, and talented woman like Beula is a terrible tragedy.  A memorial project dedicated to her life is one important way for us to acknowledge her individual story as one among millions of people in Zimbabwe, and elsewhere in the world, who have lost their lives, or their loved ones, to poverty and HIV/AIDS. If you have any ideas for the memorial project, or would like to get involved, please let me know.

I’m including two photos below.  The first shows Beula alongside Tatenda and Faith, two other Tariro students.  The second is a very sad photo showing a drawing Beula did at our 2006 empowerment camp, where she illustrated her dreams for her future.  After spending so many years working with Beula and getting to know her, many of us will feel her loss for a long time to come.

Tatenda, Beula, and Faith

Tatenda

Growing up in the rural village of Mhondoro, Tatenda watched her father pass away, and her mother, a subsistence farmer, struggle to raise money to pay school fees for Tatenda and her siblings.  At risk of dropping out of school, Tatenda was identified as a candidate for sponsorship through Tariro by a local village headman and Tariro trustee, Cosmas Magaya.  Tatenda was enrolled in Tariro in 2003, and has made amazing progress during the six years she has received sponsorship through our organization.

Studying at the Rwizi Secondary School in her village, Tatenda dreamed of someday becoming a college graduate.  She achieved an important first step on the road to college when she passed her Ordinary Level exams in 2007, with high marks which put her on track to pursuing college preparatory classes.  Because her rural high school did not offer the advanced level studies necessary to apply to university, Tariro helped Tatenda transfer to the UMMA Institute, a secondary school with boarding facilities, where she has studied and lived for the past two years.

In July, Tatenda wrote her Advanced Level exams.  Not only did Tatenda pass all three of the subjects she wrote for her exams, but she received the highest score in geography in her entire school.  Tatenda is now well on her way to realizing her dreams of attending college.  Through Tariro, Tatenda has also been matched with a mentor who has hosted her during school holidays, and who is working with her to help her formulate plans for next year, once she finishes high school.

Through Tariro’s sponsorship, this remarkable young Zimbabwean woman has benefited from the chance to finish her education.  She is a true future leader for her community.   Please join Tariro in helping young women and girls like Tatenda to receive an education!  Spread the word about Tariro’s great work to family and friends, and visit our website to learn more about our work.