The Africa Project hosted the third annual “WEEK OF THE AFRICAN CHILD” (WOAC) in Irvine, December 1st to 8th. The week long awareness campaign featured several community activities and events that raised awareness as well as funds to provide a lunch program for the students at Velangaye High School in Nkandla! 
UPDATE!  Thanks to everyone who supported the Week of the African Child.  Together, we raised enough money to sustain the lunch program at Velangaye High School for another year.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 

The WOAC 2007 Community Events

WOAC: Holiday Brunch
Date: Sunday, December 9, 2007
Time: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm        Location: Caspian Restaurant (14100 Culver Drive, Irvine)
The Africa Project’s Week of the African Child Holiday Brunch supported the lunch program at Velangaye High School.  Each donation of $60 provided the funds needed to feed one child a hot meal every school day for a year. For many Velangaye students this is the only protein based meal they will have each day.

Click on the flyer to enlarge.

WOAC: Youth Conference on AIDS
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2007
Time: 9:30 to 2:00 pm   Location: Lakeview Senior Center (20 Lake Road, Irvine)
The conference, developed and hosted by The Africa Project Youth Board, the City of Irvine High School Youth Action Team and the University of California AIDS Fundamentalists, featured three workshops designed to address the epidemiological, social and global implications of HIV/AIDS.  Participants also met representatives from South Africa who will talk about how AIDS is impacting children and families in their community.
 

Click on the flyer to enlarge.

 

The Africa Project was pleased to have Mr. Ngogi E. Mahaye, Principal of Velangaye High School and Miss Thandeka Mhlungu, a student from Velangaye as our special guests during the Week of the African Child. 

 

 
Consider the following:
  • Seventeen million children have been orphaned by AIDS worldwide and the number is growing daily.
  • Worldwide, about 12% of AIDS orphans today are under 6 years old, 33% are 6 to 11, and 55% are 12 to 17 years of age.
  • The magnitude of the orphan crisis is masked by the time lag between when people are infected and when they die. 
In South Africa alone:
  • There were 2,200,000 orphans from all causes at the end of 2003.
  • In 2003 alone, an estimated 370,000 children were orphaned in South Africa.
  • More than 2/3 of South Africa's AIDS Orphans do NOT have the HIV/AIDS virus.

Source: Children on the Brink 2004

Copyright The Africa Project 2008.  Last updated: 10/01/08.
For questions regarding this website contact debra @ theafricaproject . com