Humor Issue

In our tireless efforts to help our readership "Do The Right Thing", we have added an organization to our list that is tackling a very serious problem in Ethiopia, and indeed all of Africa – AIDS. We all know that Africa has a disproportionate number of the AIDS cases in the world, with over 70% of the infected adults in the world living in Sub-Saharan Africa according to some statistics. No doubt you have seen first hand, or have heard from friends recently returned from Ethiopia, that AIDS has become a very serious health problem. In fact AIDS is further shortening the already short life expectancy in Africa. In addition, it is expected to cause a social and economic crisis since it has been seriously affecting the young and productive population. Think about teachers, farmers, bankers, and engineers dying of this disease in countries that have precious few of these professionals and you understand the problem. Unfortunately, while the US has declared AIDS in Africa as a threat to national security, few African governments have been willing to recognize the seriousness of the threat of AIDS to the very fabric of African societies.

The African AIDS Initiative founded by Mrs. Elleni Gebreamlak West is stepping in to convince governments in Africa of the urgency of this issue as well as to educate the people on prevention, provide care for victims of AIDS, and encourage research for a cure. This organization has focused much of its attention on addressing the AIDS epidemic in Ethiopia, but also organizes Pan-African conferences to discuss ways of cooperatively tackling this scourge. Mrs Elleni Gebreamlak West's advisory board includes Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Former Presidential Candidate Bill Bradley, Professor and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Harvard Professor Cornell West, Professor and Nobel Laureate Eli Wiesel, and Director of Kudirat Initiative Hafsat Abiola. It took the initiative of one woman to focus attention on a crisis that most African governments have chosen to ignore.

Name of Organization	Description	How you can help
African AIDS Initiative	Founded by Elleni Gebreamlak West together with Dr. Seyoum Ayehunie, the doctor who diagnosed the first case of AIDS in Ethiopia in 1985. This organization was the outcome of the First International Conference on AIDS in Ethiopia, organized by Mrs Elleni West. It is an international non-profit organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness in Africa, and provides services in AIDS prevention, education, outreach, teaching, and counseling. After a year of tireless work, Mrs. Elleni West has managed to convince the Ethiopian government of the urgency of the problem and the immediate need for action. She has also been able to convince the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of the need for their involvement in educating the people about prevention. She organized an AIDS rally in Addis Ababa attended by 35,000 people. The organization plans to build a Center in Addis Ababa to encourage awareness education and research on AIDS in Africa. The organization is associated with the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Studies at Harvard University.	You can help by joining the organization as a member and/or donating money for their work in Ethiopia. For more information contact: ethio@fas.harvard.edu or call (617)496-5998 (617)496-6935 or write to African AIDS Initiative W.E.B Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Studies Harvard University 69 Dunster St. Cambridge, MA 02138
IHA-UDP	This group picks up where the Norwegian organization Redd Barna left off in improving living conditions in the poorest *Qebeles* of Addis Ababa. They are involved in 1- physical upgrades (building and repairing houses and public latrines, roads, alleys) 2- community development (job creation, education, correction and rehabilitation) 3- health education, control of communicable diseases, immunization, and first aid services). So far, there have been approximately 42,000 beneficiaries of this project. The new project area is *Qebele08 in woreda*23.	There is a DC chapter of IHA-UDP that is currently being formed to support the goals of IHA-UDP in Ethiopia. Information available on the IHA-UDP web page (www.ihaudp.org) Or contact The Project Coordinator IHA/UDP P.O.BOX 6889 Addis Abeba, Ethiopia Tel:15-63-75 /15-18-45 Fax:51-21-77
Addis Abeba Fistula Hospital	Founded in 1975 by Drs Reginald and Catherine Hamlin, this hospital has been providing free care and treatment to over 1,000 poor women every year to treat and prevent fistula, childbirth injuries. The hospital receives some funding from World Vision and the Hamlin Churchill Childbirth Injuries Fund but needs additional support in order to continue providing this invaluable service. The hospital is a registered charitable organization in Addis Abeba	The American Friends Foundation for Childbirth Injuries was formed in June 2000 to ensure the survival of this hospital. The foundation has an "adoption" program by which donors can directly sponsor the treatment of a woman at the hospital, or an "endowment" program for donating to an endowment fund For more information download the following letter Or contact: The American Friends Foundation for Childbirth Injuries 1307 S. Mary Avenue Suite 205 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408) 720 - 0433 richaas@earthlink.net
Getachew Bolodia Foundation	*Their web page says it all,* The Getachew Bolodia Foundation (GBF), a non-political, non-profit making body, was established in 1994 in memory of Dr Getachew Bolodia, who was Associate Professor of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Medicine. The Foundation is devoted to the promotion of higher education and research in Ethiopia. It supports in particular, gifted and deserving university students through offering fellowship in biology, chemistry and medicine. GBF also aspires to promote the development of science in Ethiopia by organizing seminars, workshops and lectures" The foundation sponsors needy and deserving students by providing them a pocket allowance to help them meet their personal expenses. It has also sponsored exchange programs for GBF fellows between the Faculty of Medicine at AAU and the Gonder College of Medical Sciences. GBF also regularly sponsors lectures and workshops to encourage the dissemination of scientific knowledge.	GBF depends on membership fees and donations in order to support it's programs. Membership fees are $60 per year for full membership, $500 for lifetime membership or $5,000 for corporate membership. For more information refer to their web page at http://www.safemail.com