HIV International Fundraiser

Hello Friends,

In Rwanda over 60% of individuals live in poverty and 42% in absolute poverty. It is hard to think about helping others when we live in a country where we are used to having so much. We don’t have to worry about going and getting 20 litres of water a day and carrying it half an hour, we don’t have to worry about whether this water is clean and the need to boil or purify it or the cost of using firewood/ purifiers in order to have safe drinking water. Most of us don’t even have to worry about the cost of going to the hospital if we really need to. Rwanda has an estimated 190,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 increased the risk of HIV infection, and thousands of survivors contracted the virus as a result of systematic sexual violence and rape against women. During the three months of genocide in 1994, mass rape, sexual torture and psychological trauma were common. The shortage of human resources throughout the health sector is a significant constraint. Of Rwandans killed or displaced during the genocide, a disproportionate number were highly skilled and educated members of society, including doctors, nurses and other health workers. Many health centres lack essential physical facilities, equipment and supplies.

HIV, is a virus that slowly attacks the body’s immune system meaning that the body becomes more and more susceptible to opportunistic infections and diseases that normally wouldn’t worry a healthy person but can be lethal for someone with HIV. This means that as the disease progresses people will become unable to go to work from the disease or simply from fatigue. If they can’t work there is no other financial means of supporting themselves. They are unable to buy health insurance which will increasingly, as their health declines become more important.

Alexi, pictured in the photo, found out that he had HIV this year. Until that point he was living in a modest house in Kigali working as a carpenter, he has a wife and 3 children. He found he had HIV when he was admitted to hospital with significant health concerns. The family used all the money they had to pay for his treatment. They had to move to very basic accommodation in a rural district in Rwanda to continue to survive, they can no longer afford insurance or even seeds to grow in the garden the equivalent of 30c NZ. You can help people like Alexi, living with HIV in Rwanda by paying for their health insurance for one year. This is small cost – 3000 Rwandan Francs or the equivalent to $5.00 US. Please help Alexi and others like him by donating.

With gratitude,

Millie Dew

Please note your donation will go into a 'Project Fund' to be used to assist FVA, our partner in Rwanda. In all instances we will strive to send the funds to the projects above but in the event of a change in program GVNF will determine the destination of funds. By proceeding you agree with the Foundation's refund policy as stated in our legal terms of service

80% of the funds we receive will directly reach the families. 10% will be used to cover GVN Foundation's administration costs and 10% will be used to cover FVA Rwanda's distribution costs.

All US donors will automatically receive a tax receipt for their donation after they donate online. If you are from NZ and would like to receive a NZ tax receipt, please do not donate online. Please contact us and we will send your our bank details so that you can transfer your funds directly to our NZ bank account.