Blood Water Mission | Empowering communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS & crises in Africa

A Mother and Son's Journey

2012-02-06T15:42:57Z

This morning I met Isaac and his mother as I walked up to the New Life Medical Clinic for the first time. Just eight months old, Isaac was on his mother's back. His mother looked determined and slightly sad. I asked why they were waiting - wondering who was sick. They both looked strong and healthy, without a cough or sign of fever. She replied that her husband had died, and she was here so that both she and the baby could be tested for HIV.

A few hours later, I saw Isaac and his mother in the laboratory, and then in the doctor's office, where they consented to let me join them. The mother was HIV positive and the baby, Isaac, had been exposed. More tests are required to see if Isaac is HIV positive. As we talked about treatment options, Isaac let me hold him; he played with my shinny silver necklace and earrings and his mother laughed and the contrast of our skin - his nearly a true black and mine white with hints of sand.

Isaac and his mother live nearly 20 kilometers from the New Life Medical Clinic, and the doctor asks if they are sure they wanted to be treated here as there is a government facility closer to their home. He asked if they were sure they will be able to come for all of the follow-up visits. "Yes," the mother replies, "I want to be served here as I am worried about the quality of care I will receive at the other facility."

It is a difficult situation for their family, but I am thrilled to know that Isaac and his mom will receive excellent care. It is comforting to know that even if Isaac is HIV positive, his mother is proactive and confident in getting the care they will need.

Blood:Water Mission helped to start New Life Medical Center (NLMC) in 2011. NLMC provides services to people living with HIV in Kitgum, Northern Uganda, a region still recovering from years of occupation and war with the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). For more information on Blood:Water Mission's work on AIDS visit bloodwatermission.com/aids.

Blog post written by: Pamela Crane, PhD - Africa Field Manager

My Life in Africa

2012-01-30T15:12:24Z

As the Africa Field Manager for Blood:Water Mission, I am often asked what a normal day looks like. I often want to reply that I wish I had an answer, that there is no true routine, but that is an easy way out. My life in Kigali, Rwanda setting up Blood:Water's presence in Africa is a story for another day, but I thought you might appreciate a taste of what my life has been like the past few days here in Uganda.

On Monday, I got up early to be at a small air field between Entebbe and Kampala to fly up to Lira, Northern Uganda (having flown into Entebbe Sunday evening). I am grateful for missions organizations who make this routing possible - even as I went up and down, our nine seater plane landed at four dirt airstrips before my final destination. In Lira, I was greeted by our partner, who has become a dear friend, and prepared for an afternoon of conversations about projects and evaluations.

Tuesday was filled with fruitful conversations - not that different than a day of business meetings in America, except these were held under mango trees while sitting in plastic chairs and drinking Chai. We talked about staff changes, the directions of our organizations, and how our partnership will continue to grow in the future. We also shared about our families and our dreams, during the time that has passed since we were last together. The conversations ran late and the sun was setting when we parted ways. Following dinner, I had my weekly meeting with the Africa Field Director, who is based in Nashville. Over the hour we talked about our programs, upcoming plans, and how the work is progressing - full of seriousness and laughter.

Wednesday came and it was time to visit communities - places where work has happened and is happening. I began with a well that was drilled in 2011 thanks to the money raised during the 40 Days of Water campaign. I am thrilled to say that the well is in great condition, and is being cared for by the community. I spent time interviewing people and capturing video footage that you will see in the coming months. Next I went to a community where a well was drilled just last week and the hand pump was being installed. Not only did I witness the excitement of the community, but also the amazing interactions between the drillers & this community that they were ministering to. Such overflowing love. More than three hours bouncing on dirty roads and two communities visited. I was exhausted at night and it was all I could do to make it through dinner and do a quick read through my emails.

Today is Thursday, and I thought I would begin the drive north to visit an HIV/AIDS partner at noon. The day started off with a meeting, and then I packed. Come to find out that the journey would not begin until 4pm. Hurry up...and wait - a normal part of my life in Africa. I found the only coffee house I know of in Lira, sat down and worked on the top items on my to-do list while drinking good coffee and fresh juice. A couple hours of driving, an 8:30pm dinner, and now I am under my mosquito net thinking about a night of no electricity and all that tomorrow holds.

This is my normal day - a day filled with travel, community, conversations, hard-work, joy, books, tea, and much needed rest. It is amazing to be see close to our partners and our work in Africa day-in, and day-out. And, although I can become paranoid as I fall asleep and listen to mosquitoes buzz and wonder if they are inside our outside of my bed-net, I am filled with joy living with and seeing the faces of people as they receive a hand-pump for the first time. I hope you read this and find joy in it as well, as you see what your efforts in the US can accomplish.

You can follow Pam's journey in Africa on twitter: twitter.com/pamthenomad

Blog post written by: Pamela Crane, PhD - Africa Field Manager

Photo from Africa - WASH in Lwala, Kenya

2012-01-24T16:06:26Z

Administrator

Take Action: 40 Days of Water

2012-01-20T16:13:37Z

Lent. It's the time of year when we hear a lot less from some of our friends on Facebook or Twitter, hear too much from our crabby friends that gave up candy and sweets, and hear better language from our friends that gave up swearing. You might even be considering giving up one of these things yourselves. These are all great things to give up, but what if this year for lent you take it one step further, and give up something that will benefit you AND people half-way around the world in dire need for clean water?

How can you do it? Give up all beverages and replace them with only water for 40 days. (Ok, confession, some of you will probably be just as crabby as your friends that are giving up sweets, but you will be crabby for the greater good!) It won't be easy for those of you who need their cup-a-joe in the morning, but you will be amazed as the money you will save, and the impact that money can have on our friends in Africa that need it most. By giving up one $3 latté in the morning for 40 days, you can provide clean water to a family of six for 15-20 years! (Think about what you can do if you give up a $3 coffee, a $2 soda, and a $6 glass of wine or beer for 40 days!)

For most of us, getting water is as easy as walking to the faucet, but for millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa, the quest for water can lead mother's and children miles on foot to bring water to their families that is most-likely unsafe.

It's a big commitment to not drink anything but water for 40 days, but from February 22 to April 7, that's exactly what we're asking you to do. It's a lot easier if you do it with other people like your friends or family. You even get feast days! Every Sunday, you can splurge if you would like and take a sabbath from your fasting!

Prepare your mind and your body for Easter this year by focusing less on bettering yourself, but on helping those in need. "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40).

What are you waiting for? Register for 40 Days of Water now!

Anne Jackson to Write "40 Days of Water" Journal

2012-01-20T16:08:38Z

Our good friend, author, and Ride:Well Tour alumni Anne Jackson has partnered with Blood:Water Mission to provide a journal for 40 Days of Water participants. The journal features daily encouragement, reflections, passages, and space for a participant to journal their own reflections as they go through 40 Days of Water.

The journal will be accessible through the 40 Days of Water Website at the beginning of the campaign, and can be viewed daily or printed for you to journal your own reflections. Below is a sample of what is to come:

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40).

Notice the word "one" in that passage. If we keep our eyes open, and our hands ready, we are making a difference one person at a time.

There are thousands of people who have taken this challenge with you. Thousands of lives are being changed at this moment, including yours. As you continue through these forty days, your heart will become more sensitive of the needs around you. You have a chance to share what you're doing and why you're doing it with your friends and family. They may see the beauty in what you're doing and stand with you.

One may seem like a small number. Insignificant. Lonely, even.

But one person - you - are making a difference for one person on the other side of the world. It's a kindred connection that goes far beyond anything we can ever know. You may never meet the one person whose life you are changing for the better, and whose story has inspired you, but you can know the answer to that question - "Can one person make a difference?"

Absolutely.

Update from Africa - WASH in Lwala

2012-01-09T22:51:58Z

It always fills our hearts with joy when we receive reports from our partners in the field regarding work done in our water, sanitation & hygiene, and HIV/AIDS projects. Today we rejoice in the fact that during the month of December in Lwala, Kenya, 23 of the children coming from several schools completed WASH training (17 girls and 6 boys)!

WASH trainings (Water and Sanitation, Hygiene) cover topics such as: knowing the difference between safe and unsafe water, drinking safe water (and keeping it clean & safe), stopping the spread of disease, keeping food and utensils clean, using clean latrines, keeping our homes and classrooms clean, and using safe water while caring for people with HIV/AIDS. Participants, in this case, children, are expected to take this information to create a better quality of life, and to be good role models to family, friends, and community members.

Successes like this could not be accomplished without the advocacy and support from people like you. These 23 children will be able to impact their village greatly, but there is still a large population that needs to receive proper WASH education. Please consider supporting our work, and help us build stronger, healthier African communities.

*The picture above shows the instructor teaching WASH participants about AIDS

Blog post written by: Pamela Crane, PhD - Africa Field Manager

Improbable Philanthropy - Al Andrews

2012-01-05T17:39:17Z

For years, I have seen pictures of children in need, looking at me from magazines, from television, or from the web. Like most folks, I have been deeply moved by these images. Moved to care. Moved to give. Move to sponsor. Moved to support people who help these kids.

But if I'm honest, I've always felt somewhat helpless when I've seen those photographs. The problems they represented are so huge and my capacity to impact them is seemingly so small. It left me feeling impotent to do anything about it. And for a long time, I stopped there.

And then a few years ago, I watched the guys from Jars of Clay come up with this dream of digging one thousand wells in Africa. While I thought it was quite commendable, I quietly believed it was a bit ambitious - one of those "they really bit off more than they can chew" things. After all, what can four guys in a band do?

More than a thousand wells later, I've learned something from them (and from other radical and generous friends). Things will never happen unless you dream, and dreams won't become realized unless you walk courageously into them. I've also learned that you can begin something before you have all the resources at hand. Sometimes, a person just needs to start.

Three years ago, a dear friend Bob Goff, asked me a question. "What do you dream?" he asked. His question prompted many conversations - conversations that over time ended up with an answer that surprised me. "I dream of being a philanthropist. I want to acquire an abundance of resources to contribute significantly to non-profits that are doing good in the world." If you know me at all, you know that "philanthropist" is not a word used to describe me. Philanthropists are rich. I am not.

But if I've learned the lessons that I claimed to learn about dreaming, then that shouldn't stop me....right?

So I stepped into the dream and started walking - my version of digging the first well.

The first obvious obstacle was trying to figure out how to make a lot of money. The only thing I could come up with was writing a children's book. A few years earlier I'd written a poem that I thought could be turned into the text of a book.

Long story VERY short - I've written the book. It's a picture book called "The Boy, the Kite, and the Wind." I've gotten it illustrated by Jonathan Bouw, self-published it (I figured I could make more money that way) and am now selling it on my website. 100% of the net profits will go to non-profits that are helping kids to take flight. Blood:Water Mission is one of them.

Having sold 1400 books thus far, I'm not in the philanthropy realm yet. Let's just say I've dug several wells. But in the distance, I can see thousands of books being sold, and the profits distributed to people who need it - people like Peter, and his friends and family and a clinic in a little village in Uganda.

When I see Peter's picture, I am reminded that I have plenty. Our family is blessed. We have more than enough. And if we can come up with a plan to increase our wealth, there's really no reason we need to keep it. It's time to give it away.

As you look at this broken world and want to make a difference, what do you dream? And what are all the reasons you've listed that convince you that you can't proceed? Let me encourage you with three words - dig one well.

Blog post written by: Al Andrews - The Improbable Philanthropist

Our dear friend and author Al Andrews has generously committed 100% of the sales of his book "The Boy, The Kite and The Wind," to help men, women and children "take flight." This is a tale about a boy and his kite that reveals a profound truth for all generations. Watch the above video to hear a reading of the book, as told by children of Uganda.

The sales of this book will go to benefit our work in Kitgum so children like Peter see that their story doesn't end with a HIV+ status...their stories are just beginning. By purchasing this book, you can make a direct impact in Kitgum.

1 book could cover the costs of 1 HIV Test
10 books could provide training materials to 8 community health workers
50 books could cover the costs of office supplies and clinic utilities and maintenance
100 books could cover the costs of community outreach meetings in 30 communities
500 books could stock the pharmacy shelves for 6 months

Know.Love.Act Resolution

2012-01-03T16:54:18Z

Every New Year, we make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, give up caffeine, have a cleaner house (or room), and on and on. These are all fantastic goals that help us live healthier, more organized lives. I suggest that we continue to set these goals, but I also find one area that these resolutions could use improvement in; they don't engage the people around us.

What if, on top of these personal goals, we also set New Year's resolutions that affect the lives of our friends, family, our local communities, and even people on the other side of the globe?

I would like to propose a guide that will help you create such a New Year's resolution. Like all good (and earth-shattering ;) ) guides, this is a three step process to help you create a resolution that can better your life and the lives of the people around you. Are you up for the task?

Here it is: Ask yourself (and answer) these three questions:

1) What (or who) do I want to KNOW this year?

2) What can I do to show LOVE to the people in my life?

3) What can I do to ACT in a way that betters the lives of the people around me?

My own resolution looks like this:

1) I would like to KNOW more about the developments in the prevention of the HIV/AIDS virus by reading more newsletters and case studies

2) Love those around me by being more connected and involved in the lives of the people around me

3) I want to ACT to better the lives of those around me by volunteering at the free clinic in my neighborhood.

Blog post written by: Matt Clark - US Programs Asst.

Your Adventure Starts Here

2011-12-19T17:24:16Z

For the past 5 years over 100 ordinary individuals have taken on extraordinary efforts as a part of the Ride:Well Cycling Tours. Coming from all corners of the country, some with no experience at all, connected only by their heart for Africa, they rode their bikes across the US, south to north and west to east, thousands of miles fueled by courage, compassion and community.

This coming year, this too could become your story. We are excited to announce in addition to the annual Cross-Country Tour, two new and incredible tours, including one in AFRICA!

PACIFIC NORTHWEST: For many an entire summer is too much (as in, you'd like to keep your job!), so we've added a 10-day cycling tour through the stunning Pacific Northwest from Seattle to Portland. There's also a two-tiered participation level making being a part of a Ride:Well Tour more accessible than ever. Learn more about the Pacific Northwest trip HERE.

MT. KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA: Here it is, your big chance! The 2012 Africa trip will take the team all the way to the top of the highest freestanding mountain in the world, Mt. Kilimanjaro! In addition to summiting, team members will have a fundraising option to visit Blood:Water Mission projects as a part of this two-tiered expedition. Your adventure starts HERE.

Ask anyone who has taken part before, these trips are truly life-changing - for you and the communities in Africa you'll be serving. The Ride:Well teams have raised funds for the rain tanks and the Tumaini Clinic in the Marsabit District of Northern Kenya - a region severely affected by the record-drought. The inspiring efforts of each team member over the years have quite literally resulted in saving lives, perhaps more directly and urgently than they could have ever imagined. Click the video to the right to see how Marsabit and Ride:Well are connected --->

Why I Care: Sarah Macintosh

2011-12-15T15:34:57Z

This blog post was originally published on Sarah Macintosh's blog on Nov. 22, 2011. We thank Sarah deeply for writing this post and letting us re-post it!

This week I walked headfirst into extreme contrast. On one hand, I found myself recording a live video in the same building as the Blood:Water Mission offices. A while back I was able to speak with Dan Haseltine, the lead singer of the band Jars of Clay, about the company that he helped found in order to have an impact on the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa by providing clean water and sanitation to communities throughout the continent. As described on their website, Blood:Water Mission launched the 1000 Wells Project in 2005 as a nation-wide effort to raise enough money to provide clean water and sanitation to 1000 communities in sub-Saharan Africa based on the equation that $1 provides one African with clean water for an entire year. Can you grasp that?

That is like saying:

1 ITunes song download

1 lottery ticket

1 coke at a restaurant

2 tacos at Jack in the Box

among many other frivolous things. I am sitting here thinking about the fact that my ITunes music buying spree last week could've provided enough clean water to 20 Africans for an entire year. Or enough clean water for one African for 20 years! This is blowing my mind today because just yesterday I heard someone tell me that he used to work for a high end rug making shop and once they sold a special made rug to a homeowner for $150,000. I sat in awe at the contrast of these two figures.

$1 for life

$150,000 for a decoration

Ugh. It makes me sick to my stomach. Not just because someone with tons more money than I have would spend it in this way but because I am seeing how frivolously I spend what I have. Every single soda I buy at a restaurant or magazine I buy in an airport or any other un-needed luxury I buy myself (and yes, these stupid things are luxuries. The definition of luxury is "indulgence in or enjoyment of comforts and pleasures in addition to those necessary for a reasonable standard of well-being") I am withholding clean water and sanitation (not luxuries but necessities) from countless people throughout the world.

Blood:Water Mission is only one company among many others who are reaching out to help those others throughout our world. One, whose mission is in alignment with Matthew 25:34-40

34-36″Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.'

37-40″Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.'

Could this be said about us?

It seems such a drastic difference between 1 $4.00 magazine and an $150,000 rug but what I realized in thinking about the two is that there really is no difference. Both amounts of money were/are spent frivolously and both amounts could be providing life to someone else. I am going to do something about this in my life and no, I don't work for Blood:Water Mission but I couldn't ignore the huge contrast that I was confronted with while walking through their offices this last week. I would also challenge you to do the same. Hop onto the Blood:Water Mission website and check out all of the ways you can help. They have many genius ways that you can help so that no one can feel like they are unable to join their community for change. Or if you know of another group in alignment with those verses in Matthew 25 then find yourself involving yourself in their mission. Whatever you do I would love to hear how it is impacting your life as a result. Feel free to leave comments and thoughts below as well as passing this blog along with the Twitter, Facebook, Email buttons below.

Let's feed, give water, shelter, comfort, and visit.

Let's give up our $150,000 rugs.

SARAH MACINTOSH was the former the lead singer for a band called Chasing Furies and now lives in Southern California with her family and is touring around the country as a solo artist and speaker.

Time is Running Out on the Very Merry Matching Grant

2011-12-13T15:10:00Z

Administrator

Jars of Clay to Play the Franklin Theatre!

2011-12-09T15:47:11Z

Jars of Clay to Play The Franklin Theatre February 18, 2012

Tickets Go On Sale Friday, December 9 at 10 a.m.

The Franklin Theatre announced that Jars of Clay will perform at the historic 300-seat venue on Saturday, February 18. Tickets start at $35 and go on sale to the public Friday, December 9 at 10 a.m. at www.FranklinTheatre.com.

A portion of the proceeds from this show will benefit Blood:Water Mission, a Nashville-based non-profit organization co-founded by Jars of Clay that empowers communities to work against the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa through grassroots efforts. To date, Blood:Water has enabled over 600,000 people in 1000 communities to have access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation as well as education, treatment and care for over 30,000 people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Premium "Cabaret" section tickets will directly benefit Blood:Water's needed water & HIV/AIDS programs. These tickets include a pre-show reception, meet and greet with Jars of Clay and special gift. To purchase Cabaret tickets, contact Katherine at katherine@bloodwatermission.com or at 615-823-1664.

Over the course of a professional music career spanning more than fifteen years, Jars of Clay has garnered multiple Grammy Awards, GMA Awards and Nashville Music Awards. The band has received national media attention from Rolling Stone magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard magazine, USA Today and more.

Jars of Clay's latest project "The Shelter" is a collaborative album inspired by community. Artists and songwriters who contributed to "The Shelter" project include Mac Powell, Amy Grant, Brandon Heath, Leigh Nash, TobyMac and more.

For more information about Jars of Clay and their music, please visit www.JarsofClay.com.

Originally built in 1937, the Franklin Theatre re-opened to the public on June 3, 2011 following a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration. The Main Street landmark is owned and operated by the nonprofit Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County. More information is available online at www.FranklinTheatre.com.

The Dragon and How to Kill it

2011-12-07T19:51:09Z

Originally published Dec 6, 2011 on the One Campaign blog:

Dan Haseltine, lead singer of Jars of Clay and co-founder of Blood:Water Mission, reflects on his experience at ONE and (RED)'s World AIDS Day event, and compares the HIV/AIDS epidemic to a dragon.

I'm sitting in a mostly quiet airport eating an international dinner (read: China Panda), trying to remember names and faces and which comments went with the particular faces and names I could remember with a little help from the pocket full of new business cards I acquired. My first thought is, "The Ronald Reagan Airport has great lighting." My second thought, which has equally little to do with my day is, "I wish the Dunkin Donuts was still open." But my third thought, the one that has been rattling around in my head since 6:30 a.m., was, "How do you kill a dragon?"

You see, as I write this, I am winding down from a day spent wandering the halls of the Senate, as part of a World AIDS Day initiative. I started my morning with a walk to George Washington University interrupted by a detour into the strategically located Starbucks across from the Jack Morton building where we were going to gather.

The man who stepped in line behind me was obviously a regular, and well-known. I was able to surmise that he was the manager of the building where ONE and (RED)'s World AIDS Day event was being held. I ordered my drink, and stepped toward the bar.

"Do you think you might meet him?" Someone was speaking to the "regular" who managed the building.

In a space about to be inhabited by President Obama, President Kikwete of Tanzania, Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coca-Cola Company, President Clinton and President Bush, it was obvious who they were speaking of... Bono.

It is a strange social economy we find ourselves in these days. I smiled, grabbed my drink, and stepped back out into the cool morning air.

I arrived just as the Secret Service and police forces were making their final security sweep of the building. It is habitual for me to show up early for events such as this. Not just a little early, more like hours before. I do it when I speak, and apparently, I do it when I am just attending.

The event was titled, "The Beginning of the End of AIDS." It was taken from an impassioned speech given by Senator Hillary Clinton a few weeks earlier, where she brought to light the new and hopeful scientific research surrounding HIV/AIDS treatment and awareness.

The big shocker was that it turns out that treatment IS prevention. The antiretroviral drug regimen actually reduces the virus to a form that is almost non-transmittable, reducing the likelihood of sexual transmission by 96 percent!

This is AMAZING news. It means that the very same drugs that keep people with AIDS alive, is also stopping the transmission of the disease. And what this means is that we may simply be generations away from the end of AIDS.

Last summer, I read J.R.R. Tolkien's, "The Hobbit," to my son. It began with a few chapters and then a short encouragement from me often ending in the phrase, "It gets really good later." It was hard to keep his attention for a bit of the set up, the development of the story and characters. It was hard to remember who all the primary characters were, and not get them mixed up. I found myself backtracking quite a bit so that we could remember which elves were which, what weapons they carried, and why they were significant to the story. "Let's keep reading... the part with the dragon is coming up," I would say.

The descriptions of carnage finally came as we read pages describing entire mountains reduced to embers, and whole villages full of people simply gone and the invasion of fear and loss of joy and wealth. It reminded me of something else.

I am not a child of wizardry. I wasn't raised on fantasy stories. I have never owned a set of recklessly multi-sided dice. But I have read a few novels that seem consistent in their portrayal of dragons. They are superior in intelligence and cunning, and often described as "flying death." They are able to adapt to the skills and methods of their victims. They are relentless, and indiscriminate in their thirst for wealth and blood. They are difficult to kill. And once they have laid claim to a land and its people, the outlook is most definitely grim.

AIDS has been around for 30 years. In 30 years, it has been responsible for 30 million funerals. When the disease was first discovered, it didn't even have a name. No one was quite sure what to do with a virus that attacked the immune system and was capable of morphing to adapt to treatments.

It was reported as GRID, and also as, "the gay cancer." Finally it became, "AIDS". Whatever it was called, it meant certain death. And that was just the beginning. It wasn't just a disease that affected the body. It was a carrier of fear.

Human beings are strange and complex things. Without understanding, we tend to react out of fear. We have a bent to want to destroy what we do not understand, even if the act of destruction is more time consuming and costly than the time invested in studying or knowing. We don't like what we can't explain. If we don't know what causes a disease, how can we trust the people around us to keep such a thing from spreading?

Fear became stigma and in its path are millions of lives that have been scorched and reduced to embers simply because they were thought to be HIV-positive. People were driven from their families, their workplaces and their homes and communities. They were not allowed to touch their children, or come to their churches. They were left for dead, far before the disease had even begun to stake claim.

Dragons like gold. This was something else I learned from, "The Hobbit." They can smell gold, and they have a well-developed instinct to horde it. They have no use for it in the economic sense. They simply want to take it from the homes and coffers of their victims. They don't want just a portion, but every last galleon or coin. Dragon's sleep on the gold, they brush their hardened scales against it, and let it drip from between their callous talons. It represents a bleeding of sorts of the villages where a dragon's focus rests. It is a tangible stripping away of power and place. Without a form of wealth, the basic things needed for survival become harder to come by. Villages collapse for lack of productivity that devolves into lack of shelter, food, education and hope. Darkness sets in, and with it, the poison that brings men and women to give up entirely.

Billions of dollars have been spent on HIV/AIDS. It is just the necessary path leading from nothing to understanding. It costs money to fail and then to fail again, until eventually the desired outcome presents itself. I have been in many conversations with skeptics who are quick to remind me that many people have made a lot of money in the, "AIDS business." And that this is money we will never see again.

"How do we kill it? How do we get close enough to spy a weakness, or a soft spot where we can let our swords or arrows burrow deeply beneath its scales? Does it have a weakness?" These are the questions that the bravest of knights were plagued to answer.

I imagine that the act of killing a dragon could never truly be a solitary act. Perhaps if dragons were soft, meek things, the first person to come upon such a beast might also be the one responsible for immediately destroying it. But as we understand, dragons are not such things.

With breath strained from the act of running for dear life, and choked by overwhelming fear, we hear countless descriptions of the evil lurking before us. Each encounter takes on greater risk, and a clearer picture of what this "thing" is.

Until one day, a weakness is discovered. In "The Hobbit," the weakness was a soft spot on the underbelly of Smog.

The US through the incredible formation of PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), and the building of the Global Fund, is responsible for providing antiretroviral drugs to more than 4 million people. Those treatments have allowed us to get very close to HIV/AIDS. We have found a weakness.

I can picture the mixed emotions of a village tormented by a dragon when they find out that such a creature has a weakness. It would be a collision of new hope with old defeatism. It would be a conscious effort to clear the mind and focus on the task at hand. People have been laid to waste. They are tired and weary. But at this moment when they are most vulnerable and their enemy is most vulnerable it becomes a choice of who has the soul strength to dig in and make a final stand.

The fight against AIDS is not sexy anymore. It isn't the hip cause of the month, or media saturating conversation on our television sets. The people and organizations who've joined the fight seeking some kind of pittance of glory have fallen away leaving only those of us who share some inherent purpose woven deeply in our souls for wanting this disease to meet its end. We are weary. We have been ravaged by cynicism and disappointment. And we are hearing the words, "The Beginning of the End of AIDS." We are letting the words roll over in our heads, "We found a weakness."

We now know that the ARV treatments reduce the potential transmission of the virus by 96 percent. If you add the health benefits of male circumcision and the wonder drugs that prevent mother to child transmission of the disease, we have a found a path to end the evil oppression of this disease.

I have watched enough movies and read enough books to spot a scenario from miles away. It is the commonly used device of nearly killing an enemy. You know the scene. The beast is lying in defeat nearly breathing its last breath, and rather than complete the final act giving the beast over to death, our hero pauses.

We are pausing. We know the path. We have the resources. We have the means to end AIDS. And instead of burying our blade deep into its black heart, we pause.

It was reported that many of the countries that pledged financially to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, have not made good on those pledges. It has also been reported that PEPFAR is on the verge of losing funding. The weariness of the fight has set in.

I will write one last thing about dragons. They heal quickly and return to the place of their wounding with great vengeance, fueled by a grudge that only makes them stronger. If someone sets out to kill a dragon, then they must kill a dragon.

We have set out to end AIDS. We must. The most valuable and effective swords that are available to us, are the voices we raise. My flight is about to take off. And the echoes of conversations from earlier today carry a common point. The government will tune its ears to the strongest voice. It will act upon the expressed concerns and cares of its people. We must let government know that we are here to kill a dragon.

We will not stand by as we lose our foothold, and watch HIV/AIDS rise up with greater force.

Gather your weapons: http://www.bloodwatermission.com/AIDS, http://2015quilt.com

The Only Thing Missing is Cement

2011-12-05T16:30:00Z

Blog post written by: Pamela Crane, PhD - Africa Field Manager

On Friday I had the joy of visiting a water tank in Northern Rwanda that was just finished. It is now collecting water for TEN families to use during the dry season which should fall roughly in a month. After talking with a few of the people this tank will serve, we began to walk down the path to our car (our little 4WD could not make it up the final bits of the mountain road/path). As we walked, although I could only understand what they were saying through a translator, I could definitely recognize the happiness in their voices:

"That tank over there is the grandmother tank."

"And that one is the mother tank."

In this community, the tanks have been given family trees. When the first tanks were built, many families shared one tank, carefully rationing the water and hoping to make it through a dry season. As more tanks were built, fewer families shared a tank. And the community, in which children are prized, calls this process "one tank giving birth to another". So, on Friday, I saw the grandmother, the mother, and the baby tank. Along with it, a lot of smiling women and children who no longer have to walk down a mountain to get water from a lake filled with unsafe water.

The goal for this project is to have each tank serve ten families, and the last 20 tanks are being built right now to make that possible - a process that has taken several years. Although resources are scarce, community members provide all the materials they can give - the stones and wood - and labor to make the project possible. However, they still need a lot of cement for each tank to complete them - roughly 54 bags of cement for each tank.

These tanks are very similar to the ones in Marsabit, Kenya which helped that community survive during the drought of the Horn of Africa. Adding tanks to a region like these in Rwanda prepares these communities to harvest rain water during the rainy season so that they can withstand the dry seasons.

This holiday season, we are asking that you please consider partnering with communities like these and help us raise money for cement. Match your resources with theirs to make clean water projects possible. In doing so, you can give the gift of a healthier future for thousands of lives. Learn more about the cement campaign HERE. Right now, when you buy two bags of cement a THIRD bag is donated in your honor, take advantage of this Very Merry Matching Grant before it is too late!

"Religious, political leaders call for AIDS-free generation"

2011-12-02T15:19:07Z

By Josef Kuhn Religion News Service, Originally Published: December 1 in The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- A star-studded array of political and religious leaders -- from President Obama to rock legend Bono to AIDS activist Kay Warren -- came together Thursday (Dec. 1) for World AIDS Day to call for an entirely AIDS-free generation by 2015.

The speakers at the event, called "The Beginning of the End of AIDS," said that the science and medicine needed to eliminate AIDS already exists; all that is needed is for governments and individuals to fully commit themselves to that goal.

"Make no mistake, we are going to win this fight," Obama said to the crowd at The George Washington University.

The event was sponsored by ONE and (RED), two anti-AIDS organizations co- founded by U2 frontman Bono.

The activist rock star said he started the organizations after seeing how people in Africa, simply because of where they lived, could not get the AIDS treatment they needed.

"To me, I felt it was a justice issue, and it challenged the very idea of equality and civilization," Bono said.

Warren, wife of California mega-church pastor Rick Warren, called on religious congregations to do more in the fight against AIDS.

"Every church can care and support. Every church can help with HIV testing. ... Every church can unleash volunteers to serve," she said.

Warren founded the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church, one of the first programs of its kind at an evangelical church. In the last seven years, she said, it has become a model for other churches to follow.

"It's not even like this is an add-on, or it's nice, or it's something that people can just do if they have time -- this is the mission of the church. That's why we don't turn it over to anybody else," Warren said.

Also present was Dan Haseltine, lead singer of the Christian rock band Jars of Clay, who founded Blood:Water Mission, a campaign to fight the AIDS and clean water crises in Africa.

Haseltine acknowledged that churches have not always been at the forefront of AIDS activism, noting a 2002 poll that showed only 3 percent of the evangelical community was willing to donate money to support children orphaned by AIDS.

Nevertheless, he thinks evangelicals are warming up to the idea of helping people with AIDS.

"At an event like this, the fact that the faith community has even been invited shows that they're becoming a very formidable part of the process of real change," Haseltine said.

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