Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Unemployment in Cape Town
The article attributes most of this unemployment to the lack of education in the society. In 2005, it was estimated that approximately 66% of all South African adults did not have a high school diploma. Stats also show that for those over 25 years old, an estimated 24% of them are illiterate.
The organization that we will be working with provides education programs for children in Cape Town. These efforts are helping to combat the problem of illiteracy. While there are still great strides to be made, the small efforts do help and will make a difference in the years to come.
Here is the link to the article: http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/internacional/Young-Educated-And-Unemployed,26cfde20-64d2-4819-99ec-9e465e83871e.html
Monday, June 22, 2009
Garage Sale Success!
Again, thank you to everyone for your help and support. We are only a month away from the big trip!! :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Some quick facts...
- South Africa has the highest number of HIV positive people than any other country in the world.
- The average life expectancy for someone living in Africa is 62 years old. For someone who has been who has been diagnosed with AIDS, the life expectancy is only 47 years.
- In 2007, there were 3.2 million new people diagnosed with AIDS in Africa.
- In 2007, 2.4 million people died due to AIDS.
- Approximately 5.7 million people in South Africa have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This is over 20% of the population in South Africa.
This is a huge crisis in Africa and it is time for us to start acting upon it. If 20% of the US population were infected with a deadly disease that has no cure, it would be front page news every day. The recent outbreak of swine flu caused only a few hundred deaths around the world but captured our attention for nearly a month straight. A disease that is killing nearly 2.5 million people a year barely catches any attention since it is not happening on our soil. Many organizations are now starting to get involved in the crisis however there is still a lot of work to be done with educating the populations most impacted by the disease. Part of our efforts in Cape Town will be to spread the word about free testing facilities and educating the public regarding how the disease is contracted. Hopefully through our work we will be able to raise awareness both over in Africa and here in our own neighborhoods.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Only 8 weeks away!
We also have a day at the beginning and end of our trip set aside to see the area and do a few tourist activities. These days will be much needed down time as the rest of our trip is going to be packed full. However, all of us recognize that our purpose for the trip is not to see the sites in the area. We are here to accomplish an important purpose and to assist an amazing organization is spreading God's love. I'm confident that our efforts will not go unnoticed in the community and even if we make a difference in one person's life, it will definitely be worth the trip.
Thanks again for all your prayers and continued support! It means a lot!