South African Red Cross Society “Celebration of Hope” Choir Festival in Stellenbosch, 25 November 2005
The South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) is hosting the Third Annual Choir festival, “Celebration of Hope”, which is taking place on the 25th November 2005 at the Paul Roos Hall in Stellenbosch.
The Choir Festival is the opening event for the celebrations for World AIDS Day, which sees 12 choirs from around the country participating. These choirs consist of volunteers and facilitators who work in the SARCS Community Home Based Care projects.
This celebration is used to thank them for their efforts to create a dignified environment for those who are either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Regions’ activities are:
Eastern Cape:
World Aids Day will be celebrated at the P.E Branch on 6 December 2005. The focus will be on the Orphans and vulnerable children as well as People Living with Aids. These groups form part of the support groups under the Community Home Based Care Programme which is coordinated by Mrs. Gloria Mbambo.
The number of people we expect to participate in the function is 300. including the staff.
“Red Roses for Red Cross AIDS Project” involves the support of the following partners: Algoa FM, Murambi Roses, the “Go/Express”, Creative Impact, Chamber of Business, Hemingway's, Mugg 'n Bean , Beacon Retail Park and volunteers .
Algoa FM will be flighting this fundraiser/awareness event on air on the Border Drive continuously the week prior to 1 December. This will not only raise the level of public awareness but will elevate the Red Cross profile and visibility .
The Algoa FM DJ, Gordon Graham, will be featured in a photo with his face encircled by red roses as “the thorn among the roses”, to appear in a community newspaper, the Go/Express, on 24 November . The purpose is to encourage all employers, whatever size, to phone and place orders for as many roses as there are employees in order to beautify their factories/ businesses/offices/reception areas on World AIDS Day. This will assist in sensitising all to the AIDS pandemic. It will be suggested that each employee be given a rose to take home as we are all affected by HIV/AIDS in some manner.
The Chamber of Business is placing an insert in the Hi-lite, their monthly newsletter, due to be published on 28 November encouraging all members to participate by ordering by 30 November. The newsletter reaches 800 member employers and the Chamber will further send out 1 000 e-mails in order to reach Commerce and Industry.
Murambi have committed to supplying roses at half the normal price and Hemingways, Beacon Retail Park and Mugg 'n Bean have committed to 500 roses each, which are to be delivered by Murambi Roses. Volunteers wearing gilets will man the 3 selling points where there will be a display stand with HIV/AIDS information, posters and literature.
KwaZulu Natal:
Port Shepstone: the Ubuhle Buyeza Local Committee at Qwabe will hold a memorial prayer meeting at the Qwabe Tribal Authority Hall at 2pm and the Siyaphila Local Committee at Mtwalume will be visiting AIDS orphans and will formally address the community.
The Durban Metro branch will be holding a function at the Maxwell Lutheran Church Hall in Phoenix, starting at 7pm. Various choirs, as well as the Red Cross Youth will be participating in the event and it promises to be a celebration of life!
Pietermaritzburg has a full programme, aimed at the youth of the area and it includes a candle-lighting ceremony, a dramatic production by the Red Cross Volunteers and closes with a light lunch. The theme for the day is promoting voluntary counseling and testing.
The event for Howick has had to be postponed due to other obligations, but their committee has decided to spread the message beyond World AIDS Day and will be handing out parcels of clothing and food at the Red Cross office, 23 Morling Street, Howick, on 10 December 2005.
In the Free State, a group of the Mangaung CHBC Project facilitators and volunteers will do dissemination to the community at filling-stations in and around Bloemfontein along the N1 road. They will also give out condoms and give training to sex workers and truck drivers as to how condoms should be used. They will furthermore encourage them to undergo voluntary counseling and testing.
Another group of facilitators and volunteers will paint a RDP four roomed house of an elderly lady who is HIV positive. She is staying with four orphans who are her grandchildren.
After this the two groups will converge at 2pm at the provincial office where they will have a candle lighting ceremony.
Western Cape:
The HIV & AIDS Dept. is co-ordinating World AIDS Day on Thursday, 01st December 2005 taking place at the Nyanga Junction in Manenberg from 9am till 15h30.
The event aims to remember those who have passed away and those still fighting the battle of HIV & AIDS. With the support of all the branches, awareness is the theme to make people more aware of the disease and awareness of SARCS. The day is intended to be a vibrant, fun awareness day with lots of singing, dancing, drama’s, and talks from PWA’s and Government Officials. Local Newspapers such as Vukani, Southern Mail and Plainsman have been invited.
Eastern Cape:
World Aids Day will be celebrated at the P.E Branch on 6 December 2005. The focus will be on the Orphans and vulnerable children as well as People Living with Aids. These groups form part of the support groups under the Community Home Based Care Programme which is coordinated by Mrs. Gloria Mbambo.
The number of people we expect to participate in the function is 300. including the staff.
“Red Roses for Red Cross AIDS Project” involves the support of the following partners: Algoa FM, Murambi Roses, the “Go/Express”, Creative Impact, Chamber of Business, Hemingway's, Mugg 'n Bean , Beacon Retail Park and volunteers .
Algoa FM will be flighting this fundraiser/awareness event on air on the Border Drive continuously the week prior to 1 December. This will not only raise the level of public awareness but will elevate the Red Cross profile and visibility .
The Algoa FM DJ, Gordon Graham, will be featured in a photo with his face encircled by red roses as “the thorn among the roses”, to appear in a community newspaper, the Go/Express, on 24 November . The purpose is to encourage all employers, whatever size, to phone and place orders for as many roses as there are employees in order to beautify their factories/ businesses/offices/reception areas on World AIDS Day. This will assist in sensitising all to the AIDS pandemic. It will be suggested that each employee be given a rose to take home as we are all affected by HIV/AIDS in some manner.
The Chamber of Business is placing an insert in the Hi-lite, their monthly newsletter, due to be published on 28 November encouraging all members to participate by ordering by 30 November. The newsletter reaches 800 member employers and the Chamber will further send out 1 000 e-mails in order to reach Commerce and Industry.
Murambi have committed to supplying roses at half the normal price and Hemingways, Beacon Retail Park and Mugg 'n Bean have committed to 500 roses each, which are to be delivered by Murambi Roses. Volunteers wearing gilets will man the 3 selling points where there will be a display stand with HIV/AIDS information, posters and literature.