Tonight, I was watching a special on CNN about Oprah Winfrey. She was started a new foundation called, Oprah’s Promise which help to start a school in South Africa helping 150 girls have a great opportunity for a better life. Now, I’m sure she’ll be criticized for the extravagance of this place. But honestly, who cares? She’s doing a great work. She’s helping a lot of kids who would probably be dead in a few years without her love. Frankly, I applaud her work. I’m thankful for what she’s doing. I wish there were more people like her. Bravo Oprah. Read more about her foundation here.

To take off from yesterday. What’s life like in a place that’s been devastated from AIDS? My new book, RED Letters will talk a lot about this, but let’s get an idea together:

(1)There are virtually no parents. Ever heard of the term, ‘head of household?’ Well it’s a real deal in Africa. Kids, 10, 11, 12 years old giving up school and a their futures to care for their younger brother and sisters because both parents are dead. They’re hero’s. As far as I’m concerned.

(2) Kids aren’t going to school. Why? Because they have to work and do whatever it takes to feed the rest of the family. In many places, school fees are up over 1000% so even if they could go to school, it’s an impossibility.

(3) The traditional understanding of family is gone. Without fathers and mothers, there’s no one to care for the children. Children don’t have the opportunity to have a childhood. They have to be parents at very young ages. There are no breadwinners. They have to assume that role. Life as they’ve known it is gone.

(4) There is little food. The AIDS epidemic adds to food insecurity in many areas, as agricultural work is neglected or abandoned due to household illness. In Malawi, where food shortages have had a devastating effect, it has been recognized that HIV and AIDS are fueling the country’s poor agricultural output. ¹³ It is thought that by 2020, Malawi’s agricultural workforce will be 14% smaller than it would have been without HIV and AIDS. In other countries, such as Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the reduction is likely to be over 20%.  Read more about it here.

Sadly, this is just the beginning of the tragedy. We can all do something. The question is, "Will we do something?"