The Face of the African Child
Posted by
Heather Mason Kiefer
Washington, D.C.
June 15, 2010
June 16 is the International Day of the African Child. Celebrated every year since 1991, it is a day to raise awareness of the continuing need to improve education, health, and quality of life for children in Africa.
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Photo: Mia Collis (View more photos)
The Foundation has been in sub-Saharan Africa for more than a decade, working to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS in the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. The scope of our mission seems insurmountable at times. Worldwide, 1,200 children are infected with HIV every day, and children suffering from AIDS-related illnesses are an all-too-frequent sight in the health clinics we support.
But each time we see a child living with HIV who is healthy thanks to antiretroviral treatment, or meet an HIV-positive mother whose baby was born HIV-free thanks to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services, we’re reminded of why we’re doing this. Pediatric AIDS is preventable, and the smiling faces of the children we work with in Africa prove this.
The Foundation has the privilege of working with several photographers who have a talent for capturing the spirit and determination of the children who our staff members in Africa are working to save. In honor of the Day of the African Child, we’d like to show you a few of our favorites.
View gallery:
http://www.pedaids.org/Multimedia-Gallery/Photo-Stories/African-Child
Heather Mason Kiefer is a Senior Writer/Editor in Washington, D.C.