We are the Brandeis chapter of FACE AIDS, a global youth movement dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS. We commit to do what we can to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and promoting health care systems throughout developing countries, specifically those in Africa.
FACE AIDS was started by a group of Stanford students who spent a few weeks of their summer break volunteering at a refugee camp in Zambia. They met a woman named Mama Katele who was the only openly HIV-positive woman in the entire camp. She would go out and try to educate people on how to protect themselves from contracting and spreading the disease. Mama Katele did not have the means to pay for HIV antiretrovirals, medication that would reduce her viral load and lengthen her life. These meds cost about $0.40 a day, which is about a tenth of what we spend on pumpkin spice lattes at Einstein’s. These students were incredibly moved by her dedication to the welfare of others and decided that when they go back to California they would lead a fundraising campaign to pay for her medication. Unfortunately, once the crew headed back west, they learned that Mama Katele had died from complications brought about by AIDS. This prompted them to begin FACE AIDS (it’s a verb ;) ), an organization that runs on the premise that “where you live shouldn’t determine if you live.”
Our primary method of fundraising is selling pins. FACE AIDS employs HIV-positive individuals in rural Rwanda, providing them with steady, safe and well-paying jobs to make our AIDS ribbon pins. We then sell our pins for a minimum $5 donation and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Partners in Health. This year, in honor of PIH’s 25th anniversary, we hope to raise $2,500, which would be used to supply six HIV-negative infants born to HIV-positive mothers with formula for an entire year. If a mother is on antiretrovirals for a significant amount of time, the chance that the virus would be transmitted to the fetus is minimal. However, if the mother is not steadily on treatment, she mother could transmit HIV to the baby through breast milk. With the money we raise, we hope to provide these infants with the chance to reach toddlerhood.
We started our chapter in the spring semester of last year and have really hit the ground running. So far we have started to get our name out there by tabling at events, such as Brandeis Cares and the Starving Artists semester show in addition to tabling on our own. This semester we are doing some tabling but mainly working to put on unique educational and fun events on and off campus. This semester the National FACE AIDS conference was held in Boston, so members were able to participate and meet members of FACE AIDS chapters from around the country. Earlier this month, a national representative from FACE AIDS, Eve Fine, joined us for one of our meetings to discuss how to build our chapter and share what inspired her to join the cause. This Saturday, Oct. 27 at 10 p.m. we are co-sponsoring False Advertising’s Halloween show at Cholmondeley’s Coffee House. We are also hoping to begin volunteering at the PIH headquarters, which is right here in Boston, about once a month. Brandeis FACE AIDS is also planning on commemorating World
AIDS Day on Dec. 1 with a few exciting events.
As a new club, FACE AIDS is hoping to form new traditions within the Brandeis community. If you are interested in actively working in social justice, participating in a medically orientated project and meeting new people, you should definitely join Brandeis FACE AIDS. We meet on Thursday nights in the Shapiro Campus Center, room 313 at 8 p.m. See you there!Â