Christian Relief Committee to Kick-Off AIDS Campaign on World AIDS Day
A Christian humanitarian ministry kicks-off its AIDS education campaign next month on World AIDS Day.
A Christian humanitarian ministry kicks-off its AIDS education campaign next month on World AIDS Day.
The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) will launch its “Keep the Promise” Campaign on Dec. 1 in conjunction to the day dedicated to raising awareness of the global AIDS epidemic. The campaign mainly targets Christian Reformed Churches around the world with the goal of educating people about the HIV/AIDS crisis.
“In the past, we've felt that many Christians were not ready to deal with the crisis of HIV/AIDS,” Kristen DeRoo VanderBerg, CRWRC communications coordinator, explained in an email.
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“For many, the disease was considered God's judgment on people for sinning. Even just a few years ago, churches were not interested in talking about a subject that relates so strongly to sex and sexuality. Now, however, people seem to be open to the discussion.”
The project aims at helping people to understand the various factors that contribute to the crisis including how poverty increases the spread of the disease; why young girls are more susceptible; and what happens to orphans and widows. Moreover, the campaign encourages participants to get involved in a response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.
“CRWRC has an amazing opportunity to be involved at the front lines of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support, treatment, education, and advocacy,” said Will Story, CRWRC child survival and health specialist, in a statement. “The time is right…to respond to this crisis on a scale the Christian Reformed Church has never before attempted.”
HIV is one of the biggest social, economic and health challenges in the world according to the World AIDS Day website ( www.worldaidsday.org/). It is a global crisis claiming more than 8,000 lives a day, 5 lives a minute. In 2003 alone, nearly 5 million people acquired HIV and there are currently approximately 42 million people living with HIV/AIDS.
The humanitarian arm of the Christian Reformed Church in North America has a long history of HIV/AIDS programming around the world, with the first efforts taking place in Senegal in the mid-80s. By the end of 2004, CRWRC had integrated AIDS programs into 12 countries (ten of which are in Africa) with approximately 64,000 planned participants. This year, the organization hopes to expand the programs to India, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.
To show support for CRWRC’s “Keep the Promise” Campaign participants can do the following: wear a red ribbon on Dec. 1 to show support for the fight against HIV/AIDS; pray for relief, a cure and compassion for people living with HIV/AIDS; donate to CRWRC HIV/AIDS programs; volunteer with your community HIV/AIDS program; and sign the Micah Challenge ( www.micahchallenge.org/).
The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) is a relief, development, and educational ministry of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. The organization partners with local agencies to fulfill its mission to engage God’s people in redeeming resources and developing gifts in collaborative activities of love, mercy, justice, and compassion. CRWRC is working in more than 30 countries around the world.
To learn more, visit: www.crwrc.org/
