On World AIDS Day, Monday, December 1 at noon at Friends Center, the American Friends Service Committee, an international social justice organization, will light candles of remembrance for the millions of men, women and children who have perished in the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

The event kicks off AFSC's campaign, Kurarama : to live – a life free of HIV/AIDS , that will assist children orphaned by AIDS in the Manica Province of Mozambique — a region that has one of the highest percentages of HIV/AIDS infection in Africa. In the Shona language of Mozambique, Kurarama means “ to live.”

“There are thousands of orphans in Mozambique who are either homeless or depend upon aging grandparents or other members of the extended family members who are already burdened by severe poverty,” states Shahina Malik, national director of AFSC's Emergency and Material Assistance Program (EMAP).

The American Friends Service Committee has been involved in Africa for decades working in economic development projects, diplomatic exchanges, health promotion, housing, and community reconciliation. Based on its long history of humanitarian work, Manica officials approached the Service Committee to help the thousands of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in the region.

Schools, faith communities, civic groups, other organizations and individuals are asked to collect and assemble items for hygiene kits for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Students from Bodine High School for International Affairs and William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, will help assemble the first kits for distribution during the kick off event.

The basic hygiene kit consists of a toothbrush and toothpaste, washcloth, soap, petroleum jelly and a wide-tooth comb in a 2 gallon zip-lock bag. A donation to help with shipping costs and the purchase of other additional materials is requested. To ensure the same quality for all recipients, only new items can be accepted and each kit must contain all the ingredients listed.

Funds are also needed to buy nourishing food, blankets and medicine, and to pay for the uniforms and school fees and mosquito nets for these vulnerable young people.

“It becomes a responsibility for all of us in the developed world to help build an environment that is conducive to the rehabilitation and development of children affected by this dreaded disease,” Malik states.

World AIDS Day serves to strengthen global efforts to address the challenges of the AIDS epidemic, which continues to spread throughout every region of the world. It was first observed in 1988, after an international summit of health ministers called for a new spirit of social tolerance and a greater exchange of information on HIV/AIDS.

The Emergency and Material Assistance Program, now in its 86th year of operation, has provided crucial and, at times, life-saving assistance to people struggling for survival in the wake of natural or human-made disasters. With volunteer support, the program has helped people caught in the crossfire of civil war or the horrors of famine, serving those who are suffering without regard to their religious, ethnic, or political affiliation. Its relief efforts throughout World Wars I and II were among the reasons why the American Friends Service Committee and its British counterpart accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Religious Society of Friends.

Today, EMAP continues to respond to crises in its time-honored way. It is also adapting to keep pace with a changing world. The program is offering new opportunities for caring people to volunteer their time and donate materials. Just as importantly, EMAP ensures that the assistance it gives does not inadvertently harm, but rather strengthens people's resilience, economic independence, and sense of personal dignity.

In addition to the national center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, EMAP has regional centers in Baltimore, Maryland, Cambridge, Massachusetts; High Point, North Carolina; Richmond, Indiana; and San Francisco, California.

Cash donations should be made payable to the AFSC's Kurarama : to live – a life free of HIV/AIDS campaign and sent to AFSC Development, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. To contribute via Visa or MasterCard, call 1-888-588-2372, ext. 1.

The campaign runs through March 15, 2004. For more information please contact Omar Ibrahem, at 215-241-7023.

Additional information can be found on the web site www.afsc.org .

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.