Telluride AIDS Benefit: Ubuntu Africa on the Catwalk

20 Feb Telluride AIDS Benefit: Ubuntu Africa on the Catwalk

Whitney Johnson & friends. Without her vision, many of these young people were without help or hope.

May the longtime sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on.

(Kundalini Yoga Blessing, sung by the children and staff at Ubuntu Africa)

TAB & its beneficiaries, including in Africa:

The Telluride AIDS Benefit is the legacy of Robert Presley, a beloved local fabric artist who succumbed to HIV/AIDS in 1997. From the get-go, Presley was clear he wanted any support he received from his adopted community to find a wider audience.

In 1994, the year the Telluride AIDS Benefit was born, the Western Colorado AIDS Project or WestCAP was still a very small nonprofit operating out of Grand Junction under the direction of a small board of directors and administered part-time by a nurse, Shelley Nielsen. Nielsen did great work with the Mesa County Health Department and as part-time executive director/case manager for WestCAP. Clients being served lived primarily in Mesa County – until Presley worked his magic.

Thanks to Presley and TAB, WestCAP grew into a much larger private non-profit providing resources, referral, case management, financial assistance, and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and their families in 22 counties on the Western Slope.

But TAB had a larger, more global vision, so there was more support to come.

Among the many young people helped by Ubuntu Africa

Presley’s legacy now reaches out in many ways to many different places/institutions, all in the business of prevention education and helping people of all ages living with HIV/AIDS: locally, through its education initiative; regionally to WestCAP; on the Front Range through the Denver Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program (CHIP) and Brother Jeff’s Health Initiative; internationally in Africa, through The Telluride Project in Manzini, Swaziland, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Ethiopian Family Fund. Last year Ubuntu Africa got added to the short list.

TAB’s Africa outreach began in 1999, when the nonprofit teamed up with the African Mayors Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL) and the United Nations Development Program in a pilot project utilizing a “sister city” approach to combating overwhelming odds.

Ubuntu Africa, the backstory:

“Ubuntu” is a name based on an African philosophy which is all about the connection among all human beings. “I am because we are” is a phrase commonly associated with the philosophy. Ubuntu is based on mutual support and sharing what you can to help others.  The following description is attributed to Nelson Mandela.

“Ubuntu [is] that profound African sense that we are only human through the humanity of other human beings.”

Thanks to Whitney & Ubuntu Africa now she has hope

Ubuntu Africa’s mission flows organically from that philosophy. The organization is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of HIV-positive children in under-served communities by establishing community-based programs that provide lifesaving health and support services. Ubuntu Africa is also committed to fostering an empowered attitude towards HIV/AIDS among young people worldwide and engaging them to participate in improving conditions for people affected by global health challenges.

Specifically, Ubuntu Africa provides services in Khayelitsha, the second largest township in South Africa, home to an estimated 1 million people. In addition to having high rates of HIV, the Khayelitsha community also faces high levels of poverty, unemployment, and crime. Many HIV-positive people in the community lack easy access to clinics, nutritious food, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), and indoor plumbing, making their illness particularly difficult to manage.

Before Ubuntu Afirca, there were few support services offered to children in Khayelitsha living with HIV. After being diagnosed with the virus, young people in Khayelitsha were often left to bear the burden of the disease completely alone.

And he received love and support

Realizing her vision, she established Ubuntu Africa with the help of a friend, Doni Belau, seven years ago when she was 22 and a recent college graduate.

Whitney, undeniably an inspiration to people of all ages, is scheduled to speak to students at the Telluride Middle School/High School on Friday, February 28, as part of Sandy McLaughlin’s ongoing educational initiative.

Ubuntu Africa, how TAB funds were used after 2013 distribution:

Whitney Johnson sent the following thank you to the TAB team:

“TAB’s gift of $10,000 enabled UBA to hire two social auxiliary workers, Sphokazi and Thumeka, at our center in Khayelitsha. The positions proved to be absolutely crucial to our ability to provide efficient and personalized support to the children and families we serve. 

One member of our new team is focused on case management: monitoring the health and well-being of the children and ensuring they live in safe and healthy home environments. The other is focused on group facilitation: providing education, counseling, and empowering activities to UBA’s children and their caregivers. We were proud to see our social auxiliary workers take swift action in cases of abuse and neglect and are confident in their ability to provide for the welfare of our children. Their passion and dedication shines through everyday. Having these additional team members to work directly with our beneficiaries has made a tangible difference to our program. That would not have been possible without your support, and for this we are extremely grateful.

We send our best from Khayelitsha to all of you!  Can’t wait to see you all at TAB 2014! 

With Gratitude,

Whitney and the Ubuntu Africa Family”

So did they

From our small community to the world stage, the Telluride AIDS Benefit makes a difference.

Ubuntu Africa is the featured beneficiary at TAB’s 2014 auction following the gala fashion show at the Telluride Conference Center, Mountain Village. Supporting TAB is supporting Whitney and her team so they can continue to make positive changes in the lives of challenged young people.

Ubuntu Africa, the dream in video: