According to the World Health Organization, roughly 33.2 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS. It's a staggering statistic, especially when you stop to consider that an estimated 22.5 million of those cases are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.
When faced with such overwhelming numbers, it's tough not to feel a little daunted. But Bethany Birkelo '08 and Rachel Bean '08 didn't let that stop them. Over Interim, while hundreds of St. Olaf students ventured off the Hill for studies abroad, internships and research projects in other states or countries, Birkelo and Bean volunteered in health care centers in Livingstone, a city in the southern Zambia.
Livingstone, home to roughly 100,000 people, is the adventure capital of Zambia. It's so close to Victoria Falls that you can see the mist from the city streets. As a result, it's a tourist hotspot. However, the natural beauty of the area is underscored by the fact that Livingstone has been hit hard by the AIDS epidemic.
Read the complete post at http://www.memeza.com/story.php?title=Making_a_difference_in_Africa
Posted
Feb 29 2008, 01:20 PM
by
memeza / Zambian News