Peter’s AIDS Fund: A brief answer to “Why?”
I’ve begun to spend a bit of my time tackling two projects, one of which is with my friend, Peter Amico. As simply as I can put it the AIDS Fund project is an effort to raise $1 million to help fight AIDS in South Africa, particularly through 6 small, local, community-oriented organizations that Peter worked with while there for a month. Now some answers to the question “Why?”
“Why AIDS, South Africa, and these organizations?”
This one is fairly simple. As I said Peter just spent a month there and was really touched by what he saw, as well as became aware of a very tangible and current need of more resources for these small organizations.
In 2001 I was in Gambia working with a couple that runs a YWAM facility there. They expressed a desire to set up a child sponsorship program to help pay kids school fees. I tried setting up a website, but it was hard work long distance at that time, and it never happened. But ever since then I’ve had a desire to work on a very local project that would allow people to give and see the impact. Peter’s AIDS Fund is becoming this opportunity.
“Why $1 million?”
Well, to be honest that number is probably a little too low. I think we sell ourselves short far too often. We pick tangible numbers that are big enough to make us feel good, but not so big that we’ll be dissappointed. When you look at the HUGE crisis and you look also at the already billions of dollars that are being handed over to deal with it, this amount might still seem insignificant. But, as you hear the stories of these organizations, and the stories of the people that are being helped, I think you will see why your $1 or more will go a long way, and why it is SO important that you give.
$1 million bucks is not that much; it’s a dollar from $1 million people that hear about this need; It’s $10 from the 100,000 people that Peter might have the opportunity to speak to in churches in Florida; It’s $100 from 10,000 committed friends and family, or $1000 from 1000 people who have realized the importance of addressing this crisis; maybe it’s just $1 million dollars from someone with the money and the compassion to address these needs.
“Why Peter?”
You should probably ask him that one, but I’ll venture a small bit of input. Peter is someone who has seen with his eyes, and been moved to action. We need more people like Peter in the world; willing to stand up and take a stand against the injustice that he has seen and is ready to encourage others to do the same.
[Peter’s AIDS Fund]