Available data has revealed that Africa has the highest prevalence rate in HIV/AIDS cases and the highest rate of infection. On the average 39.5 million people were infected world wide with an average of 4.3 million adults and children newly infected in 2006 alone.
One of the major challenges to combating the AIDS menace is the ability to change people?s perception of and attitudes towards the HIV/AIDS condition which needs to a global approach.
It is for this reason that one organization has set out to influence behavioral and attitudinal changes through vigorous education to ensure the effective management of HIV/AIDS.
The organization, Woyome Foundation for Africa (WOFA) also seeks to curtail the infection rates and ultimately eliminate HIV/AIDS, which will be then complemented by the provision of treatment and therapies.
About Woyome Foundation for Africa (WOFA)
The Woyome Foundation for Africa (WOFA) is a Charity Foundation dedicated to the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa through a direct approach to achieving universal accessibility to treatment, therapy and care.
Under its Africa Life Aid Project, WOFA has initiated a number of activities and campaigns to achieve its objectives of raising funds globally for the care of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), effecting a behavioral change to end stigmatization of the infected and affected and also train the PLWHAs in Income generating activities.
About One ?For ?One Campaign
Recently WOFA launched its latest campaign known as the One-for-One OVC Campaign. The Campaign is aimed at raising funds, primarily from working class Ghanaians and other nationals residing in Ghana, to procure drugs (antiretroviral), boosters and nutritional support for Children infected with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.
Campaign Objective
By the end of the (active) Campaign period, raise enough funds to support the provision of a year?s supply of ARTs, Boosters and/or nutritional support for at least three hundred and fifty (350) infected OVCs should be raised; Help with a better integration of OVCs in society by getting them to look healthy and also access educational opportunities (where possible);
Target Sponsors
The campaign is targeting working class people. WOFA staff, on the premise of ?Leadership by Example? are adopting an OVC each and will be contributing GH?100 each to support them.
The Campaign
The campaign will involve a number of strategies aimed at reaching the target sponsors (actively) within a 5-week period and thereafter through personal contacts to redeem pledges; A number of influential faces and voices will be used to crusade and speak on behalf of the OVCs for donations. These CRUSADERS will be chosen based on their influence, perceived following & ability to influence change and/or action.
The media, especially Radio and TV as well as the print, will be courted to come on board as partners, offering airtime and their programs for the sensitisation of the public on & about the problem and consciously encourage/entice & convince listeners within the target group to donate to help keep an innocent child alive.
In addition to LPMs and voice commercials, carefully selected programme hosts will also use their programs to solicit for donations. The possibility of a live, simultaneous appeal for support program on two or more radio stations will be pursued. This Campaign will not succeed without especially radio stations.
To ensure that the campaign gets the much needed impact the WOFA Team will also arrange and visit various staff/professional groups & associations, welfare groups, social clubs, churches, diplomatic groups etc to promote the Campaign and raise funds.
Handling donations
The organisation as a matter of principle and transparency have, decided that in all cases and at all times, donors will be issued with a WOFA OVC receipt and be made to fill out a form with contact details to enable the WOFA IT team key in the details in the online donor portal and also make it easier and possible to contact donors for follow-up donations or appreciation. A three (3) member Board of Trustees made up of distinguished personalities will be set-up to handle all disbursements from the WOFA OVC Account and make payments to the required health centres and/or OVCs. The Trustees shall also be the only signatories to the WOFA OVC Account.
A ?WOFA OVC PROJECT? account will be opened with the SG-SSB bank. This account will be promoted in all campaign messages. Monies (cash or cheque) can either be lodged into the account number 0142010059190 at SG-SSB branches or funds transferred to the account from other banks.
Participating radio and TV stations will also be used as donation points where cheques and/or cash will be received.
A number of collection points will be developed at major shopping malls and banking halls. Sealed donation boxes with two padlocks each and the keys held separately by WOFA and the manager of the outlet will be placed at these points. According to WOFA, designated churches, Associations as well as other groups., will also be used at donation points for the campaign. Conclusion
WOFA believes that a direct global approach to fighting HIV/AIDS is urgently needed and all interventions must be put in place without economic, political or social hindrances, advocating treatments and therapies must be provided to all People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) without economic prohibitions.
