THE CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND AIDS
Orphans Around the World

Sizakele Kwswa, 13, holds the only picture of her deceased mother, South Africa

HIV/AIDS is a global problem. Last year alone, AIDS took more than 3 million lives, devastating countless families and leaving millions of children orphaned. By 2010, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS projects AIDS orphans will number at least 25 million.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international relief and development organization, oversees 80 HIV/AIDS projects in 30 countries. Our staff and partners work daily with orphans and vulnerable children to provide them with shelter, education, and healthcare.

Now, CRS invites American families to be educated, inspired and empowered through a unique exhibit featuring the creative work and stories of AIDS orphans from around the world. The Children Left Behind: AIDS Orphans Around the World represents children from Uganda, South Africa, India, Cambodia, and Guatemala. The exhibit features interactive and multimedia elements that enhance the learning experience.

It is an introduction to the concept of global solidarity, inspiring people around the country to empathize with children affected by AIDS, and empowering them to use their own creative voices to touch the hearts of others.

This 1,200 square foot exhibit captures life through the eyes of orphans and other children left vulnerable by HIV/AIDS introducing various cultures and the issues that affect them. As visitors “travel” to each country immerse themselves into the stories of the children, an intriguing picture of how different life can be when people, communities and organizations work together. Visitors will:

• Be introduced to various cultures through photographs and artifacts
• Meet the orphans and see their original drawing and hand-made paper dresses
• Learn about the global impact of AIDS at two interactive stations
• Visit an interactive kiosk featuring an engaging and informative video game
• View a short documentary at The Little Round Theater
• Express themselves at a letter-writing station

The exhibit will be in Chicago December 2-31, 2004. At the Richard J. Daley Center, 55 W. Randolph Street.

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