The HIV/AIDS scourge that is ravaging the African continent is generally considered to be the most devastating strike to humankind since the Black Death decimated Europe in the Middle Ages. When the beautiful photographs for this project were shot, on February 28, 2002, it was generally believed that more than 15 million people had already perished in the African AIDS pandemic, and as many as 25 million more Africans were infected.
The Day in the Life of Africa project is trying to make a difference in the fight against African AIDS. Here’s how: When you purchase A Day in the Life of Africa, all of the publishing profits are directed to the Day in the Life of Africa AIDS Education Fund. This fund was created for the express purpose of channeling money into effective, on-the-ground AIDS-education programs on the African continent.
These programs are administered by Tides Foundation of San Francisco, in collaboration with advisors from the Harvard AIDS Institute, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, and South Africa’s famed Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication. Programs initiated and supported by the fund utilize entertaining educational content and appropriate popular media to inform young Africans, in particular, about the perils, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS. These programs always strive to be cost-effective and culturally appropriate. The core belief of the Fund is that educating African youth about HIV/AIDS is a key to Africa’s future.