Canada & Lesotho: Bracelet of Hope Takes Campaign Across Nation

Building upon its initial success at raising funds for HIV/AIDS care in Lesotho, the Guelph-based Masai for Africa initiative has a new name -- the Bracelet of Hope Campaign -- and is going nationwide. The renamed organization's goal is to raise $150 million (US $124 million) to build clinics in Africa by putting its red-and-white bracelet "on every Canadian."

Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik saw the first phase of her dream come true last fall. After fundraising for three years, she and her team of volunteers were able to present a check for $1 million (US $829,220) to Ontario Hospitals for Africa for the Masai HIV/AIDS clinic in Lesotho. As a result, 100-120 people are treated each day at the Tsepong Clinic in Lesotho, a tiny kingdom surrounded by South Africa.

Then came pledges from Oxford County -- $1 million, and Waterloo Region -- $2.5 million (US $2.07 million).

Last year, Zajdlik and the Masai campaign's board began discussing how to remake the program as a national initiative. Five months ago, rebranding efforts toward that goal began.

"So far, my talks have taken me well outside Guelph and Wellington County," Zajdlik said. "And the campaign is received the same everywhere. The idea, the inspiration, the bracelet, and the eagerness to help is the same everywhere we go. That's why we decided to take it one step further. We've seen the tremendous positive effect it's had on the ground."

Zajdlik noted that some 300,000 of Lesotho's 2.1 million people have HIV/AIDS. "Now, imagine 300,000 people in Toronto were infected. How quickly would our country react to stop a city from dying? It's not that big of a leap to stop another country from dying. We can do this."

For more information, visit www.braceletofhope.ca/.

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