From the slums of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, to remote villages in southern Zambia, AFAP is working with local partners to make a difference to the lives of women and their families who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

Many are widows who, despite their poverty, are determined to give their sons and daughters the best start in life. Others are grandmothers struggling to care for orphaned grandchildren. AFAP and our partners are assisting these women form self-help groups, giving training in health care and income generation skills, and providing small amounts of 'seed capital' to kick-start small businesses. With income from these activities, the women become more self-reliant and are able to improve their nutrition and the overall health of themselves and their families.

As well as receiving help, manyof the women also give their time as volunteer carers, assisting others in their community who are affected by ill health.

We are dovetailing these activities into our larger African projects, which are funded by donors such as AusAID and which we implement in collaboration with our African NGO partners. This approach keeps our administrative costs low and ensures that we are using skilled and experienced local personnel to implement the Program.

The African Women Program is generously supported by the Australian coloratura soprano, Annalisa Kerrigan, who has performed four concerts to raise funds for the program. For more information on Annalisa and her music, visit www.annalisakerrigan.com. The concerts are organised by a group of AFAP volunteers in Tamworth, led by Dianne Drew.