People living with HIV AIDS (PLWA) in Yong Qing Hebei face opposition from a society ignorant about the facts about HIV. Some farmers have been unable to continue work due to sicknesses they cannot afford to treat, and all have faced a hostile reception from society. Villagers who are HIV+ often cannot find jobs which pay enough to support their families, because no one will hire them if they are know to be HIV +. This leads to poverty and lack of funds to send children to school, or care for elderly parents. From income support, supplying food and clothes, to emotional support and care needs, the Yong Qing AIDS Centre aims to provide holistic care for PLWAs in Yong Qing. The group focuses on rural families who were infected with the virus through selling their blood to government blood banks. Having contracted HIV the lives of the rural villagers changed drastically.

Because poverty is often a limiting factor in improving the lives of PLWAs in rural Hebei, last year the Centre, to help increase their standard of living, nutrition and self esteem, started their ‘Self Reliance Project’. This project helped the local PLWA to raise pigs, sheep, and rabbits and grow various vegetables by providing them with seed and stock. Because this project was so successful, this year the Yong Qing AIDS Centre is looking to raise 28,000 RMB to specifically fund the development and expansion of this project. Last year there were 10 households involved, this year the Centre is aiming to increase this to 15 households. The Centre will use money raised to train PLWAs, and buy seed and stock to give the households a head start.

To raise money for this specific project, and the running of the Yong Qing AIDS Centre, the director of the Yong Qing AIDS Centre; Sister Tian, will run the 2011 Sisters Run in October. She hopes to run the 9km section. She is hoping to raise 60,000RMB; 28,000RMB which will be ear marked for this specific project the rest for the running of the Centre and to fund the other projects. Please help Sister Tian raise this money, and help the Yong Qing AIDS Centre increase their ability to help serve PLWA in Yong Qing.