The Million Moms Challenge Begins

Every mother deserves the right to a healthy pregnancy and the opportunity to provide for her child. In the face of extreme poverty and the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS, many mothers are denied this. They face the difficult choice of placing their child in orphanages just to cover their basic needs and the stigma and the potential abandonment from their families and partners if they disclose their HIV status. This is one of the reasons Firelight works with local leaders who have been and continue life-saving efforts in their villages, towns and cities throughout sub-Saharan Africa. According to UNICEF, over 2.1 million children are HIV positive world wide. A majority of those children live in sub-Saharan Africa. The good news is that each day women and men, mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors and church volunteers support the many children affected by HIV and AIDS. And they are making an impact.

Grassroots groups like Firelight's grantee partners mobilize these community members to encourage couples to be tested together to decrease fear and stigma, they offer counseling to help families cope with living with HIV, they help the millions of children left orphaned due to AIDS  and who are growing up in communities overwhelmed by its impact. Mothers are helping mothers to get tested, to be treated when they are diagnosed with HIV to prevent the risk of transmission to their child at birth, and to encourage them to wean their children at six months as doctors recommend.

Firelight has joined the Million Moms Challenge to inspire American families to help mothers and children around the world. We're proud to accept this Challenge and are committed to this important cause.

We hope you will join us and be part of the Million Moms Challenge too.

How can you join the Million Moms Challenge?

You can share the Firelight Foundation Million Moms Project where you can donate and support us.

You can tell us about your support on Facebook and join the Million Moms on Facebook too.

You can also upload a photo showing your support to Facebook like we did below. The Million Moms Challenge asks people to make your photo your profile pic and spread the word. This campaign just started and we have a lot of ground to cover. Please join us!

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