|
|
Nelson Mandela
One of the things that is destroying
people with AIDS is the stigma which we
attach to it. When a person realizes that
they’re suffering from a disease in
which I’m shunned by my friends, by
my parents, I’m a castaway. He or she
loses the determination to fight. One thing
we must avoid is to allow people to lose
hope in the future.
—Nelson Mandela
Former South African President Nelson Mandela
is deeply concerned about the impact of
AIDS, not only in South Africa but around
the world. Although Mr. Mandela does not
have HIV himself, he was personally impacted
by AIDS when his oldest son died of it in
January 2005. He has developed a Children’s
Fund where he is on the front-line, fighting
HIV/AIDS through education, health care
and support programs. When his son died,
Mr. Mandela told the world that it has to
do something to fight against this disease,
saying, “Let us give publicity to HIV/AIDS
and not hide it.”
|
