Brad
Pitt recently toured Africa and visited Save the Children programs in Ethiopia.
Brad was promoting the ONE Campaign which is the US equivalent of Make Poverty
History. Brad spent time talking with young children who participate in Save the Children's HIV/AIDS program with orphans and vulnerable children in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. One of these children is Meron, a shy 13-year-old girl who lost her mother to AIDS two years ago. Meron now lives with a friend of her mother's who cares for her.
Only a small minority of children like Meron who lose one or both parents to AIDS live in orphanages. In many countries, including Ethiopia, there is a strong culture and tradition of family and community. Most of the children orphaned by AIDS remain in their villages among family and friends who do their best to support and care for them.
Save the Children works with communities and local governments to provide care and support for these children. We help children stay in school, ensure they get adequate protection, food, and healthcare, and give them options for the future. We also help children cope with the grief and trauma of losing one or both parents to AIDS.
In Meron's town alone, only 1,600 of the nearly 10,000 children orphaned are enrolled in Save the Chidren's programs