This article is from page 16 of the 2007-12-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
COINCIDING with World AIDS Day Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSCs) have made a special appeal in Clare for support for their work with AIDS victims in South Africa. In 2006 nearly three million people died from the virus with about two million of these in sub-Saharan Af- rica – half the population of Ireland. ‘There are hundreds of thousands of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Children as young asl2 years are the head of
their household trying to provide for their younger brothers and sisters,” a spokesman for the charity said.
The MSCs have care programmes for orphans and the sick and dying. These include prevention education, foster family care for orphans, sup- port for the sick and dying as well as for families where the breadwinner has died. They also supported the development of an AIDS Hospice at Midrand.
Fr Michael O’Connell at the MSC Mission Support Centre in Cork said: “The orphans receiving care are the
lucky ones… but many thousands are left to fend for themselves… of- ten with tragic consequences. With very limited resources to meet the erowing need we are dependent on personal donations from Ireland and local fundraisers.”
€35 will care for an orphan for a month. Donations can be posted to Fr O’Connell at the MSC Mission Support Centre, PO Box 23, Western Road, Cork.
Credit card donations can also be made to 021 4544024. All donations will be acknowledged.