God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

02/27/2015 • 6:54 pm Comments Off on Ball of HOPE 2015

Ball of HOPE 2015

The Ball of HOPE 2015

Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
&
HOPE Cape Town

Join us again for this prestigious event and play a significant role in the lives of many needy children and their families in the Western Cape.
The Ball of HOPE 2015 takes place on
Saturday, 16th May 2015 at 18h30 for 19h00
at the WESTIN CAPE TOWN
Dress Code: Black Tie

Enjoy fantastic entertainment, delicious food, extraordinary people
and support the good cause at the same time!

Stand the chance to travel to Europe, compliments of :
Lufthansa & edelweiss

KATLEGO MABOE – MASTER OF CEREMONY
In his career as a television presenter, Katlego started his venture into the industry at the age of 21 when he was selected to be one of the leading presenters of “DEKAT TV”, an Afrikaans lifestyle program launched on SABC 3. After only a few months on the show he was approached by CMP (Clive Morris Productions) to audition as a presenter on the well renowned nature program, 50/50. He was subsequently head hunted to be one of the hosts of SABC 3’s breakfast show Expresso, SABC 3: 2010 – Present, Studio and field presenter on 50/50, SABC 2: 2010, Head presenter on DEKAT TV, SABC 3: 2009 – 2010
THE HOSTS
THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN-GERMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
130 offices in 90 countries. One network, one objective, one design. The Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC is part of the German Chamber Network and has therefore a lot to offer to its members and customers. With offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, the SAGCCI is the official authorized representative of German industry and trade for the Southern Africa. As a private, non-profit organization, its primary goal is to offer the best service for building bilateral business relationships between Southern Africa and Germany.
HOPE CAPE TOWN
HOPE Cape Town is a non-profit organisation providing outreach, education and counselling at the community level, focusing on HIV/AIDS and TB in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. HOPE Cape Town is co-located and associated with Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town and is linked to the University of Stellenbosch. HOPE Cape Town cooperates with “KID-CRU”, the Tygerberg Hospital research unit for paediatric infectious diseases. The offices of HOPE Cape Town are located at the Medical School of the University of Stellenbosch – Tygerberg Campus in close vicinity of the Tygerberg Hospital.
THE VENUE
THE WESTIN CAPE TOWN
Set in one of the most popular destinations in the world, directly linked to the Cape Town International Convention Centre, The Westin Cape Town is a deluxe city centre hotel dedicated to providing world class facilities and services. Classified as the preferred luxury establishment for heads of state, business leaders, celebrities and those who simply seek an oasis of comfort at the end of a busy day.
Relish in spectacular views overlooking the vibrant city, Table Mountain and harbour. The Westin Cape Town is ideally positioned for business and pleasure, located within easy walking distance from cultural and commercial attractions. The hotels offers a variety of food and beverage options, including The Westin Executive Club Restaurant on the 19th floor with unsurpassed views of Cape Town, the contemporary Thirty7, Raleigh’s cigar lounge and Louis B’s Bar.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
ADOLF THELEN – MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Adolf Thelen is a freelance musician and producer in Cape Town and also works as a music educator at Holy Cross Brooklyn. He has been in charge of the entertainment at the Ball for 15 years.
For each Ball he has conceptualized and conducted different musical acts from opera to West End musical to rock-shows.
HOLY CROSS CONVENT SCHOOL BROOKLYN
The Holy Cross Convent School is a catholic private school in Brooklyn. Their Senior Choir has performed at the Ball of Hope for more that 10 years. May of the children live in neglected areas of Cape Town. For these children, the participation at the Ball is an important event in the school’s calendar.  The choir is conducted by Mrs Josey Oranzie.

All proceeds are once again for the HOPE Cape Town Project at Tygerberg Children’s Hospital; one of the major HIV outreach programmes in the Western Cape.
visit: http://www.hopecapetown.com
For bookings please contact:
SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Tel. (021) 418 3311,
Email capetown@germanchamber.co.za

THE GUEST OF HONOUR

JUSTICE EDWIN CAMERON
Edwin Cameron has been a Justice of South Africa’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, since 1 January 2009. Previously, he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal for eight years, and a judge of the High Court for six. He was educated at Pretoria Boys’ High School, Stellenbosch and as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
During apartheid he was a human rights lawyer. President Mandela appointed him a judge in 1994.
He was an outspoken critic of President Mbeki’s AIDS-denialist policies and his prize-winning memoir, Witness to AIDS, has been published in South Africa, the UK, the US and in translation in Germany and in China.
His latest book, Justice: A Personal Account, was published in February 2014.
He is involved in many charitable and public causes, and has received many honors for his work.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, South Africa, , , , , , , , , ,

01/14/2015 • 9:53 pm Comments Off on World without Aids Award – Berlin 2015

World without Aids Award – Berlin 2015

Being honored in absentia is an interesting feeling – or better a mix of feelings: Being grateful for the honor of receiving the “World without Aids” Award, feeling sorry for not being able to attend the ceremony, feeling committed to a prior agreed engagement as a chaplain at sea. Sometimes roles clashes, but very often they support each other: being a priest, a chaplain, an activist, a chairperson. This time it was not possible to accommodate all roles on this particular day.
This award makes me feel humble – it is a recognition of work done, but mostly I feel it is a challenge to continue doing what one does best and to continue fighting for a world without Aids. I can only do this, if I have the support of so many – the employees of HOPE Cape Town, the boards of HOPE Cape Town Trust and Association, the multitude of sponsors and donors and partners like the German Aids Foundation or “Hope and Future e.V.” or Saxonia Systems and Process Consulting and all the others named on the HOPE Cape Town’s website.
So once again thank you to those having awarded me the recognition; congratulations to the other awardee Prof Rita Suessmuth – thanks to Manuel Neuer from Bayern Munich for the kind words and all I ask is that you all continue assisting in the dream of a world without Aids… It’s possible…

German AIDS Foundation honors Rev Father Stefan Hippler and Prof Rita Suessmuth
On Saturday evening, 10 January 2015, the 21st Festive Opera Gala for the German AIDS Foundation took place at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. More than 2000 high-profiled guests from visited the event. The new main sponsor, Audi, presented a cheque of 200,000 Euros to the Honorary Chairman of the German AIDS-Foundation, Prof Dr Rita Süssmuth. Overall, the German AIDS-Foundation expects a total of around 500,000 Euros for this year.
The money will go into important aid projects of the German AIDS Foundation in Germany, South Africa and Mozambique. The next Festive Opera Gala in Berlin will take place on 7 November 2015.This year the winners of the “World without AIDS Award” were Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and Prof Dr Rita Süssmuth. Via video message, Manuel Neuer gave the laudation for Rev Fr Stefan Hippler. The soccer star honored the work of the founder of HOPE Cape Town, an organisation that supports especially children with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
The former Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, honored Prof Dr Rita Süssmuth for her many decades of fighting against AIDS.
For the German AIDS Foundation, the Festive Opera Gala is the most glamorous and most important charity event since 1994. Since many years Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, acts as chairman for this evening. The Charity Gala received more than 6.2 million Euros in the last 20 years. With the income of the 21st Festive Opera Gala the German AIDS Foundation is going to support projects in Berlin as well as in Southern Africa.

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Reflection, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12/30/2014 • 9:56 am 1

… and a happy new year 2015

Wishing everybody a great start into 2015 and please remember, that there remains always one problem with all the resolutions for the new year:
You take yourself with into 2015  🙂
and change will not come overnight but gradually.
So be wise,
resolve to take small steps
to become more mature,
more joyful,
more enlightened,
more faithful,
more yourself
–
and at the end
you will become the person
God saw in you
already from the very beginning.

Blessings and the feeling of unconditional love

Fr Stefan

Filed under: Catholic Church, Center of Healing, General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Gala Dresden, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12/18/2014 • 8:00 am Comments Off on Good to know

Good to know

As always in between some articles I found worth reading and sharing with my readers:

We hear so often that the fight against HIV has been already won, especially in Europe: read on that the article “European HIV response “falling behind” as Eastern European epidemic grows”

Truvada as PreP – especially in the gay scene a hot topic – read the approach of J. Bryan Lowder in “Twenty-one attempts at swallowing Truvada”

Money for HIV related NGO’s is getting more difficult to raise – some thoughts about the “HIV Dollars drop” …

We all know about HIV – well, that seems not to be true especially for European countries, read about the British public and the knowledge of people under 30 years of age being “in the dark”

“Poor weight gain and mortality” in resource limited environments – especially for Africa a topic to consider seriously.

Most HIV infections are past on by “younger gay men unaware of their infection” , are not on treatment and have an ongoing relationship – interesting read

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12/10/2014 • 7:54 am Comments Off on Year end function

Year end function

250 000 patient contacts, hundreds of visitors, hundreds of study hours and training sessions – it would be interesting to statistically summarize every aspect of the work of our 36 dedicated staff from HOPE Cape Town – but all these figures would not reflect what is really important: the dedication of each and everybody, the ability to go sometimes through tough times and quite some challenges in the personal and work life. It’s about people, HOPE Cape Town is about people, those working within the organization and those being the beneficiaries of this work.

At the end, before the holiday season starts and the journeys home to relatives and family sometimes far away, before work ceases for the year, there is the year-end function. A time to reflect, to let the year go pass in some speeches, to honor some who have done not only a great job but excelled expectations and to give a hint what lies before the organization in 2015.

The way forward is never easy – HIV and AIDS are not sexy, nor do they attract the necessary attention in Europe where most of our sponsors live and work. It seems that Ebola has beaten HIV awareness and the 35 million people worldwide living with the HI virus can’t count on the attention of the rest of the world. But let’s be frank: HIV is not going away very soon and pulling out of research or development of new medication doesn’t help. Nor the ignorance of governments thinking they have done their bit already. It’s a well know fact but one has to emphasize it again and again: If all the money or even a fraction of it which went into wars, into torture,  black holes and rendition, into spying on each other would have put into research and more meaningful things the world would look better and the HIV crisis might have been come to an end. Instead we push the goals of a HIV free generation and treatment for all more far away and celebrate this at conferences as a success.
Yes, there is success, but it could be so much more, yes there is progress, but it could be so much more, yes we are going in the right direction, but I still wish for more.

Here in South Africa statistics look better and when it comes to children, there is progress: the rate of HIV positive born children declined but let’s be honest: we can do better and every child born positive is one to many. And those being born positive have more challenges to tackle, amongst others often poverty and difficulties in early childhood development.

So, let’s today celebrate and be thankful for all the opportunities we had this year to make this world, to make South Africa and the communities, we are working in a better place. And after a well deserved rest let’s start in 2015 to work hard again towards more life, more hope, more perspective in the lives of those children and families carrying the burden of HIV, AIDS or related illnesses.

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Reflection, , , , , , , , ,

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