God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Friday’s FIFA draw brought a lot of visitors to Cape Town. Before the draw I had the pleasure to meet with The Begum Aga Khan, who also happens to be the patron of the Berlin AIDS Gala. As HOPE Cape Town benefits from the Berlin AIDS Gala, the Princess wanted to see the project and we spend more than 2 hours at Tygerberg Children’s Hospital where she was introduced to the project and its work. She came in touch with our little patients and their parents and could get first hand experience about the consequences of the pandemic. The kids were also excited to get also an early Christmas…

Such visits are very important, do I feel every time with such a visitor, that I fulfill my purpose: being a bridge between different worlds and trying to help to understand each other. And it is ont only a one-way road. For many patients it is also a very first opportunity to come in close contact with Europeans, their thinking and their habits. Such a visit, well prepared, serves all parties. But I must add that we from HOPE Cape Town never put up a “programme” – no singing, dancing, saying a poem. We are not producing a show and when I hear of or have to attend such a ‘show’ it leaves always a bitter taste. Life as it is, that is what visitors, dignities, officials or Mr. Mustermann should touch and feel and smell and taste. Nothing more. Life is so exciting, one does not need show in such an environment. For this, Artscape or any other theater is a the right place.

Well, the visit went very well and we will meet again in Berlin @ the Berlin AIDS Gala 2010. I am looking forward to it and I know, that a further piece of South African reality will be present there next year. So, not only for some soccer teams, but also for HOPE Cape Town was the 4.12. a good day.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Aga Khan, Berlin AIDS Gala, FIFA, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust