The house reconstructed by ANTIAIDS and Queen
Photo report from the event is here www.lifemustgoon.net/press/gallery.
Elena Pinchuk, Founder of ANTIAIDS Foundation: "The very first associations with the word "orphanage" are something official, uncomfortable. But it shouldn't be this way. Children who live in these houses are lacking of the main things - warmth and protection of their family. For them orphanage is the whole world. We have no right to make their world cold and lightless. I wanted to thank everybody who help our Foundation to change lives of HIV-positive children in Ukraine for better. I wanted to thank legendary Queen and Paul Rodgers for their unforgettable concert in Kharkov. I wanted to thank generous people, whose donations exceeded 150 000 USD. All money raised are here. These money were spent to make the orphanage "Zeleniy Gay" a warm, light and happy place - like it should be".
Today 81 inmates are living in the orphanage "Zeleniy Gay" (Kharkov), 17 of them are born to HIV-positive mothers or diagnosed with HIV. Conditions of life in this orphanage were very poor. The building was falling to the ground, base and walls were ruining. Electricity didn't stand the strain. The age of all doors and windows was over 100 years. No hot running water in the building, lavatories and kitchens were out of all possible standards.
Raised money covered front reconstruction, replacement of the doors and windows, floors and engineering systems (heating, water-supply, electric wiring), renewing of the apartments, lavatories and roof. Besides that, the building was supplied with new furniture (bedrooms, dinning room, classrooms), medical equipment, domestic appliances, rehabilitation equipment.
The orphanage operates at the building constructed in 1902. It is difficult to identify all modifications that took place during these 106 years, but not a single dollar of government money was spent for reconstruction works for last 18 years.
The number of HIV-positive children in Ukraine is rising annually. In 1997, 196 children were born to HIV-positive mothers. In 2007 their amount run up to 3 356! Many of them live in socially unfavorable conditions and lacking the most needed things. Among them we're dealing with the special group of children, who need special care and attention - HIV-positive orphans. Their number in 2007 in Ukraine was 481. 367 of them were under government guardianship. From 1987 year till February 2008 year 19 296 children were born to HIV - positive mothers in Ukraine. 11% of these children were abandoned. As of now only 17 HIV-positive children found families. This data of Ministry of Health demonstrates only officially registered cases. Not all children at risk for HIV are reflected in the official statistics. According to the expert' estimation 300 000 children are living and working at the streets today. About 115 000 of them could be HIV-infected (UNICEF data, 2006).
According to the World Bank data, by 2014 year the amount of full orphans as the result of HIV/AIDS could run up to 42 000.
About the project
Charitable concert Queen + Paul Rodgers dedicated to the fight against AIDS was organized by Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation. It took place at the biggest square of Ukraine and gathered unbelievable audience - according to the international experts 350 000 people came on September,12 at Kharkov's Freedom Square and linking streets. Concert started at 7.30 pm and continued 2 hours and 15 minutes. Musicians played 28 songs and 2 instrumental compositions. That evening several records at once were broken. Concert "Life must go on!" became the greatest event devoted to the fight against AIDS in Ukraine and one of the most scaled concerts in the history of our country. It added a glorious page to history of the band as for 40 years of its existing concert of Queen had never gathered such a big audience!
Renewed photo report from the concert is at www.lifemustgoon.net/press/gallery. All information about the concert is here www.lifemustgoon.net/.
For detailed information, please, contact Pavel Piminov, Communications Director, Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation on e-mail: [email protected]. Contact phone number: +38 (044) 490 4805.
