During Queen + Paul Rodgers concert 150 000 USD were donated for orphanage “Zeleniy Gay”
Raised money will be directed for the needs of the orphanage "Zeleniy Gay" – the home for 87. 17 of them are born to HIV-positive mothers or diagnosed with HIV.
The sum raised was announced by the organizers of the concert during the press-conference which took place today at the orphanage "Zeleniy Gay". Igor Titarenko, the Head of the orphanage, Igor Shurma, the Head of the health department of Kharkov City Administration, Svetlana Babitskaya, the Head of culture department of Kharkov City Administration, Olga Rudneva, Director of Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation participated in the press-conference.
Photo report from the press-conference is here www.lifemustgoon.net
Orphanage "Zelenuy Guy" is situated at the suburbs of Kharkov. At this area at the beginning of las century houses for railway workers were built. In 1967 these buildings were accommodated for the orphanage. In 2004 the group for children born to HIV-positive mothers was opened. It was placed at the building of 1902 year of construction. It is difficult to identify all modifications that took place during these 106 years, but we can say for sure that there was no government funding for any reconstruction works for last 18 years.
This building is going to be reconstructed in the nearest future. It will be the most large-scaled reconstruction for the last decades. Raised money will be invested in front reconstruction, for 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 will be supplied with new furniture (bedrooms, dinning room, classrooms), medical equipment, domestic appliances, rehabilitation equipment.
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 were adopted.
This data of Ministry of Health demonstrates only officially registered cases. Not all children at risk for HIV are reflected in the statistic data – for example, homeless children. According to the expert' estimation 300 000 children are living and working at the streets today. About 115 000 of them can be HIV-infected (UNICEF data, 2006).
HIV-positive orphans require special care and attention from the society. 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!
Fan zone for 12 000 people was located in front of the stage. Invitations for this zone were disseminated through ANTIAIDS Foundation' partners and Ukrainian and foreign fan clubs. Totally 3 000 fans from outside Ukraine arrived at the concert. That evening more than 3 500 security guards kept order at the square.
Renewed photo report from the concert is at www.lifemustgoon.net/press/gallery.
Several days before the concert and at the day of the concert at the Freedom Square 210 volunteers of ANTIAIDS Foundation distributed more than 60 000 condoms and 146 000 flyers with information about HIV/AIDS, the ways of transmission and protection, centers of HIV testing in Kharkov.
Concert was the first event of the new wave of the IEC in frames of the project "On The Edge!" which was started by Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation on September, 13 on national TV.
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: +380 44 490 4805.
