About This Site

February, 2004

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by my web site. I’m here in South Africa as a volunteer for the charity Edzimkulu, a society for children affected by AIDS.

Edzimkulu was formed by Jim and Chris Newton of Edmonton in 2003 with the mission to improve the living conditions of people in the village of Ndawana (pronounced en-da-wan-a), particularly those affected by AIDS. Popular opinion suggests that 50% of the people of Ndawana are infected with HIV.

The Ndawana village lies along a beautiful valley close to the KwaZuluNatal/Eastern Cape border in South Africa. Estimates suggest the population is around 5,000. There’s no power, telephone, running water or sewage system, and the people are generally poor with an estimated umemployment rate of 80%.

In May of 2003, a good friend (thanks Laura!) told me about Edzimkulu after reading an article in the Edmonton Journal. I since have become involved as a volunteer and now I’m here in South Africa to help the charity fulfill its mandate.

So if this interests you, feel free to drop by and read about my time here. I hope to post stories and pictures to capture snapshots of my experiences here and the progress of Edzimkulu. If you’d like to receive updates by e-mail (or be removed from my distribution list), just send me an e-mail with your request (see Contact Information).

Thanks for yor interest!

Tim