08/13/08

Last week, the United Nations Development Programme awarded Raising Malawi partner, Consol Homes, with the Red Ribbon Award at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

The Red Ribbon Awards, presented every two years by the UNDP at the International AIDS Conference, celebrates outstanding grassroots initiatives and smaller community-based organisations that show leadership in reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS.

Selected from more than 550 nominations from 147 countries the prestigious award recognizes Consol Homes’ outstanding "Community Leadership and Action on AIDS" and celebrates the courage, resilience and strength of communities supporting those living with HIV.

Elhadj As Sy, UNAIDS Director of Partnerships and External Relations, said that he hoped the knowledge and experience the winning organizations gained from the conference would inspire them to "take their work to the next level," adding that "this knowledge is truly what the Red Ribbon Awards are about."

"These are extraordinary organizations helping to meet the needs of their own communities in often very difficult circumstances," Rebecca Grynspan, director of UNDP's Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, said, adding that the selected organizations "have shown extraordinary creativity, courage and leadership in responding to the epidemic and achieving tangible results with limited resources."

Raising Malawi has worked with Consol Homes since 2006 to bring daily meals, targeted medical care, education scholarships, clean water and other critical needs to vulnerable children. In 2007, the Raising Malawi-Consol Homes Orphan Care Centre opened its doors to over 4,000 children in the village of Namitete.

Join Raising Malawi and help support Consol Homes today!