 Join the Gaia Community now to post!Tag Browser |
Recent Discussion Topics
The effect of AIDS is being felt in every thread of society and is changing the planet for generations to come. NextAid is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization committed to developing and implementing innovative solutions to the challenges facing African children. NextAid's mission is to advocate community-driven, environmentally sustainable, economically and socially empowering responses to the AIDS orphan pandemic. NextAid collaborates with individuals, businesses and nonprofits to produce creative, culturally-rich, awareness-raising projects and music events involving technology, the arts, public education projects, and volunteer opportunities. Through grass-roots efforts, NextAid provides opportunities for concerned individuals to make a tangible difference in the lives of African children in need. Our flagship project is successfully underway in a poverty-stricken rural town called Dennilton, two hours northeast of Johannesburg. Working with a renowned ecological architect and experienced natural builders, NextAid broke ground in July 2005 with an earth-bag building workshop, kicking off the construction of the Dennilton center for Youth with a Vision (YWAV), a group of resilient teen-agers who use drama and dance to teach their peers about AIDS prevention. Now 6 buildings are completed on site including a performance space, outdoor energy-efficient kitchen and seating area, 2 earth-bag offices, and a straw bale children's house. The center will serve as a safe home for 50 children orphaned by AIDS, a multi-purpose center for the greater community, and a model of best practices for future projects throughout Africa. The entire 9 acre, 30-structure village is slated for completion at the end of 2009. NextAid receives support from a wide range of industry leaders including some of the most internationally recognized names in dance music, such as Louie Vega, Miguel Migs, OM Records, and URB Magazine. From mega-events like Miami Music Conference to small clubs, through benefits and other music-related activities, NextAid channels the positive energy on the dance floor across the globe to children in Africa, thus providing an opportunity for a potentially disenfranchised demographic to truly experience that they can make a difference. |
AIDS
