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The words “I am because we are” echo through the hearts of those who want to heal the world and rid it of HIV/AIDS. One of those hearts belongs to Academy award winning actress and native South African, Charlize Theron.

The “Monster” actress and UN Messenger of Peace founded the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) in 2007 to help fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS among the African youth community.  As a native, Theron brought a personal connection to the effort. In a message to those seeking to help and join forces with her she says, “I have seen firsthand the devastation HIV and AIDS have inflicted throughout sub-Saharan Africa. I founded CTAOP to help shed light on the magnitude of the problem and support the efforts of African communities to battle a disease that continues to kill millions each year”. Her passion to help those in need roars profusely through the values of her organization.

CTAOP believes that through the South African spirit of Ubuntu everyone is connected and holds a responsibility to help people in need. We at Conscious couldn’t agree more! The organization upholds this responsibility by collaborating with a number of other organizations. Together with Oprah’s Angel Network, they have been able to provide funding for mobile health clinics that offer an array of programs, screenings and treatments. In 2011, CTAOP also facilitated the creation of their Home Field Advantage (HFA) initiative. Through the HFA initiative, Theron’s organization brought, “clean water sources, sports fields, food gardens, community laundry basins, and non-contaminating toilet blocks to four secondary schools,” within the rural District of the KwaZulu-Natal province. These efforts provided a cleaner and healthier environment for the families in this community to keep the spreading of disease at bay.

By integrating the values of integrity, respect, collaboration, and continuous learning into everything they do, Theron’s organization has been able to uphold their promise of educating communities and reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS within them. You can help the CTAOP team keep African youth safe against this widespread disease by donating and spreading awareness.

Photo credit: Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project

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FROM THE EDITOR
At Conscious, we are inspired by remarkable people, and so we set out to tell stories that highlight real human interactions and human dignity. You can read more stories like this when you pick up your copy of Conscious Magazine. Subscribe today via our Conscious Shop and sign-up for Conscious Updates.