JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) will air a 24-minute documentary about a project that brings free health care to African families on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 9 a.m. (SABC3) and 12.30 p.m. (SABC1) in South Africa. It will be rebroadcast in April on affiliate stations throughout Africa.
To view the trailer, click here: https://vimeo.com/84725512.
B-Roll package – Rotary Family Health Days: http://bit.ly/1iExmh1
Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=919 (The documentary captures an emotional meeting between Bunch and Me Maria as the women reflect on how the disease has impacted their lives and families)
Photo Marion Bunch: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=917 (Marion Bunch, an American woman who drew strength from personal tragedy after losing her son to AIDS to become a global advocate and the inspiration behind the creation of Rotary Family Health Days)
Photo Me Maria: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=918 (Me Maria is raising her two grandsons after their parents died of AIDS)
Logo Rotary International: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/rotary.png
The film, produced by Rotary International (http://www.rotary.org), documents the tremendous burden HIV/AIDS has had on African families and communities, and covers the journeys of two women: South African grandmother Me Maria, who is raising her two grandsons after their parents died of AIDS; and Marion Bunch, an American woman who drew strength from personal tragedy after losing her son to AIDS to become a global advocate and the inspiration behind the creation of Rotary Family Health Days. The project, now in its fourth year and supported by Rotary clubs throughout Africa, delivers free basic health care – including HIV/AIDS screening and other preventive services — to families in underserved communities.
The documentary captures an emotional meeting between Bunch and Me Maria as the women reflect on how the disease has impacted their lives and families and the steps they are taking to fight it.
“The tremendous burden on the families of those infected by HIV/AIDS – particularly for older people caring for their terminally ill children and raising their grandchildren, and for children orphaned by this disease is incalculable,” said Bunch. “This is a story of people coming together to help fight this global killer and other preventable diseases.”
The film will air ahead of Rotary Family Health Days 2014, which will take place in Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho and Nigeria throughout the month of April. To view the trailer, click here: https://vimeo.com/84725512.
In addition to airing the documentary, SABC will broadcast messages and information across Africa on SABC television channels and radio stations in eleven languages to promote participation in Rotary Family Health Days in April 2014.
About Rotary Family Health Days 2014
Rotary Family Health Days – an innovative international campaign providing free health care to underserved families — launches its fourth edition in April 2014, aiming to reach 350,000 people in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. The program addresses Africa’s most pressing health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and reproductive health, as well as diabetes and hypertension. An important component is immunizing children against polio, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho
April 2 – 4 160 sites
Ghana
April 10 – 12 30 sites
Uganda
April 10 – 12 120 sites
Nigeria
April 24 – 26 150 sites
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Rotary International.
Contacts:
Rotary: Stéphanie Tobler, +41 44 387 714 16, stephanie.tobler@rotary.org
Rotary (Johannesburg): Sue Paget, 083-456-3923 spaget@rffa.org
SABC: Leo Manne, leo@sabc1.co.za
About Rotary
Rotary (http://www.rotary.org) brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit http://www.rotary.org.
Note to journalists:
Video and still images on upcoming Rotary Family Health Days will be available on the Rotary Media Center: https://www.rotary.org/en/news-features/media-center.
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