The Social Vaccine Benefit Concert

Phoenix, AZ

About Me: Hello all! I'm Evan and I'm an 18 year old student at North Canyon High School as well as a pianist. I recently decided to organize a benefit recital at my high school in order to help send children affected by AIDS back to school. Apart from this community service, I have a club at my school called North Canyon Music Company which dedicates its time to sharing the gift of music with community houses and retirement homes statewide!

The majority of youth in the Kirehe and Kayonza districts of Eastern Province, Rwanda, live in extreme poverty and are not able to enjoy their right to an education. The most vulnerable youth are those that are HIV-affected, a large portion of whom are orphans. They have the greatest chance of not receiving secondary schooling or proper HIV treatment. In Rwanda, primary schooling is free but secondary schooling is not. The cost to attend secondary for a year averages out to around $250. As the average GNI per capita is $410, the majority of HIV-affected children are unable to afford secondary schooling and are forced to drop out. The FACE AIDS 2011 Back to School Campaign aims to raise funds to send HIV-affected Rwandan youth to secondary school. All funds raised through the campaign are granted out through the Partners In Health School Fees Program in Rwanda, which supports students who are infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS by providing them with tuition for secondary school and, in some cases, other school-related costs. The Back to School Campaign has the potential to help up to 656 students attend secondary school in Rwanda. Every dollar that we raise ensures that a Rwandan student can continue their education. By joining the campaign, you are standing in solidarity with HIV-affected students in Rwanda, ensuring that they can enjoy the same right to an education as you do.

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