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" What is GAIA's mission?
" Why does GAIA only work in Malawi?
" Why should I support work in Malawi?
" What percentage of GAIA's budget goes to people living in Malawi? How do I know my donations are being used effectively?
" Has GAIA been affected by the financial crisis? Are you cutting programs?
" How can my family, school, business, congregation support GAIA's work?
" Can I send materials to Malawi (books, clothing, and medicine)?
" Is GAIA affiliated with religious or governmental organizations?
" Why do you work with religious leaders in Malawi?
" Why does GAIA focus on women's empowerment?
" How can I stay updated on the work that GAIA is doing?
" Can I apply for funding from GAIA?
" Can I volunteer to work for GAIA in Malawi?
" I plan to travel in Africa and would like to visit GAIA's projects. Is this possible?
(Hyperlinks above will take you to the answers to the questions, which appear on the same page)
" What is GAIA's mission?
The mission of Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) is to deliver HIV-related and basic health services to rural villages and health facilities in Africa.
" Why does GAIA work in Malawi?
" Malawi has few doctors to treat those who are ill-there is only one physician for every 88,321 people. It also has the second lowest purchasing power in the world and has the 3rd highest maternal mortality rate with 1,200 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. It ranks 5th in the world in lowest GDP per head at a meager $140. It has the 8th highest HIV prevalence in the world for those between the ages of 15 - 49- 14.2% of this population is living with HIV. Malawi ranks 8th in AIDS deaths, 694 per 100,000 people. Only 2% of the population is connected to the country's power grid. Clearly Malawians desperately need our help and while we may eventually expand to other countries, currently GAIA is focused on Malawi.
" Why should I support work in a country I've never even heard of?
" Malawi is located at the epicenter of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that about 1 million of Malawi's 12 million citizens are infected with HIV/AIDS. High infection rates place considerable stress on already impoverished communities where the average annual income is under $180, and more than 80% of the population work as subsistence farmers in rural villages far from doctors, nurses and hospitals. As a direct result of the epidemic, the average life expectancy in Malawi has plunged to 41 years of age, and over a half million children have been orphaned by AIDS. The HIV/AIDS crisis is truly a global epidemic, and in Malawi, unlike the Western world, those affected by the disease have no safety net to protect them from emotional, physical and financial effects.
" What percentage of GAIA's budget goes to people living in Malawi? How do I know my donation is being used effectively?
" We are committed to keeping overhead costs at a minimum. In 2008, 85% of our budget went to programs in Malawi. We ensure that all funds going to remote villages reach each person and project for which they are intended, and we ensure the highest quality control through close monitoring and constant evaluation. We require comprehensive reports from the villages, rural hospitals, district health centers, and community-based organizations, and we deploy our local, Malawi Staff to monitor, evaluate, and problem-solve when necessary to ensure the success of our work.
" Has GAIA been affected by the financial crisis? Are you cutting programs?
" Like most nonprofits, we have been affected by the financial crisis. However, GAIA is in a strong position, and has taken the precaution of diversifying our funds to ensure FDIC coverage. While we are not expanding programs in 2009, we are not cutting them either. Our Malawi Staff has responded to the global financial crisis with persistence, creativity and resourcefulness, mobilizing communities, seeking resources, and building sustainability.
" How can my family, school, business, congregation support GAIA's work
" We welcome your support, whether through making a donation or introducing GAIA to your community through hosting a Home-Based Gathering or other speaking engagement. Learn more here.
" Is GAIA affiliated with religious or governmental organizations?
" No. GAIA (Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. While we work with religious groups, both here and in Malawi, as partners to fulfill our mission, we are not affiliated with any religious groups.
" Why do you work with religious leaders in Malawi?
" We partner with community and faith-based organizations to reach rural areas where the majority of Malawians live. Religious groups, both Christian and Muslim, are frequently the only providers of desperately needed services like home-based and orphan care. GAIA is a non-governmental, non-religious organization and does not proselytize or work with organizations that do.
" Why does GAIA focus on women's empowerment?
Over the years, we have employed diverse strategies to help communities respond to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We find that women's empowerment is one of the most effective ways to combat HIV-when women are educated and financially independent, they do not rely on men. Their independence assists them in negotiating the terms of their marriage and empowers them to decide when and whom to marry and how many children to have. Moreover, women's empowerment has a ripple effect-as a woman's status increases her health and the health of her family improves, maternal and child mortality rates decrease, her children are more likely to attend primary and high school, the next generation's prospects improve, and her country's economic health is strengthened. As mothers, aunts and sisters make educational and financial gains, millions of young girls look up to them as role modes and boys learn that when women succeed everyone benefits. For more on our women's empowerment programs please see (insert link to programs/women's empowerment)
" How can I stay updated on the work that GAIA is doing
" Sign up to receive monthly emails or our quarterly printed newsletter, which deliver updates on GAIA's projects and programs. We do not send spam or share our supporters' information with other organizations, we simply want to keep you updated on our progress, share our success stories and invite you to be a part of our community. You can also attend one of our events (insert link to events upcoming on website).
" Can I send materials to Malawi (books, clothing, and medicine)?
Unfortunately, the expense of sending materials to Malawi is immense. Additionally, items have to be organized by our local Malawi Staff and distributed, which takes time away from our real work-delivering life-saving services through our programs. We understand that people want to help Malawians, so we encourage those who are interested to sign up for updates regarding our work, volunteer to host a Home Gathering, or give to GAIA. This is the most cost-effective way to help Malawians.
" Can I apply for funding from GAIA?
" If you run a community-based organization (CBO) in Malawi, there may be opportunities to work with us. However, currently, we are not accepting grants from CBOs seeking funding. Please check our website periodically for updates regarding our CBO grants program.
" Can I volunteer to work for GAIA in Malawi?
GAIA does not offer overseas volunteer opportunities. Our approach is to empower local people to work for change in their communities. We greatly admire the work of organizations that effectively use volunteers to work in foreign countries, but because GAIA has a small staff, we simply do not possess the resources necessary to make the experience meaningful for those who wish to work on our projects. Moreover, a volunteer in Malawi would be taking work away from those who need it most-local Malawians whom we recruit, train and employ to deliver our programs.
We encourage those who are interested in our work to contact us regarding opportunities to fundraise for GAIA. Fundraisers do not have to be large events. On the contrary, many times people will host a small dinner for friends, family and colleagues with the intent of benefiting a particular program. Alternatively, instead of giving gifts for holidays, sometimes family and friends will commit to raising money for orphan scholarships or microcredit loans for village women. If you are interested in raising money to benefit our work, please contact Amy Rankin-Williams at amyrw@thegaia.org.
" I plan to travel in Africa and would like to visit GAIA's projects. Is this possible?
" Travel policy (TBA)
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