AIDS Centre

When I was here in the early 2000's, I was quite involved with a group in Hillcrest that runs the AIDS Center, and today we decided to go for a visit. It has grown sooo much, with masses of bead and wire work, a big indigenous nursery, a sewing and craft area and of course the offices and nurses quarters. The store has so much stuff in it that it's difficult to take it all in. The young woman who runs the craft area, Paula, is still there and her Mum Jill, is also still there.

And of course there are no coincidences.

I could have gone in any day I've been here, but no, I wenttoday and they both said they had just been thinking about me! I didn't realize that the article I did in Country Life put them on the map! And Paula said she had just written to them and given them the story of how it all came about. And here I was today, thinking

about calling the magazine! Hmmm - karma.

I bought a couple of little things - Little

Travellers - that are taking the world by storm. Each one has it's own story and the Centre is shipping them all over the world. There is a doctor in Canada who has sold so many of them for the Centre that they recently received a check from him for R500,000 which is about $60,000. Not bad for tiny little beaded people. Money like that makes the world of difference to the people who come to the Centre daily for HIV/AIDS care.

It was really good to see them again.