Challenges

According to the World Health Organization, of the 34.3 million people in the world who have AIDS -- nearly 24.5 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. 3.8 million of them are children under the age of 15. (CONTINUE)

Relief workers are warning that 70% of Malawi's 10 million people in East Africa are at risk of starvation. Some workers say that hundreds of people have already died of hunger within the last few months. "People are trying to find food wherever they can -- however they can," one official noted. "If that means selling the few possessions they have -- such as clothing or cooking utensils -- they will do it. These are desperate times for millions of people!" (CONTINUE)

Catastrophic flooding is killing thousands of men, women and children in the east African nation of Mozambique. "Helicopters have been working furiously to rescue as many people as possible," one report states. "Some people have been trapped on the highest branches in treetops - trying to keep their heads above water. Others are clinging to anything that will stay afloat." (CONTINUE)

"By the year 2010, it is estimated that 20 million African children will have lost their parents because of disease," cites a recent U.N. report on the plight of children. The report was presented at an international conference recently held in South Africa. "Disease will kill more adults leaving more children orphaned in Africa than any large scale war!" the study went on. (CONTINUE)

Results from a recent study of current living conditions throughout Africa report that more than one billion people do not have enough clean water to provide for their basic human needs. As a result, more than 2,500 children are dying each day. (CONTINUE)

Unsafe drinking water can carry diseases such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, intestinal worm infections, dengue, and schistosomiasis - as well as bacteria that can lead to deadly diarrheal infections. (CONTINUE)