Many non-governmental organizations and social celebrities vowed
to help the orphans of AIDS
victims at a press conference held in the State Council Information
Office Friday.
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Hong Kong movie stars Jackie Chan and Andy Lau expressed their
willingness to invite AIDS orphans to live in their homes for a few
days in an effort to allay public discrimination against these
disadvantaged children.
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"Hearing about the second summer camp for the orphans to be held in
Beijing and Hong Kong in August, Jackie quickly respond to the
organizers," said Li Guoqiang, a camp organizer with the China
Youth Concern Committee (CYCC).
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"These orphans will be thrown into the dark and cold in the rest of
their lives if no people really care for them," said Zhang
Chaoyang, chairman of board of directors of Sohu.com, one of
China's biggest web portals, "It is actually a question of life and
death."
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"We have collected donations or efforts from society and made joint
efforts to promote their welfare more effectively," said Wang Bing,
head of the Beijing Huaxia Charity Foundation.
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The current number of children whose parents died from AIDS is
close to 80,000 in China, and it is predicted that the number will
soar to 200,000 in 2010, according to an CYCC official Li
Qimin.
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"Bias, poverty and depression are the biggest problems haunting
these children during their lifetime," Li said.
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In the summer camp last year, the organizing committee spent two
months finding a place for the orphans to stay. They were refused
by nearly 40 hotels and institutions in Beijing, whose owners
feared that receiving them would negatively affect their
businesses.
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But Chinese bias against people with HIV/AIDS is changing.
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Not only have Chinese leaders and high-ranking officials' shaken
hands with HIV/AIDS patients and eaten meals with them in front of
news cameras, many folk activities have also revealed burgeoning
efforts to transform the disease's public image.
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China's second summer camp for the orphans is sponsored by the CYCC
and Beijing Huaxia Charity Foundation. About 60 to 70 orphans, none
of whom are HIV carriers themselves, from various provinces will
attend the camp from August 12 to 17 in Beijing, and they later may
visit Hong Kong.?
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During the camp, 60 to 70 families will be selected to adopt these
kids, to eat and live with them together.
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Just one day before, a publicity campaign was also launched at the
same place, also aimed at stamping out discrimination against these
orphans.
(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2005)