Pap & Porridge Fast for the Children

In South Africa, 1 in 5 adults are HIV-positive. The crisis has left 2.5 million children orphaned, and this number does not even begin to measure the number of children left vulnerable and impoverished, in homes with a single parent, when work is nearly impossible to find.

CHOSA is asking its family and friends to stand in solidarity with these children as we recognize World AIDS Day this year. Millions of South African children are living in poverty as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and thus lack sufficient access to a balanced diet of nutritious foods. These hungry children often have little more to eat than pap and porridge, simple staples of a South African diet made from maize meal. To raise awareness of their plight and raise funds for CHOSA's work, we are calling on you to participate in our Pap & Porridge fast, either by fasting or by sponsoring a member of our Fast Team.

Friends of CHOSA and former volunteers will pledge to eat only pap and porridge for three days, and we are calling on you to pledge a dollar amount for each day of the fast. Every contribution will go directly to the projects we support in South Africa, community-based organizations ensuring that every child is provided not only food, clothing, shelter, and academic enrichment, but the love and hope that every child needs to thrive.

December 1 marks World AIDS Day, a time to remember the millions of lives lost to HIV/AIDS and the children who have been left behind. Most importantly, World AIDS Day is a time to act. This year, we want to stand in solidarity with the children CHOSA serves in South Africa by sacrificing our extensive food choices available to us in the US to bring attention to the hunger and poverty faced by millions of South African children.

CHOSA believes in standing alongside ordinary women and men in South Africa who have an extraordinary passion and commitment to serving the most vulnerable children in their community. We partner with local grassroots organizations, children's homes, and day-care centers that began when these courageous community members saw a need and utilized every resource available to them, at deep personal cost, to meet that need. Every dollar raised through our fast will contribute to these community-based efforts.

If you would like to join our Fast Team, please contact Ellie at ellie@chosa.org to sign up and receive more information, including a pap & porridge recipe!

If you would like to sponsor a member of our Fast Team, please use the donation form to the right and list their name in the "Designation" box when prompted.

Thank you for your support!