Dutch fashion designer Marlies Dekkers visits MKI Health Information Centre in Khayelitsha

Marlies Dekkers, well known for her designs of gorgeous lingerie, visited our centre on Friday December 4th after having been introduced to MKI and its YOELL project the night before.
Marlies and her two personal assistants first set in on an oral health workshop presented by MKI trainer May Msingathi.
They then showed great interest in MKI’s YOELL project and Marlies shared her dream of wanting to include a YOELL bracelet with her 2011 collection. Yasmin Fuyk, MKI’s operational manager and in charge of the YOELL project, will be working with Marlies and her assistant Manon de Lange.

Pictures: Marlies Dekkers and Yasmin Fuyk at the Dutch Ambassadors party and during Marlies’ visit to the centre in Khayelitsha

Networking in Cape Town during Dutch Ambassadors 2010 party

Even though I am not that interested in football and everything that goes with it, it was a great event on the eve of the drawing for the 2010 world cup championship in South Africa.

On the day of the party and on the day before the party MKI was featured in the well known South African Newspaper “Die Burger” so it was not that surprising that some of the many Dutch people present came to talk and to congratulate me with the award that MKI received, two days before on World AIDS day.

Pictures: Erica Terpstra felt like kissing, while Ruud Gullit and Hans Vonk showed great interest in MKI activities.

A new MKI Health Information Centre, this time in Kayamandi

One day after World AIDS day, Marijke Cordia van der Laan and her daughter Elaine van Reesema cut the red ribbon on the staircase of the new MKI Health Information Centre.
It was the family Cordia who made it possible for us to create our own MKI Centre on top of an existing building of our new partner, the Stellenbosch Gemeente in the township of Kayamandi.
Many people, including many children, participated in the opening ceremony. Speeches, prayers and lots of singing. Before the opening ceremony, Fikiswa, the first manager and trainer of our centre gave a stunning workshop on high blood pressure. She was assisted by Dr. Tom Garven, MKI’s Medical Director for Southern Africa.
The new MKI Centre will not only be serving Kayamandi, but also four other surrounding townships.

Pictures: An unforgettable event in Kayamandi. Marijke and Elaine after cutting the ribbon

MKI salutes Professor Jan du Toit

The Medical Knowledge Institute salutes Prof Jan du Toit the dynamic leader behind the Africa Center for HIV/AIDS management at Stellenbosch University and a distinguish member of MKI’s International Board of Advisors.

Picture: Prof. du Toit at the opening of the 5th anual World AIDS Day Gala Concert

Award for humanitarian efforts in the field of HIV/AIDS for the Medical Knowledge Institute on Worlds AIDS day.

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that our Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) received the Award for Humanitarian efforts in the field of HIV/AIDS from the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University.

This all happened during an overwhelming World AIDS Gala Concert at the Art Gallery in Cape Town. The evening's theme, "Celebrating Heroes", revolved around individuals and organizations who have contributed to the fight against AIDS.

Two individuals and one organization (Ms. Irene Biraro-Seguya from Kenya and Prof. Bongani Aug Khumalo from South Africa) received the 2009 Humanitarian Award.

I received the award on behalf of MKI from Prof. Michael Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under Secretary General of the United Nations and Prof. Jan du Toit, Director of the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management.

All of this in the presence of many dignitaries like Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Premier Minister Helen Zille of the Western Cape, the Counsel General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr. & Mrs. David de Waal and many others.

Dear friends, I received this very special award on behalf of all of us involved in the mission and goals of the Medical Knowledge Institute.

Warm greetings from South Africa,

Harold

Jimmie Earl Perry, MKI’s Goodwill Ambassador appointed first UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for South Africa

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has appointed Professor Jimmie Earl Perry as its first Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS in South Africa in an effort to address the alarming rate of people infected with the disease in the country. The announcement was made by Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr. Michel Sidibe, at the World Aids Day gala concert held at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, produced and directed by Prof. Perry and hosted by Stellenbosch University’s Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management on World Aids Day. Professor Perry, a singer, actor and dancer, is currently the Director of the Centre’s Educational Theatre and Creative Arts Program.

The UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors are prominent individuals from the world of arts, science, literature, entertainment, sport and other fields of public life who have expressed their desire to contribute to UNAIDS and to move the AIDS response forward.

According to Mr Sidibe: “Professor Perry has demonstrated a commitment to the AIDS response through his work with the creative arts and UNAIDS is confident that he will be a compelling and eloquent advocate in fostering continued support for the response and the work of UNAIDS in particular.” He noted that although South Africa has the largest HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world, advocacy remains a crucial first-line approach to keeping HIV high on the agenda.

Professor Perry, who has been involved in HIV/AIDS awareness initiatives since the 80s, says he is honoured and humbled to have been asked to be a Goodwill Ambassador. According to him, his mandate from UNAIDS is to advocate universal access and equality for all and to continue to creatively educate, help prevent and minimize new HIV infections. “If we are to turn this pandemic around South Africans have to really understand what the virus is, how it is spread, that it is not a death sentence thanks to medical treatment and to put an end to the fear and stigma of living with HIV.”

The appointment of Professor Perry brings the total of international Goodwill Ambassadors to eight. The others being Emmanuel Adebayor and Michael Ballack (football stars); Naomi Watts (actress); Salman Ahmad and Toumani Diabaté (musicians); Her Serene Highness Princess Stephanie of Monaco; and Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium. They represent the Joint United Programme on HIV/AIDS, which coordinates the HIV/AIDS work of UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. They raise the profile of work and the fight against stigma and discrimination on HIV issues for every affected population around the world.

We at MKI are proud of our Goodwill Ambassador Perry.

PICTURES: Prof. Jimmie Earl Perry in action, and being congratulated by the Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Presenting Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with the Dutch van Emden Prize on World AIDS day.

MKI’s honorary Chairman, Baron Kraijenhoff should have been the one standing on stage on World AIDS day in Cape Town, South Africa to present Desmond Tutu with the Dutch van Emden Prize. However because of ill health I had the honor to do it. Guup Kraijenhoff had sent the following message:

“Dear Archbishop Tutu,

We consider it an honor that you accept the Van Emden Prize which is awarded outside the Netherlands tonight for the first time.

Your merits have been recognized worldwide but what is so special about you is that you never stopped taking interest in the small charity operations – the grassroots activities and supported them in every way you can.

They have the advantage of remaining flexible and ready to cooperate with other societies. I am thinking here of one organizations with whom you and I have very close ties, the Medical Knowledge Institute MKI.

But there are many more of these “hands-on” organizations, some of them even carry your name that you inspire with your unending love for humanity.

Every society however small needs a champion, a hero, and you are our hero not only tonight but for forever”.

Pictures: Presenting Desmond Tutu with the Van Emden Prize on behalf of Guup Kraijenhoff.