MSU commemorated World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 with a symposium focusing on the millions of children in Sub-Saharan Africa who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The program, No Place to Hide World AIDS Day Symposium, featured presentations of scholastic work and student field projects in addition to a showing of the video, No Place to Hide. The program was presented by the Office for International Students and Scholars, the African Studies Center and Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience (MRULE) and was held in the Delia Koo International Center.

Jeanne Gazel, director of MRULE, helped organize the symposium. She has worked in Africa since 1989 and teaches an MSU undergraduate course with a special focus on the global AIDS pandemic.

World AIDS Day is when we look at where we are as a global community and look at what more needs to be done, Gazel said. She explained that Sub-Saharan Africa is of special concern because 13 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS live in the region. That figure is expected to reach 18 to 20 million by 2010, according to UNAIDS/UNICEF. Currently, 90 percent of all children orphaned by HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa.

The program included presentations of academic work from Ken Ombonga Ongaga, an MSU Ph.D. candidate, who spoke about HIV/AIDS education programs in rural Kenyan schools; Sheba Onshiri, who spoke about the impact of HIV/AIDS on gender in Sub-Saharan Africa; and Andrea Freidus, a second-year Ph.D. student in MSUs anthropology department, who discussed transnational organizations role in raising orphans in Malawi.

The student group presentations included:

MRULE Offers students in residence halls opportunities to increase knowledge and understanding of what they can do to contribute to positive race relations in their lives and on campus, according to MRULEs Web site, mrule.msu.edu.

Family of Strength Organization A group of MSU students who have come together to offer services and care to orphans and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa struck by the HIV/AIDS crisis, according to the groups site, www.msu.edu/~foso/.

Serving Citizens of Uganda Today, Because Africa Needs A New Ambulance SCOUT BANANA is MSU student Alex Hills nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical supplies to Uganda. Visit it online at www.scoutbanana.org.

Nyaka School A school for AIDS orphans in Uganda. Visit online at www.nyakaschool.org.

Face AIDS A student campaign raising $1 million to fight AIDS in Africa. Visit online at www.faceaids.org.

Additional events on campus included a showing of the film "A Closer Walk" and a 12-hour fundraising "Dance-a-Thon" in support of Partners in Health's Rwanda project.

Kristin V. Johnson, ISP news intern