We lived in the hospital and were immediately struck by the extraordinary difference to their lives compared to what we were used to in Australia. For me it was a wonderful medical adventure, being able to treat many desperately sick people and perform surgery that was unheard of for a young inexperienced Australian trained doctor.
Dear Friends,
On Matthew and Jane Gray’s recent trip to South Africa to visit and support our work at the African AIDS Foundation, Jane became aware it was on a special date for our family. 50 years since our family moved to South Africa To work and live amongst the Zulu people who were living impoverished lives in the Drakensburg mountains.
We soon discovered that wonderful “modern medicine” was ineffective to deal with social and political inequalities and so started to introduce educational programs and basic nutritional support coupled with sundry other activities.
For all our efforts when we returned to Australia after nine years the problems remained.
In the year 2000 we returned to visit our home and hospital. This was a demoralising trip in that we found 40% of young mothers coming into our hospital to give birth were positive for HIV/AIDS. They all died, with one quarter of their babies contracting HIV at birth and ultimately dying, the other two thirds of their babies became orphans.
We returned to Australia and that is when African AIDS Foundation was started in an effort to care for the enormous numbers of orphans created by this disaster. Since then many people have supported us with generous donations. We still work with very deprived needy young and old people and are able to make a difference in their lives.
Rosalie and I have aged and have health issues which reduces our abilities but are blessed that the work continues.
Jane and Matthew Gray have shouldered the burden, and we are honoured now to have a wonderful group in South Africa and Kenya who sacrificially provide help for their own people.
We are working with the most deprived of human beings to uplift them and to be able to learn the lessons that we can hopefully teach our own children.
Therefore Rosalie and I would be very grateful for any financial support you could give us.
Amazingly the needs are no less that we confronted fifty years ago but the rewards are great
With thanks,
Dr John Schwarz
Chairman
An update on Alondwe
We rejoice that a precious starfish in South Africa is one step closer to living life to the full!
Alondwe's first ever surgery occurred just after he turned 10 on 17 June 2025.This admission was into a generous private South African hospital and involved an ICU and a ward stay. Yesterday Alondwe returned to his village with much jubilation expressed by many who love him!
Alondwe and his mum asked us to thank all the Aussies who have "made our dream come true".
Importantly, Alondwe's operation also involved an extensive foot reconstruction and so his passion for soccer may now eventuate with a hearty soccer ball kick!
Our hearts are full of gratitude for a tiny organisation in Camden that has networked with our grassroots friends in Africa to achieve enormous hope and changed lives to forgotten children in Africa
Please remember us in your EOFY donations. We have so many more desperate starfish in need of life saving treatments!
May God bless and keep you all,
With thanks
Dr Jane Gray
Deputy chair
All proceeds go directly towards AAF projects in Africa. All donations are tax deductible.