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Last Updated: 5/18/2009

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Thursday, May 07, 2009 

Whilst going through a process of review, we have decided to make a significant change to help us build credibility and raise awareness of our work in the future. iThemba AIDS Foundation (founder of Engagehivaids.com) is changing its name to EngageHIV Foundation. This name will help us to be more distinctive in the HIV arena, which is crucial for a small organisation. We want our supporters and partners to be clear about who we are in terms of our values and ethos and vision to bring hope to people affected by HIV and AIDS. And, after all, engaging people is at the heart of all that we do.

We engage local partners on the ground and help enable them to bring hope to their communities. We engage young people in the UK and US through Engagehivaids.com so they can play a part in responding to the HIV crisis. And, we increasingly want to engage our supporters not only to give financially, but to pray for the work and become involved in other ways through advocacy and volunteering.

Having consulted with the staff team and some supporters, the Board of Trustees feels that now is the right time to change our name, before we make any more progress in building awareness in the UK, US and Africa.

We’re keeping our look the same, because our name may be changing, but our vision, values and way of going about our work all remain unchanged. And, we’re still partnering with the same projects on the ground as we enable local churches and faith-based organisations to respond to the HIV crisis in their communities. You’ll recognise the half sun in our logo: a reminder that EngageHIV is still about bringing hope to people affected by HIV and AIDS.

Thank you for your support and stay engaged with us!

Our new web address is www.engagehiv.org.

 

  

 

1:09 PM 
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008 
The summer is over and the school year and work are back into full swing... It was great to see so many of you over the various festivals and gigs and all of us at Engage are so grateful for your support and friendship.

Now that we're all back into the swing, it's a good time to check on two things:

1. Have you signed up for the Engage E List yet? The E List is just an email from Tre every 6 weeks or so that keeps you up to date and builds the community for action. You'll never be spammed and you can leave anytime :) To sign up, email Tre on tre@engagehivaids.com and get him to sign you up!

2. Have you considered making Engage/iThemba your school or workplace's charity of the year? It's an easy way to engage more people and also help support the work on the ground! We can help you out with getting it started, so simply email tre@engagehivaids.com if you'd like more information. At the beginning of the summer, Monkton Combe School wrapped up their Engage Partnership with a tremendous donation to the work on the ground of more than £8000!! Maybe your school or workplace could top that?

Remember, every penny goes straight to absolutely vital work on the ground in Africa with our partner projects serving and bringing hope to those in the midst of the HIV and AIDS crisis.

Thanks again for your support :)

Stay Engaged,
The Engage Team
4:18 PM 
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Sunday, July 13, 2008 

Monkton Combe School, located in Bath, England adopted iThemba AIDS Foundation as their charity of the year over the past term. They raised an astonishing £7900 so far with donations still coming in!

"We are so impressed with the hard work and creative strategies of the students and faculty at Monkton Combe. It was a tremendous honour for us to partner with the school and we have been overwhelmed with their hearts and generosity. The money they have raised will serve so many and we are very grateful indeed." Tre Sheppard, the director EngageHIVAIDS.com, said after attending the school's end of year charity service and report.

If you'd like to partner with Engage/iThemba through your school, please contact us at info@engagehivaids.com

12:16 PM 
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Friday, May 16, 2008 

The letter below was received by one of iThemba's partners who provide home-based care services and ensure that orphans and vulnerable children are cared for after their parents have died. It shows just how much this work means to people infected by HIV/AIDS as they face leaving their children behind. We hope you find it encouraging to see the difference your support can make to the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS.

 

20th October 2007

 

"You know I'm very sick at the moment. My family rejects me and my children. You know I don't have any income in my house.  I know I don't have a long time to live. Please please look after my children.

 

"I want to thank you and the staff as well as your volunteers for washing me and cleaning my house. Your assistance helps me a lot even for my children.  The porridge your staff bring every morning to me, your prayers even in the morning, it gives me hope and strength.

 

"Even on a spiritual level I am lying here in my bed having conversations with God. I know he will come and take me one of these days. I think I am prepared. Please take care of my children and see that they are in the right care when I am not there anymore.

 

"God will bless your organisation more. Keep on doing good to the community. I am tired now. I feel like sleeping. Good night. I love you for the persons you are.

 

"With lots of love, X"

12:12 PM 
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Saturday, December 22, 2007 
Hi everyone,

You can tune in and catch EngageHIVAIDS Director Tre Sheppard along with Engage Friend Trevor Finlay live on Radio Cracker on Dec 23 from 9:50 to 10:30 am tomorrow (Dec 23).

They'll be talking about the work of Engage and iThemba and Tre will likely sing a few songs live as well, so tune in here on the web:

Radio Cracker

Have a Merry Christmas and stay engaged!!

The Engage Team
12:02 PM 
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Thursday, December 06, 2007 
It's almost here... Onehundredhours Magic Christmas gig to benefit Engage and iThemba AIDS Foundation is tomorrow night (Friday Dec 7). A few tickets are still available and you can get tickets on the door, so check below for booking information.

There will be a big Every Copper Counts collection point at the gig, so bring what you've collected and we'll make sure it all gets counted, bagged, deposited and sent on to the people and projects on the ground who need it most. Every copper will count.

So come on down, and bring what you've collected!

Hope to see you there,
Engage

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4:00 PM 
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Friday, November 16, 2007 
The End of an Era and a Magic Christmas...

Gentle Readers,

As promised, I have some big news. Two big pieces of news actually!

Ten years ago, a band called Chump played its first proper gig at an event called Keith and Tre's Magic Christmas on the Highfield Oval. (Anyone remember?!!)

Though we had played together once before at a conference a couple of months previously, this was the first gig where we knew we were a band, you know?

And in the ensuing ten years we've had an amazing journey... Songs, friendships, miles and miles of travel and many, many decibels of volume. At every little twist in the road, we'd always be amazed that God had allowed us to go this far...

So here we are at the newest turning in the journey. Paul James Baker, founding Hour and the five star General of Rhythm is hanging up his sticks and retiring from the rock n roll business. A small baby is on the way to join the Baker clan (hurrah!!!) and Pabs is going to be pursuing his Masters Degree and a new cricket coaching venture, serving children in need.

Though I've been chatting this through with Pabs for quite a few months now, it's still hard to imagine not having him behind me as we crash into the darkness, looking for the light.

Still, the Hours know there are many more songs to be sung... many more walls to be kicked down... many more waiting for the silence to be broken.

And we will not shrink from that task.

But we want to mark this turning in the road in a very special way... So we decided to have one final gig with the one and only Pabs on drums before his replacement, the extraordinary Tim Cooke takes over the reins.

And what better way to do that than to play a gig in the same place, around the same date, exactly ten years later as that first Chump gig?!

So we'd like to invite you to join us for a very special night of rock n roll and memories. Onehundredhours Magic Christmas is going to be something.

The flyer is below, but I should let you know that we'll be playing songs from all ten years of the Hours, including a few that you might not have heard for quite some time:)

It's going to be a one off indeed. We're expecting loads of friends and family and as we're a big family, that means you:)

As the venue, the Highfield Oval Chapel is not very big, you really need to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Tickets are only £5 and the night will benefit EngageHIVAIDS and the iThemba AIDS Foundation's work in Africa serving those in the midst of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

So don't delay, email info@onehundredhours.com or call 07748561221 for tickets and please do join us for this celebration of ten years and special farewell gig with Paul.

Well, the rest of the road awaits and there's still time to change the world, eh?

Be well,
Tre and the Hours


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10:54 PM 
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Monday, September 24, 2007 
Hi everyone,

The Engage Text Service is changing! In an effort to better manage the text service, we'll be dropping the number of weekly texts from 3 per week to 2 per week. The £6 charge for the service will remain the same as will the content of facts, updates and prayers for the HIV/AIDS crisis for the Engage Community. Thanks to our policy of 100% action, all of your £6 donation will go directly to the work on the ground.

Of course, if you'd rather not continue the Engage Text Service due to this change or for any other reason, please let us know via email and we'll remove you immediately. Hopefully though, many of you will not only stay on, but invite and encourage your friends to join as well!!

Contact us at: info@engagehivaids.com

Thanks everyone,
The Engage Team
10:13 AM 
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Saturday, July 07, 2007 
Every Copper Counts campaign
Make every copper count! It's simple.

We're asking you to collect coppers and donate the money to the work of iThemba AIDS Foundation through the Engage network. Every copper will quite literally count because 100% of your donation will go to the work on the ground in Africa, bringing hope to people affected by the devastation of HIV/AIDS. iThemba trustees cover the running costs of the charity so all the money you collect will make a difference to people's lives. And please don't stop at coppers – we wouldn't say no to silver or notes as well!

The idea is to use bottles, jars or tins to collect the money and we will provide you with Every Copper Counts stickers to decorate your collecting tins. You may like to leave them with friends, family, local businesses, schools and churches and then just collect the money regularly and pay it into the bank. Check out our Supported Projects at www.engagehivaids.com to find out more about the people you will be helping in sub-Saharan Africa.

Please order your stickers from info@engagehivaids.com or collect some from Tre and the band at Onehundredhours gigs throughout the summer.

The idea behind Every Copper Counts came from Engage member Emma, from Northern Ireland ...

"I really wanted to get involved with EngageHIVAIDS and be a part of bringing hope to Africa but I didn't have much to give personally. I knew I could give my time and my action though, so I just started asking my friends and family for all of their pennies... I figured that all of that small change added up would make a difference. And that's how I came up with the name... because every copper does count!"

A big thank you to Emma for all the money she has raised so far and for this brilliant idea!

Paying money in:

Please take the money to your nearest Natwest Bank and pay the money into the account of: iThemba AIDS Foundation, Sort Code 60-07-03, Account No. 71396314. Thank you for your support.
2:36 AM 
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Sunday, June 10, 2007 
So, fresh from almost 30 days in the studio and a gig at Passion '07 in Stoke, I headed to Milton Keynes today. Tonight started with an email that got lost, strangely enough. The guy who made it all happen, Jay, had emailed me about a benefit event for EngageHIVAIDS.com he was organising in Milton Keynes, but unfortunately, his email went into the wrong folder and almost six months late I found it.... sheesh.

I called Jay to apologise for the email fiasco and he asked me if there was any chance I could come and speak about EngageHIVAIDS for the "Freedom" event he organises. Together we worked the diary until we found a date and it was great to finally make tonight happen.

Jay had promoted the event very well indeed and loads of people had packed into the 800 year old church to find out how they could engage with the HIV/AIDS crisis... it meant so much to me to look out at such a crowd of varied ages and colours and backgrounds desiring to do something for the neediest people in the world.

It was quite poignant for me to be honest as I had watched the news over the weekend and was dismayed to see the coverage of the G8 summit and the failure of the world's richest nations to keep their promises to the world's poor bumped by wall to wall footage of Paris Hilton and her return to jail for drunk driving.

But tonight was all about the hope and I am so grateful for the generosity of so many tonight from Milton Keynes. 100% of the funds you gave will go to projects across Africa supported by EngageHIVAIDS and the iThemba AIDS Foundation.

More than the funds though, what touched me tonight was the passion of the many young people I spoke with. They know there's something wrong with the way the world works now, and they want to change it... they want to see the hope of God break through the despair of poverty and HIV/AIDS.

They know that there's still time to change the world.

I'm with them.

Be well,
Tre
5:14 PM 
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