Our future, today.
Charlize Theron, Founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and UN Messenger of Peace
Why did you decide to focus your philanthropy on AIDS?
I can’t remember a time when AIDS wasn’t a presence in my life. As a South African, I saw its impact all around — our neighbours were sick, communities were scared, and people struggled to get drugs for treatment. The stigma surrounding the disease was brutal. But slowly, year by year, our country transformed because of activism and the support of the South African Government and the global community. Now, South Africa has the largest treatment programme anywhere, and the world is on the cusp of seeing our first HIV-free generation. In such a short time, with such a complex disease, we have come further than anyone could imagine, but we are not finished yet. We can’t stop fighting before we truly stop this epidemic, which is why this work is the focus of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Working with partners on the ground, we want to do everything we can to ensure young people don’t become infected with a disease we know how to prevent.
What are some of the challenges facing young people in Africa today?
It’s unconscionable that adolescents are the only group that has not seen a decline in AIDS-related deaths in recent years. In fact, AIDS is the number one killer of adolescents in Africa, and the number two killer of adolescents globally. Young women and girls are especially hard hit. They are often forced to drop out of school, to exchange sex for money or to marry young. Imagine the life of a young girl faced with violence and abuse. Each of these experiences increases their vulnerability to HIV. In South Africa, adolescent girls account for more than 70% of all new HIV infections — approximately 400 per week. It’s an outrage. We must act swiftly, fiercely and collectively to turn this around.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by many things. Seeing a young boy shyly raising his hand in a sex education class for the first time, and witnessing moments when barriers are broken down and people’s differences are not feared but celebrated. Nkosi Johnson remains a great inspiration to me. In his short life, he taught the world something that only a 12-year-old could — in all his innocence he reminded us we are all the same.
I want an HIV-free generation to be the legacy of our generation, and for us to live in a world that embraces what Nkosi stood for — equality, compassion, love. An AIDS-free future can be our future, but everything hinges on this critical moment in time. We have a window of opportunity that won’t stay open forever. Either we intensify our efforts and end AIDS, or we witness the reversal of hard-won gains and see millions of lives impacted.
No matter how big or how small our actions are, we all have the power to make our world better- to raise awareness and resources and to advocate for anyone without a voice. My inspiration is driven by the day when this generation of young people is empowered to lead healthy, productive lives, and when an AIDS-free future is not tomorrow but today.
How AIDS changed everything — MDG 6: 15 years, 15 lesson of hope from the AIDS response celebrates the milestone achievement of 15 million people on antiretroviral treatment — an accomplishment deemed impossible when the MDGs were established 15 years ago.
The story continues at www.whitetablegallery.org
Explore the first exhibition at The White Table Gallery which tells the story of how ‘things’ can have special meanings in the AIDS response.
