Women of color around the world are being devastated by HIV/AIDS. The disproportionate concentration of HIV/AIDS among black women in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the United States is striking. Gender and racial inequality, lack of both prevention education and quality healthcare, poverty, and abuse are all contributing factors to a high rate of HIV infection. What many do not know is that the incidence of HIV infection among African American women living in some areas of the United States often meets or exceeds the rate of HIV among the women of Sub-Saharan Africa. Sadly, AIDS-related deaths among black women are unraveling the very fabric of the family. The loss of a generation of black women is leaving children orphaned, communities devastated, and will forever change the course of history. As with other tragedies in the history of the world, silence and indifference are killers.

All of Us have the power to take a stand and help women around the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS — by learning about the magnitude of the epidemic, volunteering, praying, and speaking out. One of the best ways that YOU, one person, can help in this fight is to support income-generation programs. These programs help women gain access to proper medical care and nutrition and provide them a pathway to self-sufficiency, creating life-changing opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities. Nomsa’s support of income-generation programs makes these opportunities a reality – but only with your involvement. So rather than simply donating money, we ask that you authentically care, get involved, and use your purchase power as a way of joining the fight.

Nomsa AIDS Project is a social enterprise created to support community-based organizations that serve Africans and African-Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Nomsa sells beadwork handmade by Zulu women in South Africa who are infected and affected by HIV. The women are trained in the ancient skill of traditional beadwork as part of an income-generation program. The purchase of the beadwork provides income and allows the beaders to move themselves and their families out of poverty. Nomsa AIDS Project sells the beadwork in the United States and 100% of the profit supports HIV/AIDS organizations in Africa and the United States.