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Background
As of April 20, 2003, the AIDS
Relief Foundation began doing business as the oneVillage
Foundation. OVF headquarters offices are in San Jose,
California and it has affiliates in Winneba, Ghana,
Ibadan, Nigeria, Arusha, Tanzania and Nairobi Kenya.
OVF is operating under the fiscal sponsorship of the
Institute for African Art and Culture
(Tax ID number 94-272-9947).
Vision
It has been said that there are no meaningful celebrations,
anywhere, without children. The developing world is
all about children and the challenge of building a sustainable
future for them. This notion is most evident to those
who know the names and faces of children and to those
that care for them - local teachers, health-care
workers, parents, emerging entrepreneurs.
Today there are 11 million AIDS orphans worldwide. Just
one child in distress can bring out amazing compassion
and hope in a community, and we will have 40 million
AIDS orphans in the global community by the year 2010.
Children are our teachers in society; if we learn to
listen we can also heal ourselves. That is good reason
to hope for the future. Our vision is to build on hope,
toward a sustainable future.
Mission
Viewing the impact that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has on
the social structure, healthcare system, economic growth
and political stability in our global village, OVF sees
the challenge and opportunity of using Information Communication
Technology (ICT) to address the epidemic while providing
a platform for development. We are devoted to increasing
collaboration and access to ICT in under-served communities,
facilitating local content creation and dissemination,
and building bridges among digital communities globally.
Principles
We honor the wisdom from ancient civilizations. Here,
Yoruba and Chinese cultures are represented to guide
us to see the simple truth as the fundamentals towards
building a harmonic society. OVF embraces diversity
and creativity for positive growth from all cultures.
Ifarada, "Tolerance for Pain"
Tolerance is the first step toward understanding. When
we step beyond fear and judgment and into tolerance
we open ourselves to other points of view and ultimately
enrich our own beliefs.
Suuru, "Forebearance"
Forbearance must be in our very foundation or we will
remain frustrated by those things we cannot control
and overwhelmed with those things we can.
Ifogbontaiyese, "Using existing wisdom to remodel
the world"
The tools for reshaping the world are spread on the
table before us, we need only to extend our hands, pick
them up, and use them.
Ojishe, "Messengers, people in service to others"
Our greatest service is to carry the message of belief
without restriction in one another.
Tao, "True way, knowledge, raw intelligence"
The creative spirit must be revered more than the creation.
Raw intelligence is the birth mother of technology.
Aanu, "Mercy, compassion"
The cultivation of compassion is the source of healing
and seed for world peace. |
