SEATTLE — Global superstar and Grammy award winner Ed Sheeran is teaming up with (RED) and Omaze to fight back against the spread of AIDS. Ed Sheeran recently traveled to West Africa earlier this year for a Comic Relief trip and was deeply moved by the suffering he witnessed, describing his trip as “life-changing.” Recognizing the struggles of impoverished countries, Ed Sheeran has since become a strong advocate for relief efforts, even writing his own magazine article to raise awareness about the suffering of children in Africa and urging others to help as well.
In honor of World AIDS Day on December 1, the (RED) organization and fundraising platform Omaze are giving fans an opportunity to meet Ed Sheeran. Anyone who donates at least $10 to the cause will be entered to win a trip to Los Angeles to receive a personal serenade and pizza party with Ed Sheeran. The funds raised will be donated to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, a partnership organization that has saved 22 million lives. They will be able to provide life-saving medication for HIV-positive mothers in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia.
The medication Ed Sheeran is raising money to provide will prevent babies whose mothers are infected with HIV from being born with the virus, as well as keeping the mothers healthy and allowing them to live longer lives. The medication only costs 30 cents a day, but makes a world of difference in the lives of those affected by AIDS. Every day, 400 babies are born with HIV. The Sub-Saharan African countries that will be receiving the medication are home to the majority of all HIV cases in the world, with 1 in every 25 people affected. These efforts from Ed Sheeran will make sure that more mothers in Africa will have access to life-saving medication for their children and themselves.
– Jenae Atwell
Photo: Flickr