Bristol couple take Aids message to orphans of Africa

A Horfield couple are raising funds so they can help children orphaned by Aids in Africa.

Tessa Moon, 24, and Wayne Blything, 25, are trying to raise £5,000 so they can join a two-week charity project called Kick4Life, which takes place in Lesotho in September 2010.

Youth worker Miss Moon will be helping to teach Aids awareness to children and encouraging them to get tested.

Mr Blything, a student and part-time chef, will be playing football for Kick4Life All Stars, which has been set up by the registered charity.

The team will be playing matches against other teams from the area in front of hundreds of supporters, and will be delivering Aids education work before and after the games.

In order to raise funds, the couple, of Ralph Road, have entered all sorts of sporting events around the city.

Miss Moon said: "We have completed the Frenchay 10k run in April and we also had a particularly hard challenge called Tough Guy Challenge, which we completed in July this year.

"This event consisted of an eight-mile cross country run followed by four miles of obstacles where we had to climb up cargo nets, swim through lakes, run through fire, electric shock fences and scramble through tunnels.

"We have recently completed the Great South Run and we have many more events lined up."

She explained why they had decided to go to Africa.

"Lesotho is one of the worst-affected countries," she said.

"The disease is leaving many orphaned children with little hope for the future. The greatest barrier to overcoming the Aids crisis is education.

"There are still many cultural myths surrounding Aids, for example, that sleeping with a virgin or a baby will make you immune to the disease. I will work with adults and children to help dispel these myths and to help people in Lesotho understand the dangers of Aids."

The £5,000 the couple is raising will go towards organising the tour, delivering Aids education work and includes a large donation towards the development of a Community Football Centre, which will help tackle Aids through football games.

For more information, visit www.kick4life.org and to donate go to visit www.justgiving.com/wayneand tessa/.