The 4th Summer Camp for Children Affected by AIDS was held in BeijingSupported by UNICEF and other national and international partners, the fourth Summer Camp for Children Affected by AIDS was successfully held in Beijing, China between 3rd and 7th August, 2007, with a ministerial-level attendance from the Health, Education and Civil Affairs authorities and Heads of national mass organizations. This high level advocacy event advocated "listening and responding to the need of children and families affected by HIV/AIDS". Using photographs and drawings, children voiced out their needs for medications to keep their parents alive, for friends to play with them, and for affection from teachers, classmates, relatives and the whole community.
In an art competition as part of the Summer Camp, Xiao Liang (not his real name), a 16 year old boy who lives with his grandmother after losing his parents to AIDS, pictures his dream of getting all the love and affection he can get, from teachers, classmates, the family, and the community.
During the summer camp children attended interactive trainings on child rights and on how to work with the mass media in speaking out their needs and held a dialogue with media representatives. A few days was also spent with their Beijing local host families, with whom they build long-term bondage when they return to their hometown. The Summer Camp is organized by China National Committee for the Care of Children (CNCCC), a mass organization dedicated to protecting the rights and welfare of children.
From the events inception in 2004 when no hotel in Beijing was willing to host children whose parents died from AIDS or living with HIV, to now when many Beijing residents volunteered to take home these 70 children from 8 provinces hard hit by the epidemic, giant strides have been made in mobilising public support children affected by HIV/AIDS.
David Mcloughlin, Deputy Representative of UNICEF China, spoke at the opening of the summer camp.
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