My name is Christopher Ervin. I am the Director of Development for Aniz, Inc. This has been a most auspicious week for me. I have the privilege of participating in two events that speaks to why I work in the community. It should be noted that as we discuss HIV/AIDS, I will be in two of the cities that have been significantly impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. (more…)
Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This day is to highlight the seriousness of HIV and AIDS among women of all ages. We know HIV/AIDS crosses all racial and ethnic lines and that it has no preference regarding age or income. Yet, for Black women, this disease has taken a devastating hold on the community. Approximately half of all women who are infected with HIV are African American. More startling is the fact that it is the leading cause of death for African American women between the ages of 25-34. (more…)
As our mission states, Aniz exists to provide comprehensive health awareness, education and prevention services for the disadvantaged multicultural children, adults, and families, through therapeutic intervention and education. Our goal is to not only to educate the community about HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, teenage pregnancy, mental health and substance abuse but to prevent the spread of the intergeneration spread of these conditions. Aniz is led by the Founder, Zina Age, who has witnessed firsthand grandmothers, their daughters, and their grandchildren all become infected with HIV. It is when she took upon herself to remove the veil of “secrecy, shame, stigma, and guilt” that has led to the persistent high rates of HIV/AIDS, STI’s, teenage pregnancy, and domestic violence in the community. (more…)
