Television special screened on Channel Nine
Tuesday, July 11 from 10.30pm -11.30 pm

A television special featuring Jamie Durie who visits families affected by HIV/AIDS living in a rural community in Uganda will be screened on Channel Nine on Tuesday, July 11 at 10:30pm.

Jamie Durie – television personality, Plan Ambassador and Plan child sponsor visited Plan-supported communities in Tororo, eastern Uganda in October 2005 to film the television special on Plan’s work in reducing community vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

“This TV special is a story of survival and hope and highlights the work Plan is doing to slow the effects of HIV/AIDS,” Jamie says. Plan is one of the world’s largest child centred community development organisations that works in 46 developing countries.

The Jamie’s Journey – Hope for Uganda’s Children television special focuses on two of the families featured in an earlier Plan documentary on HIV/AIDS titled Don’t Cry When I’m Gone. “I wanted to meet the people in this film especially Zaituna, a girl of 14 who was orphaned by AIDS and a victim of rape,” Jamie says.

“When I first saw Zaituna in the film, I thought here’s a young girl coping with adult responsibilities at such an early age, her parents have passed away and there’s nobody protecting her,” Jamie says. Zaituna, now 16, and married with a baby of her own, has since tested negative to the HIV virus.

Another person featured in the Plan documentary was Eunice – a mother or four – who has lived with HIV/AIDS for 18 years after contracting the virus from her unfaithful husband. Eunice’s husband died some years ago, but fortunately all her children have tested negative to HIV/AIDS. Through access to antiretrovirals, the drugs that keep the HIV virus under control thus delaying the onset of AIDS, Eunice has regained her health and leads a productive life running her own tailoring shop to support herself and her four children.

Jamie says his first trip to Africa was uplifting because despite the enormity of the problems, communities are fighting back. “They are supporting each other, raising awareness about prevention and breaking down the stigma of being HIV positive. And Plan is there working with these communities making a difference in real terms.”

Jamie says that despite the tragedy of their lives, Eunice and Zaituna’s stories are really about inspiration and hope. “It’s important that people know the facts, but they have to realise the problem is not too big. We can help and Uganda is proving it can be done. They have made a difference and so can we.”

“I went to Uganda to find out how I could support these amazing people. I am doing that in the best way I know how – to communicate their story to as many people as possible, in the hope we can provide more support through child sponsorship or regular donations.

The Jamie’s Journey – Hope for Uganda’s Children TV special will be screened on Channel Nine on Tuesday July 11 from 10.30pm to 11.30pm.

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Tim Cansfield-Smith - Media and communications manager, Plan
0411 642 194

Heather Ellis - Media officer, Plan
0425 720 193