It gives me great pleasure to see this website up and running so the world can finally hear Reagan’s story of hope. Reagan’s Pledge is the brainchild of RFFA President Marion Bunch who has her own personal story of tragic loss through HIV/AIDS. I first met Marion just over 3 years ago. From our first meeting I felt like I had known her all my life. Her passion for making a significant contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS knows no boundaries. It first led her to set up RFFA and in my view build it into the most successful Rotarian Action group ever. 

It is through her tireless activities for RFFA that led her to meet Reagan in my home country Kenya. That story is as touching as it is impactful and is the basis for this site. As an African who has also suffered personal loss through HIV/AIDS, I am proud to have been asked by Marion to get The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation to assist in getting Reagan’s Pledge up and running. 

Our association with Marion through RFFA has helped thousands of orphans and vulnerable children, just like Reagan, have a fighting chance to make it in life and Reagan’s Pledge is yet another innovation that will raise significant awareness and resources to meet the enormous challenge of assisting the over 12 million orphans and vulnerable children living in Africa today. 

Good luck Reagan and thank you for inspiring us all!

William Asiko
President
The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation
Johannesburg, South Africa

Through our RFFA Board we have received this letter from an American Rotarian currently in Nairobi visiting the Mathare area where RFFA does a lot of work.  Eric Jacobson is a member of the Rotary Club of Flower Mound in Texas and here is his letter:

I am working right now in the Mathare Valley slums of Nairobi and with some of the very AIDS orphans that RFFA is assisting.  The poverty is unimaginable.  Rotary is doing something very, very incredible here – giving love and hope where few others venture.  I have had a wonderful meeting with the Rotary leaders here and pass you their deepest gratitude.  I have found myself spontaneously crying more in the past few days here than in the past few years combined.  It is completely wrong for any children on this earth to have to live this way and I have found myself angry with God as I struggle with it.  AIDS is a double whammy here and what Rotary and a few other orgs (my wife’s NGO www.alarm-inc.org is another) are doing here is powerful and at this point makes what I do for a living seem ridiculously insignificant.

Please, PLEASE support this cause as I can not imagine a more significant place on this earth where it could be equally felt.  Dig deep and make a difference here and I can assure you that I will bring you back pictures that will cause you to know how worthy this is of your contribution.

Please if you can not make it to the auction tonight then make the basic contribution to be an RFFA member.  I am a fairly new Rotarian as you all know but one of the things that drew me to this amazing org was the hearts of the people in it.  For years, our predecessors stood together to fight Polio and they were relentless.  This is the new war we are fighting.  As your fellow Rotarian, I want to ask each of you to please become a RFFA member and give the small amount that is required of such.  I am sorry but I feel that if we can go to an amazing Rotary fundraiser like Vine and Dine that costs us $200 per couple, then we can certainly put out $100 to stand with our fellow Rotarians over here working full time in this effort.  Could we please have 100% participation from the Flower Mound Rotary?

I would appreciate your prayers for my health and safety while here for another week and then an additional week in Uganda.  I will be working with AIDS orphans as well up there.  Today, I just dressed as a clown and  brought them soccer balls and shoes and gave them something to smile about.  However, these Rotary heroes are doing something much bigger than that and we will find a cure in our lifetimes.

God Bless,

Eric Jacobson

Hello Marion…

It was a pleasure meeting you in Vienna at the Emory/Speranza Foundation reception! I work for a small company in San Francisco that is building a portable test for HIV that can be used in Africa; we’re hoping to expand testing for early infant diagnosis.

I was touched by your story of how you began working with the Rotarians. My mother also lost a son (my older brother) – not to HIV, but an automobile accident when he was 19. I can appreciate the resources you have marshaled in the effort toward fighting HIV/AIDS.

If there is any way I can help your efforts, please let me know!

Cheers,
Laura Mazzola
San Francisco, CA

Dear Friends,

A few years ago I heard Marion at a Rotary Institute, and like most who hear her, I needed to hear more of the story and needed to hear how one could help.

Also some years ago, a Rotarian friend of mine had a son who died of AIDS related causes. No one knew what to do or what to say. The father was devastated and seemed lost for quite a few years thereafter.

When I contrast what Marion has done out of a tragedy compared to my friend, I see that determined strategic activism is the direction that helps to heal and also saves others from the consequenses of this awful disease.

Marion is one of the most impressive Rotarians I have ever met. She regularly visits where RFFA programs are benefitting young children who have been orphaned through HIV/AIDS related issues. Even though I have not met Reagan, I truly think I know him as Marion has brought his story and the stories of so many others to us in such a vivid way.

Rotarian Action Groups such as RFFA can do so much working with cooperative partners and with Rotarians throughout the world. Groups such as RFFA help the lives of kids and also serve as laboratories for effective action for much larger entities. The work of Marion, RFFA’s partners and Rotarians enrich those we seek to help and also all of us as we learn to become more compassionate and more circumspect about our own station in life and the good grace that we have benefitted from.

One needs only to look at the recent posting of the kid at the dump to see that RFFA needs our support.

Mike McGovern
Rotary Club of South Portland, Maine USA
RI Vice Presdent 2007-2008
Board Member of RFFA 2009-

I am Jerry’s older brother Austin. My brother John’s life was taken by a drunk driver when he was only 19, then a few years later when Jerry lost his battle with AIDS, it left me as the only surviving son in our family. It’s been some comfort to me to see that Jerry’s spirit lives on to inspire positive change, not only here in the U.S., but also as a global effort with our mom Marion as a part of RFFA.

I wish my brothers could have seen my children grow up, and that I could call them up for advice. However, I have hope that with the efforts of a world-wide organization helping to fight AIDS, that future advances will be made so that other families will not have to lose a family member to this disease as we did. I feel proud of Marion’s work in the RFFA with the African children who’s lives have been affected by AIDS to help them live better lives, and feel that my brothers are smiling upon her efforts.

Sincerely,
Austin W. Bunch III

Marion Bunch is an individual who continues to impress me with her drive and determination. I know she and RFFA will achieve much, but they can’t do it without support. So please forward this blog to everyone you know, and together we can all feel like we’ve had a part in the solution. Marion is my aunt and I am very proud of her!

Polly Bunch Cantor
Denver, Colorado

Dear Marion:

Many thanks for coming to Los Angeles to share your wonderful story and work at RFFA with D5280’s
Rotarians on Tuesday, January 10 at the Westin LAX.  Your passion and caring shone through the grim
statistics of the plight of the 15 million orphans in sub-Sahara Africa, and acquainted us with a well-
organized and operated organization that provides them with hope, and our Rotary clubs a way to lend
a hand.  My only regret is not knowing about you and RFFA earlier when I was in Atlanta for the
National Social Studies Conference back in November!

The clip showing Reagan expressing his dream to be a leader someday, was touching, especially as
our current leader Barack Obama as a youngster expressed a similar wish to become a president in an
essay to his third grade teacher.  President Obama is the subject of my two latest releases published
by Pacific Heritage Books, MEET PRESIDENT OBAMA: America’s 44th President (ages 6-9)
and BARACK OBAMA: Historymaker (ages 10 through adult), recently honored with the
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.

As RFFA incorporates one of Rotary International’s focuses, literacy, in its mission and seeks partners
with community organizations and businesses to support the KIDZ Clubs, I would like to relay the
interest of Pacific Heritage Books in partnering with you to bring both books, and perhaps some of its
other children’s titles, to the clubs and the children they serve.  Because we are a small independent
publisher, we are unable to make large monetary donations, but we would like to and can offer our
quality publications to RFFA at a special courtesy discount so many children can enjoy them.

Please accept complimentary copies of our children’s books for your consideration and enjoyment.
We look forward to hearing from you should you be interested in partnering in bringing any or all
of them to RFFA’s KIDz Clubs and their members.

Yours in Rotary service,

Angi Ma Wong
Past President, Palos Verdes Sunset Rotary
Sr. Asst. Gov. D5280, Special Projects 2009-2010

As I look at my two healthy teenagers, with two living parents, my heart is broken by the impact of the AIDS pandemic on the children of Africa. It is imperative that those of us who can do something to create more Reagans in Africa, children who without our help will have no future.

We can make such a difference in the lives of the children of Africa due to actions we take today. Without an education, no child has a future. And every child deserves a chance at a future.

Cathie Brumfield
magnoliafinancial.com