Necklaces

First Presbyterian Church

224 Barnwell Avenue NW

Aiken, SC 29801

803.648.2662

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MWANDI INFANT FORMULA PROJECT

First Presbyterian Church, Aiken, SC, has been supporting the Mwandi Mission Hospital Project in Zambia since the early 1990s. Like most sub-Saharan countries in Africa, Mwandi suffers from a high incidence of HIV/AIDS. Many infants are born to HIV-positive mothers. If infants are HIV-negative at birth, they are immediately placed on infant formula to prevent transfer of the HIV virus from the mother via the breast milk. Ida Waddell, a resident missionary in Mwandi, is head of the AIDS Relief Project in the area. She began the infant formula project even though the AIDS Relief Project would not pay for it. It costs about $1/day for each infant on formula. The formula program serves an average of about 40 infants in the program. Ida works hard to collect enough money from many global sources to buy formula for all of these infants. The picture below shows a group of the HIV-positive mothers with infants in the project. The mothers are knitting, crocheting, and sewing to make items to sell to help raise money for the formula.

It is the mission of the of First Presbyterian Church of Aiken, SC, (FPCA) to provide funds for the formula for this ministry so that these babies can be saved from the horror of HIV/AIDS. Since 2009, a group of women at FPCA have made and sold necklaces from specialty yarns. The necklaces are surprisingly simple, attractive, and very affordable. Women also appreciate wearing this symbol of solidarity with mothers in a far away place struggling to provide a hope and a future for their children. Since it began, our project has struck a chord with people well beyond our small community. We have committed to follow the nudging of the Spirit to share the story and the opportunity to join us in this project

Photos of the necklaces are shown below. The necklaces can be made with a metal screw clasp or with knots and a sliding bead.

To order your necklaces, or if you have any questions, please click the following email link: FormulaforLife@aikenpresbyterian.org

Postage ranges from $2-$4 depending on the number of necklaces ordered. Checks should be written to “First Presbyterian Church Aiken,” with a notation that the funds are for “Formula For Life”.

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