Dec. 1 was World AIDS Day and actors, celebrities and musicians all lined up to show their support to try and fight one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Kanye West, Bono, Chris Martin, Carrie Underwood and Bruce Springsteen all played a concert for (RED) in Times Square last night to help raise awareness for the fight against AIDS.
Ryan Lewis — the producer, dosc jockey and co-songwriter for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis — shared his mother's story dealing with the illness and what he has done since then in launching the 30/30 project. Ryan Lewis took to Instagram to outline the goal of the project and detail his mother's successful fight with the disease, via MTV:
When my mom was diagnosed with HIV, doctors only gave her a few years to live. I was 6 years old. 30 years later she is still alive. She’s alive because she’s strong and has always been a fighter. And she’s alive because she had access to medicine and care that can manage her disease. She’s been lucky. Today, on World AIDS Day, we remember the 39 million people who have died from AIDS since the disease was first recognized in the early 1980’s. And for the 35 million people still living with HIV or AIDS, we continue to work for better access to the medicine and treatment that too many go without. If we can help people across the world get the kind of medicine and care that my mom has received, we can change lives.That’s why we started the 30/30 Project. Based on the principle that health care is a human right, our goal is to build 30 health centers worldwide that will last at least 30 years. Working with Construction for Change, and partnering with international organizations like Partners in Health, we are building facilities to deliver critical medical care where it’s needed most. Our first year has been amazing and you’ve been a big part of it. Since launching the Project in April, we have raised enough money to build five clinics and have had the opportunity to share our story with people all over the world. In two weeks, we’ll finish our first project in Neno, Malawi — a clinic that will serve a community where 1 in 10 people is living with HIV. Your support has made it possible. Thank you. We look forward to an even better year in 2015. @the3030project
A video posted by Ryan Lewis (@ryanlewis) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:30pm PST
You can join the 30/30 project on its website and help contribute to the fight against AIDS in Africa.
