People living with HIV and AIDS

South Africa suffers from one of the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rates in the world, with almost one in five adults infected. The crisis has been exacerbated by a long period of government inaction. After a protracted struggle by grassroots advocates, the government did enact a national program to provide free antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to those in need in 2004, but distribution of ARVs has been painfully slow. In the meantime, nearly half of all deaths in the country are a result of AIDS. While ARVs have made it possible for people with financial means to live long and fulfilling lives, without the appropriate care, AIDS is absolutely devastating. The poor are disproportionately affected as they await access to free treatment and struggle to purchase the nutritious food necessary to sustain life and keep them healthy while on ARVs. With a weakened immune system, other illness (such as malaria and TB) can be fatal and work and child care become difficult. Lack of access to information has led to confusion about the disease, its transmission, and its treatment and led to a rise in stigma and discrimination faced by those with HIV and AIDS.

Women in South Africa, who face gender-based discrimination both economically and socially, are at a higher risk of contracting HIV. Women often lack the authority to assert their sexual rights, such as insisting their partners use condoms or remain faithful. High rates of gender-based violence also contribute to the epidemic as South Africa has the highest reported incidence of rape in the world.

Artisans at Wola Nani make beaded bracelets and napkin rings, papier maché bowls and picture frames, decorative light bulbs and tea lights, and cards. Most products are brightly colored and certified "Proudly South African," a campaign designed to encourage the growth of socially responsible South African businesses.

Wola Nani's beaded AIDS Ribbon patches are a meaningful blend of a traditional craft with a modern symbol. The beaded square is a Zulu symbol for a love letter, and the colors used in its creation represent the hopes and desires of those who wear it. The red AIDS ribbon is beaded into Wola Nani's love letters to signify the hope and desire for widespread acceptance of the virus and a path to its end.

The papier maché bowls sold by GGP are made solely out of recycled paper. Each bowl takes about four hours to make. The design was inspired by a very popular South African fabric called shwe shwe, worn by the Xhosa people. Shwe shwe consists of white designs on a red, blue, or brown background. It is made with a very specific process in which fabric is fed through copper rollers with designs etched into their surfaces and covered in weak acid, bleaching the material in the design of the shwe shwe pattern.

Region: Southern Africa

Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)

Population: 49,109,107 (2010)

Size: Slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, English, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, other

Major religions: Christian (83.5%)

Life expectancy at birth: 49.2 years, 10th lowest in the world

HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 18.1%, 4th highest in the world

HIV/AIDS deaths: 350,000, highest in the world (2007)

Population below poverty line: 50%

Unemployment: 24%; youth unemployement rate (ages 15-24) is 46.9%

Did You Know: Soweto's Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Prize winners, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former president Nelson Mandela. Both won the prestigious Peace Prize, Tutu in 1984, Mandela in 1993.

All statistics from CIA World Factbook 2010 and UNData

Despite having the most robust economy in Africa, producing 9% of the continent's economic activity, South Africa has the second highest number of AIDS patients in the world and is still recovering from years of apartheid. Its past, as well as the instability generated by the AIDS epidemic, have led to much inequality amongst South Africans.

Apartheid's Legacy
Apartheid refers to a series of policies instituted by South Africa's white minority government from 1948 to 1992 to discriminate against non-whites. Most of South Africa's diverse ethnic groups were forced to live in designated areas, prohibited from voting, and denied equal access to services such as health, education, and jobs. Growing internal violence coupled with intensifying international condemnation led then-president Frederik Willem de Klerk to begin dismantling the system and transitioning to democratic rule. South Africa's first free elections took place in 1994 and Nelson Mandela, a central leader in the fight against apartheid, was elected as the country's first black president. The legacy of apartheid can still be seen today in the country's vast racial inequalities. Blacks, who make up over three quarters of the population, suffer from low levels of education, employment, and income. More than 50% of blacks (but only 3% of whites) live below the poverty line.

HIV and AIDS
With 5.5 million people infected with HIV, South Africa has the second highest number of HIV/AIDS patients in the world and the highest number in all of Africa. South Africans spend more time attending funerals than getting hair cuts, going to barbecues, or shopping. Much of this tragedy can be attributed to the government's previous neglect of the issue, as former president Thabo Mbeki and other members of government disputed the effectiveness of providing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for treatment. However, the government's response to the crisis is improving; in 2010, under President Jacob Zuma, South Africa launched a major counseling and testing campaign seeking to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Looking Forward
Despite the challenges, South Africa is also upheld for its diversity, and is sometimes referred to as a "rainbow nation." The country's history is rooted in social justice; two universally significant philosophies were born in South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi lived and organized in South Africa for over two decades, during which time he developed the theory of satyagraha, (nonviolence). South African activists used satyagraha in the initial stages of the fight against apartheid. The Zulu concept of Ubuntu describes the common bond between all of humanity and comes from the phrase umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, "people are people through other people"— the idea that an individual's fortunes are intimately connected to everyone's. Today, this concept is called upon by many as people across South Africa work to move the country forward.