A "slam dunk" for charity

A 2008 report published by the World Health Organization’s UNAIDS program estimated that 1.5 million Africans died from AIDS, leaving behind some 11.6 million orphaned children.

To many people these children are just another statistic; however these numbers became flesh and blood for 9 year old Austin Gutwein. In 2004 Gutwein was eager to join the hoop team at his school in his home state of Arizona. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it, however he was able to “bounce back.”

His correspondence with a little African boy inspired him to learn more about Africa and the AIDS pandemic. After doing some research, Gutwein discovered that the HIV/AIDs epidemic had orphaned an estimated 15 million children. This staggering number got Gutwein thinking how he would feel if he lost both his parents. This terrifying thought encouraged him to raise money by getting sponsored for
shooting foul shots.

After shooting 2,057 hoops, the number of kids that are orphaned in one day, Gutwein was surprised to discover that he had raised an astounding $3,000. Even though this was an impressive sum, Gutwein knew that this wouldn’t go far to help the orphaned African children. Subsequently, he joined forces with a charity called World Vision and 1,000 other children in what he called “Hoops for Hope,” and raised an astonishing $38,000.

Since its inception in 2004, Hoops for Hope has raised thousands of dollars for various projects in Africa; including building the Johnathan Sim Legacy School in Twachiyanda, Zambia, building a medical testing lab and voluntary counseling center in Sinazongwe, Zambia and so on.

In the 2008-2009 year, the Hoops for Hope organization is hoping to raise enough funds to build a second medical testing and voluntary counseling center in Chilala, Zimbabwe. The existing medical center in Sinazongwe aims to promote three main themes: prevention, care and advocacy.

The center’s number one priority is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mothers to their children through maternal child health services. Pregnant mothers who are tested positive
for the virus will be helped by the formation of various support groups; in addition to being supplied with the necessary drugs to inhibit the transfer of the virus to their children.

The new medical center also aspires to provide marriage counseling, in addition to creating an open dialogue about the taboo topic of sexuality, and its role in precipitating this devastating virus. Gutwein’s simple endeavor has had nationwide appeal in the US and now an international one, which is clearly signified by his presence at the "Be the Change" conference Doha in March.

After watching an inspirational presentation by Austin Gutwein in the school auditorium, several people congregated in the ASD High school presentation room to attend a Q&A session with the young wonder.

The presentation began with the same video that inspired him to embark on his path of change.
During the forty five minute presentation, Gutwein frequently talked about the influence that his parents have had on his life and Hoops for Hope. Moreover, he also talked about how his family and community have been a source of motivation for him.

Gutwein emphasized the importance of “dreaming big, but starting small” and how his small attempt to change a few peoples’ lives has had an astounding global impact.

One point that Gutwein continued to emphasize throughout the Q&A session was the importance of persistence. He qualified his comment by saying that various people discouraged his efforts as they claimed his goals were impossible. Yet despite their discouragement he never lost hope.

His father, who proudly sat in the back watching him present, said that adults often mislead themselves into believing that they can’t make a difference because of their so called “realistic view of live.” However, Gutwein’s father said that watching his son’s progress
has changed his view of life and his ability “to be the change” in the world.

The atmosphere of the Q&A session was congenial, as various participants seemed eager to ask
Gutwein their questions. Many of the participants asked Gutwein questions about his future,
which he seemed unable to answer. However, this baffled response didn’t seem to come from his lack of forethought, as he continued to stress the unpredictability of the future and the
limitless nature of his goals.

The Educare Global Issues Conference of 2009 in Doha has been very fortunate in having Austin Gutwein present, as his humility, energy and enthusiasm have inspired the youth at the conference. We hope that everyone will learn from his simple idea that “although you may feel like you’re only one person in the world, you may mean the world to one person.”

Soukaina Rachidi