Jesus Aguais Founded Aid for AIDS International with the idea of collecting unused and unexpired HIV medication and sending it to HIV+ people in low-income countries who do not have access to these medications. Originally from Venezuela, Jesus moved to New York City in 1989 and has been involved in AIDS advocacy groups since then. Today, he shares what his organization is doing to help our brothers and sisters outside of the U.S. who have no voice.

TAKEAWAYS: 

[1:45 ] What is Aid for AIDS about?

[6:35 ] Jesus’s story is a powerful reminder that one person can make a difference.

[11:10 ] Jesus not only is collecting excess HIV medication and sending it abroad to low income countries, but he's now started to do it for cancer medicine as well.

[12:45 ] Yes, we are lucky to live in the United States, but we’re part of a larger community.

[18:45 ] A woman living with HIV in Egypt has no voice. The same is true with a gay man living with HIV in Guatemala. So many countries still have stigma that you have HIV because you’re a sinner.

[19:30 ] It’s just as important to give support to these people so that they can heal from social stigma. They’re not bad people. They’re good people who deserve love.

[22:00 ] Jesus shares how his program has impacted and benefitted highschoolers. It was deployed in 8 Latin American countries and it reached over a million youth.

[24:10 ] Aid for AIDS is the number one provider of HIV medicines to migrants in Colombia.

[27:25 ] How can you help? If you have unused, unexpired medicine, please donate it to Aid for AIDS.

RESOURCES: 

Aidforaids.org

QUOTES: 

• “It goes beyond providing HIV meds, what is important is working on helping that person heal themself, finding tools to know that they’re loving human beings. They’re just a victim of a false belief system.”
• “There’s almost 5 million Venezuelan refugees in Latin America, so we provide services for them. We are the number one provider of HIV medicine to migrants in Colombia.”
• “Every bottle of medicine will save somebody’s life in a low-income country around the world.”
• “We have so many things here in the US that we don’t know that bottle of medicine, someone is dying someplace in the world because they don’t have it. You will save somebody’s life.”