It may not be Kwik Trip but....

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of NKHASO or Nkhata Bay AIDS Support Organization, Inc. In our two years, HIV/AIDS rates at the site have dropped to just seven percect, twenty-six percent below the national average and twenty-three percent lower than our first month of testing. Nearly 800 people were tested this quarter alone and nearly 2,200 people in the community were educated by the organization. Clean water has reached 30 homes in the past month and 6 latrines were built. There are now SEVEN Nkhata Bay AIDS Support Org. clinics in the area, six more than the original site. We've distributed 10,000 condoms in the past three months and over 3000+ informational handouts to locals.

However, despite this progress, there is still much to be done. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please consider a donation to NKHASO, Inc. Anything you can contribute will help as our projected budget for the next three months is nearly 800 dollars...a small cost when you consider all the lives this will save.


Any donors please contact Bailey at bcurtis@wisc.edu


Here's some quick info to show our progress:

Nkhata Bay AIDS Support Organization, Inc.

Unofficially established Dec. 2006 in Malawi (33% positive)
Legally established in Feb. 2007 in Malawi
Legally established in July 2007 in Wisconsin



Biannual report summary for January-June 2007 (19% HIV positive) 14% < Ntl Av.

•131 clients by June, death rate lowered from 60% in January to 11.4% in June
Due to increase ARV medication distribution to HIV positive individuals
•Only 2% absconder rate by June 2007
•Area population of 35000, only 3321 tested from 2000 to June 2007
•30 people trained this term for Home Based Care (Care Givers PLWAS by National AIDS Commission)

Programs established this term:
Established Home Based Care Program (care/nutrition for those with AIDS)
Resource Center (library, handouts, etc)
School Travel for Youth Education


Quarterly Report Summary for Sept- Nov 2008 (7% positive) 26%< than ntl average•SIX Outreach clinics established in area, up six from original one clinic in Jan. 07
•739 clients tested, 47 positive down- 12% from June 2007
•Youth Advocacy- 8 in school programs, 6 out of school programs
•Condom Distribution – 10,000
•Home Based Care Program- 47 registers, 21 on ARVs, 10 supported with food
•Water Purifying Solution- 30 houses reached, 6 pit latrines constructed

Session offered:
HIV/AIDS-15 (603 attendance)
TB- 5 (310 attendance)
Malaria-9 (478 attendance)
Nutrition-12 (310 attendance)
Diarrhoea-8 (458 attendance)

Material distributed:
oHIV/AIDS- 1171 brochures
oMalaria- 964 brochures
oDiarrhea- 566 brochures.
oNutrition- 423 brochures
oTB- 291 brochures



Projected budget for next quarter-800$ or 94,500 Kwacha
Counselor Allowance- 54,000K
Transport- 3,200K
Rubbing alcohol- 4,500K
Condoms- 14,400K
Medical Personnel Allowance- 3,000K
Email and mail fees-6,000K
Contingency- 2,000K

If I write a blog on Kwik Trip, I know you'll all read it!

If you're reading this, you probably are related to me. If you're related to me, you probably think one of the greatest place created by God himself is the local Kwik Trip....am I right?!?!? I mean how else can you explain a place that sells sixty-four ounce sodas for $1.29 and three hot dogs for $1.19??? Got a K.T. card?? Well you just saved yourself up to 8 cents a gallon on your gas, thank you very much! I love it. And so do all Curtis'. So when I was driving back to Madison from Up North with my friend Clare last weekend, it should come as no surprise to you all that I made her stretch out her bladder from Wausau on down just so we could stop at the Kwik Trip in Stevens Point. You know the one, don't pretend you don't! So as I'm giving her my explaination of why this place is so great, I happen to mention how most of my family feels the same way. I mean, come on now, some of my fondest childhood memories involve my uncles and cousins taking me to get a 64 oz. slushie the size of my head and 3 hot dogs to top 'er off (maybe a Mr. D's on the side if there was time). Picture this now: Clare and I walk (some faster than others) into the K.T. and being a Curtis I get so excited I have to go to the bathroom. So when I came out of the bathroom at the Kwik Trip and saw Clare hamming it up with the guy next to her at the Cafe Karuba machine, it wasn't a shock to me that the guy she was chatting up was my uncle, TERRY CURTIS. I swear to you, my family is the only one who could bump into each other in the middle of the state at a Kwik Trip!


The family Reunion at the place that makes Wisconsin proud!



Home for Thanksgiving and obviously not growing.


It could be worse if I took a picture next to this giant...

World AIDS Day 2008

Hopefully you all have your red ribbons on today in celebration of loving life. Here are a few pictures from our World AIDS Day celebration two years ago in Malawi on Dec. 1st.