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Dutch TV presenter Barbara Barend meets Desmond Tutu in South Africa for ‘Mother and Child First’ HIV/Aids training program

‘Introductory Workshop HIV/Aids at the workplace’ joint mission of South African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (SANEC) and Medical Knowledge Institute

Oostvoorne, the Netherlands, June 22 2007 – Barbara Barend, a well known Dutch TV presenter and sports journalist, is the Goodwill Ambassador of the Medical Knowledge Institute’s ‘Mother and Child First’ HIV/Aids training program for one year now. This program is aimed at midwives and other healthcare employees to prevent the transmission of HIV (and subsequently Aids) from mother to child in developing countries. In mid July, Mrs. Barbara Barend, MKI Chairman dr. Harold Robles and Bastiaan van de Knaap, District Director of ING Rotterdam and Chairman of SANEC (South African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce) will travel to South Africa together to experience the results the MKI has booked in the past few years with projects like Yoell® (a series of exclusive jewelry handmade by HIV-infected South African women) and the Mother and Child First training program. Famous Dutch photographer Patricia Steur will document the trip on camera.

Mrs. Barend will visit the townships to meet the midwives and HIV infected women. She will also visit the Yoell® workplaces (www.yoell.org). With the money the HIV infected women earn from making the Yoell® jewelry they are economically independent. Furthermore on the agenda are meetings with protector of the Mother and Child first program, Bishop Desmond Tutu and representatives from the International and South African Red Cross and the president of the South African Midwives Organisation.

Another important part of the trip is the Introductory Workshop “HIV/AIDS workplace Policy Development and Education Program” organised by MKI on July 17 in Johannesburg. The workshop is aimed at Service Seta, an organisation taking care of 300 000 Small and Medium Enterprises, and is one of the first joint initiatives of SANEC and MKI. The workshop focuses at effectively addressing the challenge posed by the HIV epidemic to employees, their families, business operations and economic and social development. For more information about Service Seta, please visit: www.serviceseta.org.za.