Tag: HIV

Prince Harry’s Abu Dhabi polo match raises $1m for charity

GHANTOOT // Roars from the crowd greeted the UK’s Prince Harry as he took part in a polo match to raise funds for charity.

A crowd of 100 invited guests at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club included Formula One legend Sir Jackie Stewart and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell who cheered from the sidelines of the fifth Sentebale Polo Cup.

The event managed to raise US$1 million (Dh3.7m) for Senteable, a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho that aims to raise money to provide health care and education to vulnerable children and those suffering with HIV/AIDS in the southern African country.

“I am very proud to be taking part in this match,” said Nacho Figueras who was captaining the St Regis team.

“But the main focus isn’t who wins or loses but the fact that we are going to raise money and awareness of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Lesotho.

“Raising awareness is the most important thing and by having so many people here supporting us is fantastic.

“These kinds of events play an important role in raising awareness of this issue.”

Malcolm Borwick, representing the Sentebale Huntsman team, was in confident mood before the start of play.

“Although the games are going to be competitive that isn’t the main focus for this event,” he said

“Polo as a sport is growing in this region and in recent years the standard of play has really improved.

“Players from this region are right up there with the best in the world.”

The competition was launched in 2010 with Prince Harry’s Sentebale team winning last year’s event held in Greenwich, Connecticut.

“This event is extremely important to the charity, and allows us to continue to help and support some of the most vulnerable children in the world, through our work in Lesotho,” said Cathy Ferrier, chief executive of Sentebale.

“We managed to raise $1 million so that was fantastic for us.”

The money and awareness raised from the Sentebale Polo Cup will support Sentebale’s expansion plans in providing leading emotional and psychological support to many more children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Sentebale is also building the Mamohato Children’s Centre in Lesotho, a residential centre, expected to be completed next year.

The centre will allow Sentebale to provide support to many more vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and will lead to further expansion into other affected southern African countries.

Prince Harry raises millions of dirhams for children with HIV during Dubai visit

DUBAI // Britain’s Prince Harry helped raise more than US$1 million at last night’s dinner for a charity supporting child victims of the HIV virus .

The Al Jalila Foundation and Sentebale, a charity that looks after impoverished children in Lesotho, announced that the amount raised will go towards building a permanent HIV camp in the South African country.

In an emotional appeal in Dubai last night, the prince told an audience of 300 benefactors at the JW Marriott Marquis hotel in Dubai: “You can help provide a safety net for HIV positive children for whom no other support exists. You can help extinguish the stigma of AIDS for these children.”

He was speaking at a fundraising dinner in support of the Sentebale charity, in partnership with the Al Jalila Foundation, a children’s charity set up by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Sentebale provides facilities to children in the African kingdom of Lesotho, one of the world’s least developed countries, but which has the third highest HIV infection rate, with 23 per cent of adults and 37,000 children infected, out of a population of 1.8 million.

Life expectancy in the kingdom is the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, with an average of 41 years in 2012, compared with 59 years in 1990 before HIV struck.

“There is an entire generation of children and young people who have very little information about their condition, including how to stay healthy and how to prevent infecting others,” Prince Harry said.

“Sentebale’s guiding vision is to give this generation the support they need to shape a prosperous future for themselves and their families. Talking about HIV and understanding it isn’t dangerous. Denying it, or not knowing about it, definitely is,” he added.

Dubai was represented by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates Aviation Group.

Raja Easa Al Gurg, chairwoman of the Al Jalila board, said: “We believe wholeheartedly in how Sentebale is changing the lives of children in Lesotho and we are confident that together we can make a stronger impact.”

Sentebale in Sotho, the language of Lesotho, means “forget me not”. The foundation was set up by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to provide facilities for HIV-infected children. Proceeds from the global fundraising tour will be used to fund the Mamohato project, a series of programmes at a special site in the kingdom where children receive counselling and psychological support for HIV positive children.

The programme was recognised by the United Nations in 2010 as a model of international best practice.

Through week-long camps and monthly clubs, Mamohato “empowers young people to live life positively, knowing that they are not alone and instilling confidence and understanding that they can live a long and healthy life”, the organisation said.

The dinner raised money for the project through an auction of prizes, including polo weekends in the UK, rare coin collections, hospitality at the Dubai World Cup horse race, as well as works of art and jewellery.

The dinner was sponsored by Coutts, the British bank of which Queen Elizabeth of Britain, Prince Harry’s grandmother, is a customer, and by Garrard, one of the world’s oldest jewellers, in partnership with UAE jeweller Damas.