KEY POINTS:
Africa's HIV/Aids epidemic has struck home in far-off New Zealand with the launch of a book aimed at raising funds for children orphaned by the virus.
Annah Kamuti, a former animal science lecturer from Zimbabwe who lost her own father when she was 9, is setting up a foundation for orphans in her home country where the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected a fifth of all adults.
Her book, Wildlife Tales from Africa, was launched in Auckland by Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter and Aids Foundation executive director Rachael Le Mesurier.
Mrs Kamuti, her husband Christopher and daughter Kathyrn, then 3, joined the exodus of emigrants from Africa when they came to New Zealand five years ago. Son Ethan, 2, was born here.
Last year's Census showed the number of Zimbabwe-born people in New Zealand has multiplied almost six times in the past 10 years to 8151. The number from South Africa almost quadrupled to 41,676.
Even more people have gone to Australia and Britain, where Mrs Kamuti also hopes to distribute her book.
She said her daughter was often asked to tell other students at her Henderson school about Africa, but she couldn't find any suitable books of African folk tales.
"So I started calling back home and asking my mum and my grandmother, because we used to be told these stories when I was young.
"I translated them into English and gave them my own flavour so the kids would enjoy it and it wouldn't be difficult to read."
She hopes the book will spread awareness of Africa in the countries where Africans now live, and will help children of Africans now growing up in the West to know where they come from.
She also hopes her Equip Lives Foundation will help young orphans to get the education that will give them hope.
"I myself was semi-orphaned. My father died when I was 9. From that time I helped my mum to look after my siblings. I was the oldest.
"For two years we went to very poor rural schools - until my uncle took us and looked after us and educated us. Myself and my sisters got very good educations up to masters level and we run our own businesses.
"So from the lessons that taught me, I grew up wanting to be able to give back to someone else so I could equip them for life."
According to the British Aids charity Avert, Zimbabwe's population dropped by 4 million between 2002 and last year because of the HIV/Aids crisis. It says the nation now has more orphans per person than any other country in the world.
www.equiplives.com
