World Aids Day

It's world aids day and since the last one we had, literally millions of people have died from Aids. Adding to the 13 plus million AIDS orphans around the world.

It's so hard to know what we can do about it, individually. Last year I set up www.pushymums.org. Mums pushing babies to help babies without mums. The idea was to raise awareness of (and a little money for) the 13 million AIDS orphans in Africa. We went for a walk the day before Mother's Day. It seemed the least we fortunate ones could do. I had visions of it catching on and little groups of mothers (and fathers!) around the country pushing their prams to make a stand against the spread of AIDS - and to show compassion and support for those poor orphans.

But the reality was that only my friends - and their friends - turned up. No strangers responded to the leaflets and adverts. People who cared about me came. People who just cared about AIDS orphans in Africa seemed sadly lacking on the streets of Chiswick that day.

I do understand. It was cold; people are busy. There are loads of messages out there and why should they respond to mine. But it did make me feel a bit useless.

Meanwhile, on World Aid's Day I am left feeling sad and a little helpless. Thinking of those small children heading up families because the whole generation above them has been wiped out makes me want to cry. (And, incidentally, has huge repercussions for the future shape of the world economy). But crying won't help.

If anyone wants to set up a Pushy Mums walk in their area / thinks it's a good idea, do please let me know.