Growing up in the 80s and 90s when HIV/AIDS became an epidemic, Eva Payne witnessed how the disease affected children; she felt she could not be a bystander. Today, 2.1 million children under the age of fifteen struggle with HIV/AIDS worldwide. HIV infects as many as 1,800 children worldwide each day. Eva envisioned Camp Kindle as a non-profit organization for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. She had no prior experience in running a non-profit and no funding. After receiving an, “I-know-you-can-do-it” encouragement from her father, Eva researched how to start and run a nonprofit, and then established Camp Kindle in Nebraska in August of 1998. The project began as a cost-free, weeklong summer camp for kids infected or affected by AIDS. To date, Eva has given over 12,000 hours of her time and efforts to building Camp Kindle into the organization it is today.
She continues to provide hundreds of children a place where they neither feel shame about living with HIV/AIDS nor the need to keep it a secret. Camp Kindle brings these children together, ages seven to fifteen, and provides them the character-building tools they will need not only to believe in themselves, but also to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Eva recently developed a speakers bureau program, Sharing Personal Experiences and Knowledge: Our Unique Truths (SPEAK OUT), through which the campers have the opportunity to share their stories of living with HIV/AIDS to peers across the United States. To date, Camp Kindle’s SPEAK OUT has reached thousands of high school college students and continues to present to students from various states. This helps the children build self-esteem, while educating others about living with HIV/AIDS. Through SPEAK OUT, kids connect with an audience on a very personal level. Eva then established the Students Affected by AIDS Scholarship Fund, one of the first of its kind and one that offers HIV/AIDS-impacted young adults scholarship money for their post-high school education. Camp Kindle’s Enrichment Program helps campers stay connected to the Camp Kindle community year round through mini camp sessions, mailers, phone calls, holiday and birthday presents. Camp Kindle also helps families by offering emergency financial assistance to help cover the costs of unexpected expenses.
Eva has transformed Camp Kindle into an organization that goes above and beyond for those it serves. The program strives to achieve the following five goals:
* Create a safe and accepting environment for children and adolescents infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS
* Enhance the leadership and character traits of each camp participant
* Provide respite for the parents, guardians, and caregivers of the camp participants
* Increase the number of children attending each year
* Increase HIV and AIDS awareness among campers and the general public
Eva envisions expanding the project. She has her set her sights on Camp Kindle owning and operating its own permanent camp facility. This campsite would offer the opportunity to attend camp year-round to hundreds more children affected by HIV/AIDS, while providing family sessions for them and their parents during weekend retreats as well. Additionally, she continues to work to bring the camping and peer-to-peer HIV education programs to young people in Africa. She has joined an up-and-coming play write to develop “Camp Kindle -The Musical,” to help spread the message of compassion and AIDS Awareness for communities at risk. Eva’s family plays a big part of the Camp Kindle community. Married with three children, Eva can count on her husband to help her every step of the way. Since Camp Kindle's first year of operation, her husband has helped in the planning and executing of the summer camp sessions.
Eva prefers not to seek recognition for her efforts. When she speaks about the Camp, she always commences by saying, “We have accomplished,” instead of “I have accomplished.” She makes everyone involved feel important. She has given so much of herself to making Camp Kindle a place where staff and campers continue to say, “This is the best week of my life.” And this dedication generates results: Camp Kindle has shaped the future of so many brilliant and dedicated young adults. Many of the volunteer staff members have gone on to make careers in bettering the lives of HIV/AIDS-impacted individuals. Eva Payne is a role model for the Camp Kindle community, her family, and all those who learn of this wonderful organization.
To learn more about Camp Kindle, please visit:
www.campkindle.org
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