“ I realised that in my 13 years of schooling HIV has only come up now... after a class discussion where it became painfully obvious that the common idea amongst my friends was that HIV is only for "gay men and African babies" I figured it's something that definitely needs to be addressed because that kind of ignorance can be dangerous. ”
- Laura, 17 year old High School Student, NSW

In 2000, filmmaker Miles Roston profiled a 12-year-old Kenyan orphaned by HIV-AIDS for a film he wanted to produce. Kevin was living completely alone, and had been since his mother’s death, from AIDS, two years earlier.

Five years later, Roston revisits Kevin, now on the verge of manhood and facing a number of personal decisions if he was to remain uninfected.

Kevin’s Questions is an emotional story of hope and inspiration told through the eyes and mind of a
young boy and the heart and emotions of a filmmaker. It will make for an exciting, moving and inspiring read.

Kevin Sumba; a Spokesperson for AIDS Orphans, is working with YEAH to connect young Australians...

Kevin is a face for the 15 million children orphaned from HIV/AIDS. He is a young man from Kenya, who's story about the devastating repercussions of AIDS is real. Since the age of 10, Kevin Sumba has grown up alone; an orphan left behind when both of his parents died from AIDS.

In July 2007 Kevin, with the support of YEAH, visited schools across Sydney and Melbourne. Students had a chance to connect to his story in a real way and personalise the concept that over 15 million young people have stories like Kevin's of growing up alone.

The Age 1/8/07 Getting the HIV message to the young

Questions I have and if I could ask world leaders and government officials and members of the US congress about AIDS is:"

• What will they do when they realise that in a certain region three-quarters of people have been affected by AIDS?
• What will they do to save the lives of the remaining quarter?
• What will they do to ensure that statistics of AIDS do not rise further in such a region
• How and what responsibilities will they take to ensure those affected live longer and lead a normal life full of happiness and not sorrow and suffering?
• What responsibility will they take to ensure that those left do not suffer much, especially orphans?
• How can they create AIDS awareness to areas where people are illiterate and believe that AIDS does not exist but is caused by breaking of taboos?
• Most people with AIDS are always neglected and feared because people believe that if you associate with them you can be affected. Orphans left behind suffer more because nobody cares for them and those taken by relatives as guardians are mistreated as some are forced into early marriages, especially girls, while boys are sent to work or to be street children.
• I am curious to know about other teenagers of my age in other countries because we share a lot in common in that we orphans do not have parental love, we are lonely and distressed most of the time. I suppose teenagers in England, France and America also go through similar experience, and I care very much as we are one.
• What I would like to be done for me to make life better is that I be provided with all basic needs, which I lack most, and especially education and learning materials. Like textbooks.
• Ideas I had on how to make the world a better place especially for those who suffer, departed and the needy is to help them overcome their suffering by providing them with basic need they lack.
• What I feel in my heart now is that I am relieved of some suffering and I am happy about it and hope it will be much better.

Kevin’s Questions, written by internationally acclaimed film director Miles Roston, is the story of the global devastation faced by the 15 million children orphaned by HIV and in particular the story of one child, Kevin Sumba and his own quest to survive alone from the age of ten, educating himself and still making the difference.

Together YEAH and Kevin hope this book & study guide kit along with Kevin’s travel to Australia will give young people here, a real way to connect to the all too common story of children orphaned by AIDS.

This project has been made possible due to the generous support of Fouress Foundation