EDUCATION FUND TO HELP STUDENTS WITH HIV LAUNCHED

SINGAPORE, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- On World AIDS Day Monday, World Vision International of Singapore launched the One Life Fund with the first seed funding from an international cosmetics company.

The S$50,000 grant to World Vision from the M.A.C AIDS Fund, a global fund
set up by M.A.C Cosmetics to fight HIV and AIDS around the world, marks the
start of a long-term strategic partnership between the non-government
organisation and the cosmetics company.

World Vision said today the One Life Fund is an educational bursary scheme
that will benefit children and youth living with HIV or AIDS or those living
with parents who have the disease.

World Vision aims to increase the One Life Fund to S$300,000 to provide
some
300 bursaries to students of various ages and levels of education.

It is partnering the Patient Care Centre, a hospital-based community
project
set up by the Communicable Disease Centre of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, to support
Singaporeans suffering from the disease.

The Patient Care Centre will administer the bursary scheme supported by the
One Life Fund.

As of last September, 3,482 Singaporeans were reported to be
HIV-positive.