Regular readers will remember a column I wrote last March about eight teenagers I took to the Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly in Tacoma, Washington. When I showed them my PowerPoint presentation on the AIDS orphans at Sihlengeni High School in Zimbabwe, they enthusiastically agreed that they wanted to do something to help.

However, Easter holidays came along a week after we got back home and, as happens to most of us, life took over. When a month had passed, I assumed that the Sihlengeni AIDS orphans project had been forgotten, but I was wrong ... really wrong.

A week ago, I got an email from Sarah Thompson telling me about an idea they had to raise money to help the Sihlengeni orphans. She invited fellow Rotarian, Zoe Brown, and me to meet with them. We met last Thursday.

Since our return, Sarah has been in touch with a group of students from Victoria who we met on our Tacoma trip and they have formed a fundraising partnership.

In short the Victorian students have been selling tee shirts and buttons with an "It's Your Move" message to raise money for a variety of causes.

Our local group has agreed to partner with them to sell tee shirts and buttons with that message tied to our AIDS orphans message. They have already made contact with a company that will draw a large outline of Africa in a public space yet to be determined and a checkerboard of squares will be drawn within that outline. Each button you buy will get you one of those squares. A tee shirt will get you three squares. Each square will give you a chance to win a prize.

Currently the plan is to have a community party wherever the Africa outline is drawn featuring local bands and more. There will be a variety or prizes and the major prize will be determined in a unique manner, yet to be determined. It promises to be great fun and a true winner for our AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe.

When I got home after our meeting last Thursday, I found the following emails from two of my teacher friends in Zimbabwe. The first came from Nqobile, the science teacher at Sihlengeni. The second is from Thande, Jimmie Nioni's partner. Jimmie is the Head Master at Sihlengeni High School. Thande teaches at another school.

"Hallo Brother:
I hope all is well with you. We are doing our best. Ntombenkulu, the Interact president at my school, came out as the best student in her Fourth Form class but had problems going to Advanced Level as she does not have a mother and her father is very ill. I could not stand the pain of seeing her not going to school so I took her to my home. She is now staying with me and she is my responsibility. She is at Sihlengeni doing Advanced Level and is the Interact President [a student Rotary Club]. Ntombenkulu is asking if you could give my e-mail address to other Interact clubs and have them communicate with her so they can share ideas. - Nqobile"

"Dear Bill:
I have a dynamic Interact group at my school. We are fundraising for orphans and are working on a community project, which is at times visited by tourists. Is there any chance of you linking my kids with any school in your country? Do you have any laptops for our kids? I miss and love you - Thande"

Our kids have responded, the connection has been made, and I'm expecting wonderful things to happen.

Today's teenagers want to make a difference both in their own communities and in the world ... and I'm willing to bet they'll do a better job than we have done.