About Lean on Me

Mission Statement
Lean on Me aims to improve the lives of people infected or affected with HIV/AIDS. We believe that the Lean on Me volunteers return to their countries as ambassadors for AIDS awareness and the hardships Africans face.


Something to Think About
Last year the Child Welfare Society of South Africa discovered the following facts:

  • South Africa has the highest HIV infection rate in the world.
  • There are approx. 120 000 AIDS orphans in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
  • In KwaZulu Natal the death rate due to AIDS is now higher than the birth rate.
  • 90% of the world's 11 million AIDS orphans are in Africa
  • There are currently 29,5 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • In South Africa alone 2000 HIV+ babies are born every day

Lean on Me

Lean on Me was founded by Mr. Claude Fourie, a South African businessman.
Mr. Fourie has been instrumental in the development and support of local AIDS and community projects. Lean on Me is a private organization and therefore does not receive any support from government or charity organizations. Instead Lean on Me is leading the way in a new concept of Sustainable development for charity based community organizations. Funds taken from the Lean on Me volunteers are used as donations to the respective projects as well as funding to maintain and accommodate the orphaned children or sick patients. Many organizations battle financially and as a result the children or patients have to sometimes go without food or are even moved to other centres less comfortable.
Lean on Me depends completely on the funds from the volunteers to help such organizations and grass root level projects.

Goals for the Future

Lean on Me has great plans for the future. Some of these include the following:

  • Setup of many abandoned baby centres in Kwazulu/Natal
  • Financial and Volunteer Support of more AIDS Orphanages/homes
  • Find Foreign funders who may help on a permanent basis at particular projects
  • Acquire enough funds to build more rooms for the Children’s homes.
  • Acquire enough funding to place each and every child on anti-retroviral drugs
  • Acquire enough funding to place each HIV pregnant woman we may come in contact with, on antiretroviral drugs to eliminate the large number of babies born with HIV/AIDS
  • To continue educating as many people as possible on HIV/AIDS
  • To acquire enough funding to send the orphaned children who turn 18 to college or university
  • Set up volunteer projects and programs throughout Africa.