African grandmothers and their grandchildren are urging for help from the Canadians so as to fight against the killer disease HIV.

Stephen Lewis Foundation, AfriGrand Caravan, is touring with 40 stops from St. John's, N. L. to Victoria, B. C for spreading AIDS awareness.

In St. John's, first part of the trip has been started on Tuesday by a 17 year old Nonkululeko Nowathe and 68-year-old grandmother, Mokgokong who is supporting four children of her sick niece.

Nonkululeko, whose mother had succumbed to AIDS in January, is living with her grandparents and has got the chance to sit in the plane while going to Newfoundland.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation based in Toronto, is trying hard to raise $100 million AIDS projects in Africa.

The deadly disease is still haunting the sub-Saharan Africa where the monetary aid from the wealthiest countries of the world has also fallen short.

According to the United Nations estimates, AIDS is leading by causing the 1.4 million deaths in 2008, in sub-Saharan Africa.

Stephen Lewis — former politician, broadcaster and Diplomat, during G8 meeting in Ontario last June cited the shortfall of $7 billion to $9.8 billion highlighting the bad performance by the countries, who had pledged in 2005 for providing $25 billion as an extra funds for Africa by 2010.

Between 2003 and 2007, males accounted about 84% of the total cases of HIV/AIDS in Washington.

Solomon Tsegaselassie, a health worker with Center for Multicultural Health in Seattle, says that migrants are reluctant to get the test done in labs, but prefer to get tested at their homes.