MAKEYEVKA, September 12 (RIA Novosti) - World famous musician Elton John visited on Saturday an orphanage in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where HIV/AIDS-infected children are being treated, RIA Novosti correspondent said.
The musician is famous for his anti-AIDS activities, being a founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF).
Elton John was accompanied by the founder of the Ukrainian AntiAIDS foundation Yelena Franchuk during his visit to the town of Makeyevka, where the orphanage is located. The two foundations cooperate in the joint Children Plus project, which is intended to make better the life of the children, born to HIV-infected mothers.
"I saw all the children, and almost all the teachers [of the orphanage], and I think it is a wonderful children's house," the musician said. "The children are really happy here. I am also happy to see such a good work, but, at the same time, it is a pity that such children mostly live out of the society," he said.
"Fortunately, there are such places as this child's home, which give sick children a future," he said.
Elton John said his AIDS Foundation started cooperation with Ukraine, because the number of HIV/AIDS-infected children in this country is the largest in Eastern Europe. There are more than 22,000 children officially registered in the country, according to the Ministry of Ukraine on Family and Youth.
"Elton John is in Makeyevka - it is a wonder," Franchuk said. "He is here to make wonders come true in the lives of the most unfortunate people - little HIV-infected children, who have no families," she said. Franchuk added their joint efforts are aimed to help such children to become part of the society, and to make people consider them "real heroes", but not "social outcasts."
According to the project organizers, 36 HIV-infected children have found their new families since the start of the project in February 2008.
