m2m - Kenyan Site Coordinator is Sir Elton John's special guest of honor

Kenyan Site Coordinator is Sir Elton John's special guest of honor - 25 Jun 2009

Emily, David Furnish, Sir Elton John and other guests of honor

Emily on stage at the ball

Emily telling her story

Emily with Sir Higgins and Babs Evans, EJAF Grants Manager

Emily Owino, a site coordinator in Kenya, recently attended Sir Elton John's White Tie and Tiaras ball held at his house in Old Windsor, UK on Thursday, 25 June 2009. A fundraiser for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Emily was invited to attend on behalf of m2m and told her story and spoke about m2m and her role in helping and empowering HIV-positive women. A once in a lifetime opportunity, Emily had the opportunity to get on a plane for the first time, see Big Ben, go to the House of Commons, go shopping for an evening gown and, of course, meet Sir Elton John and several other celebrities!

Emily at Big Ben

Emily boarding her first flight

"This has been very, very moving for me, and very inspirational."

U.S. First Lady Laura Bush about meeting the women of mothers2mothers , MSNBC.com

"My child is HIV negative, and I think I would not be alive without the programmes."

19 year old Andiswa

"I didn't want anything to do with HIV-positive people or women, but when I saw these healthy-looking women and listened to their stories, I immediately became part of that family. We actually created a bond, which will last forever. I was empowered and prepared for disclosure..."

Site Coordinator and mother speaking about her m2m experience