In July, 20 members of PIUMA with representatives from a number of neighbouring HIV activist groups and four Canadian supporters walked more than 90 kilometers between the villages of Makete, Iniho, Ipelele and Ujuni to show the strength of people with HIV-AIDS and to alert villagers to the need for testing and treatment for HIV infection.

The March was a huge success with awareness evenings in each village stop and testing clinics held in Ipelele and Ujuni.

At the end of the March, Micahel Wou asked all the participants to sign his T-shirt emblazoned with the new PIUMA logo and, admittedly, slightly grimy and dusty from 90 kilometers of Makete District roads.

On the American Apparel website, the AA company post said:

Posted by: Cinnamon 8/30/2007 19:14
Montreal's Michael Wou recently went to Africa to participate in a 90 km AIDS Solidarity March with about 45 HIV positive Africans from the group PIUMA.

Michael wrote:
PIUMA is a local AIDS advocacy group in the Makete highlands of Tanzania where HIV prevelance is about 20%. In an area of 100,000 people, there are an estimated 15,000 orphans.

My company Origami, branded the organization and when it came time to test the new PIUMA logo on a t-shirt, I bought one from American Apparel and had the new brand painted onto the shirt. I brought it with me to Tanzania and when I got up to the Highlands (8,000 to 9,000 feet up), I wore the t-shirt as we marched from village to village. After many days it was filthy, but at our final village I took off the t-shirt and asked all the marchers to sign it -- it looks beautiful, and I wanted to know if you want to see a photo of it.

We did.

You can see the post and the responses to it at:
http://www.americanapparel.net/presscenter/dailyupdate/dailyUp.asp?d=35&t=781