Geofrey Odanga is an artist that lives near Kakamega. I met him over a year ago when I first went to Kenya. I was visiting Geofrey and his wife, Rose, in their mud hut teaching them how to make corn husk dolls and learning how to make banana leaf pictures. The young children gathered into the hut to get their first look at a person with Caucasian skin. Some of the braver children shook hands and the crowd squealed with delight.

I saw a picture on the wall that Geofrey had drawn. The picture was compelling. I was able to bring the picture back. My daughter, Anna, got it professionally scanned. David Bair, an American artist friend and a printer for The Chapel on Fir Hill in Akron, OH, got permission to use the printing press and ink along with some left over paper to get prints of this picture.

Geofrey wants to donate 40% of the proceeds of the sale of this picture to Mission to the Fatherless orphans. He and his wife, Rose attend the church that started as an outgrowth of the orphanage. The picture tells a story about AIDS in the African society. It is called Infected.

The drawing is available on 11x17 (inch) stock, either white, or off-white. When we visit him this summer, we will ask Geoffrey to sign some of the prints.

You can view a video we made about AIDS in Kenya. It includes Geofrey's comments about his picture, and a companion picture called Affected. The children you will see reciting the poem are orphans living at Mission to the Fatherless in Oyugis, Kenya. They do not have AIDS but are orphaned as a result of their parents dying of the disease. The poem was written by Douglas, the director of the orphanage.

If you are interested in buying a limited edition print of Infected go to www.missiontothefatherless.net and look under "Picture Project" to make a purchase.

Each print will come with a copy of Geofrey's intrepretation. Signed prints will be available sometime after June 2009.