Taking Away the Distance: A Young Orphan's Journey and the AIDS Epidemic in Africa Crusade to Unite Children Orphaned by the Epidemic

Miles Roston

Apr 2009 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

In this emotional story of hope and inspiration, an African boy, orphaned by AIDS becomes a catalyst for AIDS orphans worldwide. Living in a shantytown in Kenya, Kevin Sumba's life was one of loneliness and hardship. Yet he was determined to get an education. Miles Roston, a documentary filmmaker, first met Kevin while making a film on AIDS orphans. He found that this particular boy touched his heart in a way he hadn't anticipated. Together, they set out to answer "Kevin's Questions" about the AIDS epidemic and more specifically, Kevin's situation. Taking Away the Distance takes us on a singular journey, as powerful policymakers and those working at a grassroots level deal with the direct, and at times confronting, questions of one boy. Along the way, we also meet people directly impacted by the epidemic and face their lives heroically: from children surviving homelessness on Nairobi's streets to a mother on her deathbed whose only thought is how to care for the children she will leave behind. As Kevin and Roston form a bond of love and respect, each learning from the other, we discover just how much our own lives can change if we dare to help.

About the author

The Emmy-nominated Miles Roston is a writer and director of films, his most recent being the documentaries Make It Real (to me) for the Sundance Channel, and 14 Million Dreams. Both films dealt with the AIDS epidemic in Africa and its effect on children. Currently he is at work writing and directing a major motion picture, a fable dealing with children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.