OakTree Publications






	Q : What is the reason for the creation of the Buy a Book, Save a Life Campaign? A : You may or may not be aware of the devastating physical, emotional, social and economic impact that AIDS pandemic is having upon the continent of Africa. The statistics and human suffering are compelling, overwhelming and mounting. • It is our belief that through changing attitudes and lifestyles via education we can significantly reduce the continued transmission of this deadly disease. More specifically, we believe that teaching and empowering a generation of young people to abstain from sexual activity until they are married will dramatically reduce the transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus. • The most dramatic example of the effectiveness of this approach is what has happened in Uganda (see sidebar for an article written by Steven Mbogo, a correspondent for CNSNews.com) . Q: What is our plan for “changing attitudes and lifestyles via education”? A: Through the publication and distribution of the book, “How Far Can You Go? Straight Talk About Sexual Purity.” In 2000, the author, Jason Perry, spent two weeks in Nairobi, Kenya teaching on the topic of “Sexual Purity” at the Generation 21 Leadership Conference. He personally raised the money to have 2500 copies of his book printed and given to the students attending the conference. The response to the teaching and the book were such an overwhelming success that since then, he has been seeking to distribute the book on a wider scale across the continent. • Dr. Tukunboh Adeyemo of Kenya gave the book this endorsement: “Talking about sex is taboo in most of our churches. And at the rare times we do, we are often judgmental or defensive. Brother Jason has broken that taboo effectively…The strength of his work lies in his Christ-centered answers to the sensitive questions posed. This takes his small book beyond cultural confines. The principles and precepts hereby exposed are transcultural…” • “How Far…” has proven to be a valuable resource for teaching values and giving people skills, motivation and power to make what might be life-saving changes in their attitudes and actions. Q: How will you get the books into people's hands? A: Through a partnership with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE), Youth For Christ International (YFCI), and the local church, we have a network of people on the ground in the targeted areas. Their staff people would be primarily responsible for book distribution. Q: What are the “targeted areas”? A: Africa is a large continent and the need for this literature is significant. Therefore, we have had to prioritize our target areas based upon existing networks that will aid in the distribution process. • The first printing would target Western Africa, specifically, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, and Ghana. African English and French translations have been completed. • Subsequent printings will target South Africa and Eastern Africa. Q: How will these books be published? A: Oak Tree Publications will work in conjunction with Oak Tree Ministries to handle this Western Africa-focused project and others like it that are being planned for the future. Using international printers, we are able to produce the books at a very low price that allows for maximal distribution. Q: How will this project be funded? A: Our plan is to raise the money for this project through private donations from individuals, churches and businesses. • Underwriting the cost of the project allows us to put the books in the hands of local groups for no cost to them. They could, in turn, sell the books at a minimal price. We believe this methodology has a number of benefits: 1) The selling of the books becomes a source of income for the local groups. 2) The income potentially creates an even greater motivation for wider book distribution. 3) The more people who read the materials, the greater impact we have on the AIDS problem. Q: How much will this project cost? A : We need to raise $90,000 to pay for the initial printing of 180,000 books (that is the number of books that will fit in a shipping container). Obviously, raising more money will permit the printing of more books. Q: How can you help? A: You can buy a book and save a life. For every $1.00 you donate, you can put this important literature in the hands of 3 young people in Africa. Additionally, you will be enabling local agencies to raise funds to support their efforts. Q: Where can I send my contributions? A: Contributions can be sent to: Oak Tree Ministries 13791 E. Rice Place #107 Aurora , CO 80015 All contributions are tax-deductible. Q: Who can I talk with locally if I have more questions? A: Contact Person : Jason Perry, Author, Director jperry@oaktreepub.org 720-427-5404 Video clip of Jason Perry's vision for reaching the world with the message of sexual purity.


	Response From Africa
	"Dr. Tokunboh Adeyemo of Kenya says "Talking about sex is taboo in most of our churches. And at the rare times we do, we are often judgmental or defensive. Brother Jason has broken that taboo effectively. The strength of his work lies in his Christ-centered answers to the sensitive questions posed. This takes his small book beyond cultural con-fines. The principles and precepts hereby exposed are transcultural." Rev. Moses Umoh of Nigeria, says, "This book is the answer to the problem of the day. I want to get it in the hand of every young person in my country." January 1, 2003 UGANDA - Some experts say the dramatic drop in HIV/AIDS infections in Uganda is proof that abstinence from sex is the best way to combat the deadly disease, especially in the world's hardest-hit area, sub-Saharan Africa . Infections in the East African country, which once had the highest rate in the world, have dropped from 30 percent of the population in the early 1990s to around 10 percent today. Although promotion of condom use has been a part of Uganda 's HIV/AIDS prevention strategy, the concept of "True Love Awaits" - an abstinence-until-marriage program launched in 1994 and supported by schools and religious organizations - is credited with bringing down the infection rate. "Abstinence remains the best strategy, especially for the risk group aged 15-25 years," said Dorothy Kwenze, an HIV/AIDS activist in neighboring Kenya . "The concept has worked well for Uganda and can equally work for other African countries." According to a study by development experts Rand Stoneburner, Uganda 's prevention model, used elsewhere, has the potential to reduce the AIDS rate in Africa 's worst-stricken countries by 80 percent.