A University of Cincinnati student is taking time out to join the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Dustin Rains, who is studying education, will leave on April 4 for Mozambique. He will live in Avenida de Angola and work in Costa del Sol.

Rains, 21, is part of a team of four people who will work on a project called Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE), an HIV/AIDS education and awareness program.

"The purpose of the program is to stop the spread of AIDS and educate the people in Africa," Rains said.

There are TCE programs in Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe, he said.

Rains will be joined by Bianca Leite, 29, of Brazil; Deborah Barrel, 48, of New York City; and Liz Bageant, 18 of Idaho.

Rains

"I want to give back to people who are less fortunate, and give them hope and education to help stop the spread of AIDS from their families and friends," Rains said.

The volunteers will work with other national and international organizations and target each local person in areas where TCE operates. They will use their training to educate people about AIDS, treatments, living habits, prevention measures and diet.

Rains has been in training since October in Williamstown, Mass., at the Institute for International Cooperation and Development. IICD is one of four training schools in the United States. He said he will be in Mozambique 12 months, then two months in Denmark, recording his experiences.

IICD is a nonprofit organization that trains and sends about 80 volunteers a year to Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Brazil. The volunteers also work in community development projects in those countries.

Rains is a 2000 graduate of Blanchester High School. He has attended UC for two years.

Each volunteer has to raise $5,500 to cover living expenses during the training period, airfare, international health insurance, vaccinations and educational materials for the project.

There will be a benefit for Rains from 8-10 p.m. Saturday at Hamburger Mary's, 911 Vine St., downtown.

Contributions may also be sent to: Dustin Rains, c/o IICD, P.O. Box 520, Williamstown, MA 01267.

Students at Yavneh Day School, Kenwood, have raised $350 through their weekly tzedaka (charitable contributions) for the Jewish National Fund, in memory of the seven astronauts killed in the Columbia explosion.

Col. Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut, had expressed a wish that trees be planted in Israel on the anniversary of the launching of Columbia.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News'' column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.