Besty King is a Hall of Fame golfer with six major championships among her 34 victories, but her most meaningful accomplishments are changing the lives of the suffering people of Rwanda.
In 1996 Betsy was searching for a meaningful project, and her Christian faith took her to Africa to learn about the AIDS crisis. The spirit and the needs of the little country of Rwanda captured her heart. She was determined to do all she could to help.
With the assistance of Debbie Quesada, King organized Golf Fore Africa, a member supported charity of the LPGA. Golf Fore Africa works with World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide. World Vision serves the world's poor regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.
Next, Betsy organized a group of like minded, like hearted ladies, who grace the game of golf to tour Rwanda with her to study the situation. Accompanying her were LPGA major winner Julie Inkster and her daughters Haley and Cori; Renee Powell, the third of only three African-American women to play on the LPGA Tour, Reilley Rankin and her aunt Diane Reilley, Katherine Hull, and Wendy Posillico, a teaching pro, and her mother Whitney.
The hearts of these ladies were touched as they learned of Rwanda's troubled state.
This tiny nation of 8.4 million people in the Great Lakes region of central Africa was a serene place until 1994 when a sudden war exploded.
The genocide, which lasted barely a hundred days, saw 800,000 Tulsis and moderate Hutus slaughtered by Hutu extremists. More than 500,000 rapes took place during those three months and in the refugee camps soon afterward. This was not only a further humiliation but a deliberate effort to spread the AIDS virus.
The war ended, but the suffering continues. More than 1.3 million orphans were left in Rwanda because of the genocide, the AIDS pandemic, and imprisonment.
Thirty thousand Rwandan children die each year of preventable disease such as maleria. Of every 1,000 children born in Rwanda, 203 do not survive five years. And, 27,000 children younger than 14 are HIV positive.
These women saw the plight of these children and knew they had to help. Golf Fore Africa was the logical way.
More than 60 LPGA golfers have donated time and money to support this project. Players include Lorena Ochoa and all 12 members of the 2007 U. S. Solheim Cup team, and the ladies who were part of the first work force to visit Rwanda with Betsy King.
After the McDonald's LPGA championship in the first week of June 2008, King presented World Vision with a check for $250,000. This provided clean water, agricultural support, education, and basic health care for Rwandan children and families.
Golf Fore Africa also announced two new projects. The first is building a medical clinic in Rwanda that will provide basic health care, treat malaria, and help AIDS victims. The second is in Lesotho, in southern Africa, and works with World Vision and Habitat for Humanity to build houses.
"This is our chance to help, and these people need our help." Betsy King Real Sports Heroes salute Betsy King , World Vision, the LPGA, and all the people who heard this cry. To learn more or to be part of Golf Fore Africa, e-mail GolforeAfrica@gmail.com Linda Porter
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