Our Mission

TIAS ARMS is a non-profit, non-denominational organization that believes in providing a dignified, nurturing, and compassionate environment for orphaned or abandoned children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
Our goal also is to provide a hospice environment to comfort these children in their final stages of life.

How did this all start?

My name is Joanne Baker and I was born in Durban, South Africa in 1952. I struggled with the politics of apartheid all the years I was growing up and eventually expatriated to the USA when I was 21. I trained as a nurse in SA and have since been practicing in the US for 32 years.

In 2001, on the encouragement of my friend Dr. Gabriella Miotta, a family practice physician, I returned to my homeland, the place of my childhood. We drove around and spent time with friends, visited townships, clinics and had conversations with the medical community and existing help groups and opened ourselves up to hearing everything we could. The HIV/AIDS epidemic became dramatically apparent to us.

I realized how much could be done with so little, as at that time the exchange rate was the strongest the dollar had even been at R14 to $1, which meant that certainly our dollars could go a long way. I returned to California with my head swirling and this seed of a dream began flowering - the concept of TIAS ARMS was born. With one in four people being affected by HIV/AIDS it was easy to feel overwhelmed. We decided to focus on the most innocent - that of the children.

A 50th birthday happened to be around the corner and I took the opportunity to invite friends, old and new, to a party asking for support in beginning the dream of TIAS ARMS. We collected donated goods including art, trips and items left from my former Timbuktu Folk and Tribal Art Gallery and held a silent auction along with dinner and dancing. Friends unable to attend sent generous donations and a surprisingly sizable amount of money was raised. I was overwhelmed at the volume of support.

Willing friends stepped forward to form a Board and the Law Firm of Latham and Watkins secured our non-profit status pro-bono.

TIAS ARMS was born!


Where did the name TIAS ARMS come from?

The name'Tia" in many languages means "auntie". My fine daughter Kim, chose this name in honour of all our friends or "Tias" whose loving arms have helped me nuture and raise her over the years. We dreamt that funds raised in the USA would help provide loving arms for abandoned or orphaned children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

TIAS ARMS would not exist without the generous donation of time, efforts and financial contributions made primarily by friends.

I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world because I have found a passion that will last me a lifetime and a group of friends who support this dream. My inspiration is found in the faces of these little children, their acceptance of their state, their loving response with hugs and smiles.