It's been a long road / since my first trip to Africa, / the trip that / totally changed my life. / The direction of my life. // And I was / young and unsure of what I'd find, / but I went there / with a desire to learn and to understand. // And I'll never forget / the children there. // I'll never forget the way / that their mothers looked at me for answers. // Really, it burned an impression in my soul. // They knew that I could help them, / and they... they... they expected me to. // And at that point, / I knew that I had to. // So, / I'll never forget the time that I spent / talking with teenagers in Soweto, / just gathered around, / all of us chilling, / you know, / about their lives / and the futures that they dared to dream of, / in spite of the fact / that they were AIDS orphans / and that they didn't know / where their paths would lead. // I mean, / it was / so deep to see their determination / and they were so full of / just / showing the world who they are going to be / and who they have become / and the love for each other. // So, / that spirit of / Soweto shone through the tragedy. // You know, / you don't just shake it off, / and I... I... I definitely couldn't. // So, / when I think about Africa today, / I think about / its vibrant youth. // I think about / the fast-growing economies. // I think about the rich culture / and the talent and creativity. // But there's something that's... / that's not right in this picture. // It's not right / that the same people that / first inspired me / to join this movement and to join the fight against AIDS / are still / disproportionately affected / and impacted by it. // And it's not right that so many children do not have access to treatment. // That's seven out of ten. / You know, / my sons could be / one of those children. // It's not right that AIDS is the number one killer of adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. // And it's definitely not right that girls / are infected eight more times often than boys. // So, / for Africa to really have a chance to continue / what it started, / the futuristic Africa / that we all hope for, / we have to get HIV out of the way. // And so, / 12 years on, / and our work in Africa continues, / bringing us together in this room right now, / with all a mission, / with all a purpose, / and all full of intention. // And so, / please enjoy the evening / and the music / and the company of so many incredible people. // And please / be as generous as you can, / because the funds that are raised tonight / are so critical / in the work that we do / and so critical / to getting us closer to the end.