British pop star Phil Collins has pledged his South African royalty earnings to the value of 370, 000 rand (about 53,000 US dollars) to a local organization caring for HIV/AIDS affected and infected children.

According to the South African Press Association, the Gallo record company, which represents Collins' recording rights in South Africa, presented the donation to the Topsy Foundation in Johannesburg. The royalty earnings were for the January 2002-June 2003 period.

"We are delighted with the money from Phil Collins as it will assist our drive for self-sustainability immensely," Topsy Foundation spokesman Grant Law said in a statement.

The foundation provides a holistic approach to the care of all vulnerable children, and to children affected directly or indirectly by HIV/AIDS.

Law said the foundation worked with rural communities, bringing about change through a multi-faceted approach to the consequences of HIV/AIDS.

Handing over the donation Gallo Music Group chief executive Charles Kuhn said, "We are proud to build on our association with the Topsy Foundation with this generous donation from Mr. Collins. "

South Africa's first ever nationally representative study on HIV/AIDS released at the end of 2002 found an unexpectedly high prevalence + 5.6 percent rate among children between the ages of 2 and 14.

According to the study's leader, Dr. Olive Shisana, the study drew no conclusions about this finding but factors such as sexual abuse and exposure to contaminated needles needed to be investigated in further research.

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