Early morning thoughts.

[gfrancie]

I have been reading these articles as of late about the various orphans of AIDS in Africa.
The children lose their parents and then there are these huge funeral feasts and the relatives kill off their animals (food the children could have survived on for atleast a year) to entertain the entire village. Some of the relatives often take the land the kids live on, along with their possessions and just leave them to starve.
So the kids often have to leave school to take care of what remaining land they might have, many live on grass. Or the girls might prostitute themselves.

It leaves me in awe.

People wonder why Africa can never escape its Junkie-like existance. Look at what many people do to the possible future.


Sometimes I wish I could just adopt those children and take them away from that horrible mess.

I know from personal experience, what adults are capable of doing to children, But I am still left so surprised sometimes when people have no regard for their humanity.

I want to change this. More then anything.

Comments

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

ah, but some might argue that's what is needed is for these societies to start forcing change from within to deal with the problem -- that first-world sympathy is great, but doesn't help sub-Saharan Africa deal with this crisis in a larger way. that's not to say we turn our backs, it's to say that an externally imposed solution might end up being just another form of cultural imperialism -- well-intentioned as it might be.

worth remembering when you consider that $15 billion of U.S. funds have been tied up over an argument about whether mandated abstinence should be part of an anti-AIDS prevention program. (can you guess who dreamed this one up?)

or that some African nations have rejected U.S. food aid because it contains genetically modified products and they're afraid of what it might do to their food supply.

there are small signs (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6998-2003Aug17.html) that cultural changes are being effected from within, though. i'd say we should do more to promote stable nation-building, but ... well, our track record doesn't speak well for us.

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

Call me crazy

i'll do better than that, i'll agree with you ...

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

well, i can call you crazy just for the heck of it, but actually, you explained the problem far better than i did.

and also made me think (as i was just in the shower, where my only thinking occurs) that for an administration so eager to let the Africans mop up their own mess in Liberia, they're awfully eager to meddle in African social policy when it fits their moral beliefs.

but als, such thoughts are seditious and wrong. the gubmint tells me so.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I heartily agree the change needs to come from within.
And imperialism time and time again has proven to be so disasterous.
Especially when you look at the fact, when these countries gained their freedom, they had no true cultural structure to fall back on. They had been a series of many different tribes and the colonizing had united them in a sense, but it was much like heroin. They became dependent upon this government that had been forced upon them many years ago, and once it was taken away they really didn't know what to do without and chaos really erupted.

I am truly bothered by the fact that many of these people don't truly want to create any change. They almost seem content with this half-existence.

And tied up funds is absolute crap. the mandated abstinence is just another form of imperialism. Attempting to enforce a cultural attitude upon people and not actually creating change.

I completely agree with you on the matter of promoting stable nation-building. But it seems there are certain people who are going to spend more time arguing and keeping anything from being done.

No...no it doesn't speak well for us.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

The idea of abstinence (especially among married couples) reminds me of some ideas that were presented at the turn of the century for poor people.

And of course they are trying to encourage that as well with low-income people who are on welfare in this country.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Of course it should be pointed out that most of those children died very young. So If three or four made it to adulthood you were doing pretty gosh-darned well.


I agree with you absolutely.

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

"turn of the century" -- you mean the 21st century, right?

to be fair, though, i'm actually sort of a fan of the free Depo-Provera offers that are often provided for low-income women. it's an imperfect solution, but it does address at least one element of a problem that could make their lives even more difficult. and it's better than telling them not to play with the boys ...

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Both infact.

I equally support women taking advantage of free birth control options. It allows them some possibility in taking control of their life and possibly advancing it.

I think it needs to be offered really early, by the age of twelve.

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

12? heck, pack it in their lunchboxes ...

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Well I know they were teaching our school about it way too late.
We had two girls in our health class who already had babies, and one guy had a kid on the way.
They ought to teach about birth control around the age of ten.

The first girl to get pregnant in our class...was twelve. She was in the seventh grade and the boy in question was eighteen.

If I correctly remember, she had an absent father, her mother had her very young, and the girl lived with a couple of different families.

Just classic stuff.
She has about three kids now.

If people want to have children. I am all for it, but I do worry a great deal about girls who are having sex at the age when most of their peers are still playing around with dolls and staying up late is a big deal.

It says so much about our culture and the lack of concern people truly have for children.

Maybe we should put out a public service announcement.

"children are not substitutes for the lack of love you received as a child. If you want something to love you that you can equally ignore, and give a stupid name, get a dog."

I also abhor those boring overly paid people who decide they want a kid after growing bored of the dog, but realize this when they are 47 and don't understand why their reproductive organs are not what they used to be.

They seem kinda...oh I dunno...selfish.

[closh2.livejournal.com]

I too wish i could do something for the people who are in trouble. It can't be done though, unless as everyone has pretty much stated from within. Might I also add the people must desire change. I would be hard pressed to go in and do something when there was no evidence that the people sincerely wanted to change things. It doesn't work unless the people want change. Just my humble 2 cents worth.