Nelson Mandela & His Contributions to African Progress

DON'T FORGET:

May 7 World AIDS Orphans Day & Essay Contest Part II

http://www.fxb.org/FXBinAction/orphansday.html  

New York, March 15, 2010


Press Release
Children Invited to Enter :  2010 World AIDS Orphans Day Contest

To commemorate World AIDS Orphans Day on May 7th, 2010, kids in grades 4-8th are invited to share their stories! Children should submit a letter sharing their views on the following topic:

Millions of kids around the world have lost their parents to AIDS. Write a letter to Albina du Boisrouvray, founder of World AIDS Orphans Day, explaining what you think should be done to help these kids live better lives.

The winning essay will be posted on the World AIDS Orphans Day website (www.worldaidsorphans.org). The author will receive a certificate from Albina du Boisrouvray, international humanitarian and founder of World AIDS Orphans Day, and $200 to be donated in their name to a charity benefiting children!

Spread the word! This is an exciting way for children to express their thoughts and speak out in support of orphaned children around the world!

Entries should be a maximum of 300 words and emailed or attached in Word form to info@worldaidsorphans.org by 5pm Eastern Time on Monday, April 26th, 2010.

For consideration, all entries must have the applicant’s full name, age and grade level and a parent or guardian’s full name and contact phone number or email address.

Additional Rules:

• Entries due by 5pm on Monday, April 26th
• Maximum length: 300 words
• Open to children in all countries in grades 4-8 (or of the appropriate age)
• The winning letter will be officially announced on Friday, May 7th
• All entries will become property of WorldAIDSOrphansDay.com and FXB International

*******
Press contact:
FXB USA — Nico D’Auterive — ndauterive@fxb.org — 1 212 697 3566


Find World AIDS Orphans Day on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/WorldAIDSOrphansDay?ref=ts

May 7--World AIDS Orphan Day & Essay Contest

http://www.worldaidsorphans.org/

Children and AIDS



• AIDS has orphaned more than 15 million children around the world. Over 80% of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa.


• AIDS is more likely than any other cause of death to create double orphans – children who have lost both parents. (UNICEF)


• Less than 1 in 10 of these children receives any type of external support or help. (UNICEF)


• By 2010 there will be an estimated 20 to 25 million AIDS orphans. (UNICEF)


• Every 15 seconds, a young adult between the ages of 15 and 24 is infected with HIV. (UNICEF)


• Approximately 2.3 million children under age 15 currently live with HIV. (Global AIDS Alliance)


• Every minute, one child under age 15 dies from AIDS or an AIDS-related illness.(UNICEF)

• An estimated 11 million children under age 5 die each year from preventable or treatable diseases. (WHO)
• Children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS are more likely to suffer from hunger and malnutrition, to drop out of school, to become infected with HIV and to face discrimination, abuse, and exploitation.


About World AIDS Orphans Day


World AIDS Orphans Day, held each year on May 7th, is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the more than 15 million children orphaned by AIDS. The campaign engages leaders, activists, and young people from around the world in awareness raising and action for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.


Today, a diverse coalition of organizations, government officials and everyday citizens is standing up to make children a priority in the fight against AIDS. Your voice is their future.


10 Percent for Children
This World AIDS Orphans Day, we are calling on global leaders to take serious action in addressing the crisis of AIDS orphans by allocating at least 10% of overall HIV and AIDS funding to meet the needs of children who are orphaned or made vulnerable by the pandemic.


UNAIDS estimates that at least $4 billion will be needed over the next two years to meet the basic needs of many of these children. Since 2003, the US Congress has pledged to earmark at least 10 percent of all HIV/AIDS funding for children, but it has consistently failed to meet this goal. Increased funding will provide the necessary resources for governments, partner organizations, and local communities to respond to the special needs of children.


Visit www.worldaidsorphans.org to join the campaign.

Spread the word.  Tweet this.  Post on Facebook.  Email this post to family and friends.  Email me at powerofonlyone(at)gmail(dot)com and I can send you the flyers and logos.  Tomorrow's post will feature the essay contest and rules.    (all data from www.worldaidsorphans.org an FXB initiative)

We can all change the world, even with the Power of Only One.

No Infrastructure, No Economic Development

The more developed a country's infrastructure, the more developed that country's economy is. 

• “Modern infrastructure is the backbone of an economy and the lack of it inhibits economic growth…”
• “investing more funds without tackling inefficiencies would be like pouring water into a leaking bucket. Africa can plug those leaks through reforms and policy improvements which will serve as a signal to investors that Africa is ready for business.”

In order to develop a nation's economy and to encourage the growth of profit-making industries, there are five major infrastructure systems key to economic success:  power, water, transportation, information and communication systems, along with a well developed educational system.  All of which most African nations lack.

Infrastructure Blog Power Point

If Pictures Say a 1000 Words, Political Cartoons Tell A Whole Story.

Africa: In Fact--Life After Imperialism

Africa in Fact BLOG Power Point

The World's 10 Worst Dictators | Parade.com

The World's 10 Worst Dictators Parade.com


Africa has 4 of the world's 10 worst dictators.  Read all about each one of them in the article provided above.  Of the four, Robert Mugabe is one man who should be feared and with whom the United Nations should deal. 

Mission Possible or Improbable? Depends on the Approach

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  ~ Albert Eintstein

Solution for the poverty and turmoil in Africa? 

My personal belief after months of research:  investing in and promoting Non-governmental Organizations (NGO's) that empower the people to solve their own problems locally according to the region's unique culture, social norms, mores, customs, and values, not according to those of a wealthy, overfed country. Feed a man a fish, you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and help him to make nets and fishing poles, you feed him for a life time.  Help to educate his sons and daughters, and his grandsons and grandaughters will change the world. 

Genocide: Destroyer of Hope

gen·o·cide (jn-sd)  n.  The systematic and widespread extermination or attempted extermination of an entire national, racial, religious, or ethnic group.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Greek genos, race; see gen- in Indo-European roots + -cide.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
geno·cidal (-sdl) adj.
geno·cidal·ly adv.


Africa is a continent with rich cultural diversity.  With 53 countries, over 750 ethnic groups, and approximately 2000 languages, this diversity would seem to be the cause of disagreement, conflict, violence, and war.  But it is not the diversity of the people that causes the conflict, conflict that often leads to genocide.  The common factors  in Africa's regions of genocide include:  1)  extreme poverty 2) failed government systems unable to successfully transistion from colony to independent nation, and 3) a dependence upon resources, such as oil and diamonds, often used to fund a war lord's army and campaign. 

However, genocide is more than a definition in a dictionary.  It is more than the discussion as the root cause of such "horriffic violence and destruction".  For millions in Africa, genocide is the reality that the people of any gender, of any age, and of any religious persuasion must endure on a daily basis.  What does genocide look like?  Thanks to the The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, you can see up close just how destructive genocide is globally, particularly in Africa.  Follow the link provided below to bear witness to the violence, the destruction, and even the resilience of those most affected.

Photo Gallery:  Genocide

Disease Afflicts The People of Africa, More than Just HIV/AIDS

Both selections are not my words and are taken directly from the sources cited within the reading.

Malaria
Malaria is only transmitted by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. Most female Anopheles mosquitoes are nocturnal feeders (that is, they only bite at night).

 

Four Nobel Prizes have been awarded for work associated with malaria to Sir Ronald Ross (1902), Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran (1907), Julius Wagner-Jauregg (1927), and Paul Hermann Müller (1948).

 

The two most effective and potent anti-malarial drugs come from plants with medicinal values recognized for centuries: artemisinin from the Qinghao plant (Artemisia annual, China, 4th century) and quinine from the cinchona tree (South America, 17th century).

 

When combined with HIV/AIDS, malaria is even more deadly, particularly for pregnant women and children. Read more here.
 
Source:  http://www.nothingbutnets.net/malaria-kills/
 
African Trypanosomiasis (African Sleeping Sickness)

 

What is African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness)?   African trypanosomiasis, also called African sleeping sickness, is a systemic disease caused by a parasite and transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly. There are two types of the disease, named for the areas of Africa in which they are found. West African trypanosomiasis, which causes a chronic infection lasting years, is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. East African trypanosomiasis, which causes acute illness lasting several weeks, is caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Worldwide, 25,000 new cases of both East and West African trypanosomiasis are reported each year; however, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it is vastly underreported.

African trypanosomiasis is confined mainly to tropical Africa between 15 degrees North and 20 degrees South latitude. The greatest risks of contracting the disease occurs in parts of Eastern and Central Africa, including:

• Uganda
• Kenya
• Tanzania
• Malawi
• Ethiopia
• Zaire
• Zimbabwe
• Botswana

West African trypanosomiasis can be contracted in parts of Western and Central Africa. Because tsetse flies inhabit rural areas only, living in woodland thickets of savanna and dense vegetation along streams, visitors to urban areas are generally not at risk.

What are the symptoms of African trypanosomiasis?  The following are the most common symptoms of African trypanosomiasis. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently.

Symptoms, which occur within one to four weeks of infection, are often initially nonspecific and may include fever, skin lesions, rash, edema, or swollen lymph nodes on the back of the neck. The infection then generally progresses to meningoencephalitis. As the illness progresses, symptoms may include:

• personality change
• weight loss
• irritability
• loss of concentration
• progressive confusion
• slurred speech
• seizures
• difficulty walking and talking
• sleeping for long periods of the day
• insomnia at night

If left untreated, death will occur within several weeks to months. The symptoms of African trypanosomiasis may resemble other medical conditions or problems. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.

 

source:  http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/UVAHealth/adult_travel/african.cfm

Why So Much Violence in Africa?

Why is there so much conflict in Africa?  Although there are over 700 ethno-liguo-cultural groups in Africa with an estimated 1000-2000 languages, this rich diversity, these many differences are not the root of ethnic tension, conflict, and all out war in the many countries of Africa.  Conflict comes as a cost to a colonial past with a "divide-and-rule" public policy, as well as high levels of poverty, failed governments, and an over-dependence on natural resources such as oil and diamonds; these resources can finance the rebels' cause and war.  Compared to all other continents on this planet, Africa suffers the most from the ravages of war and internal conflict.  See for yourself.

http://jae.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/9/3/244, http://stealthconflicts.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/new-world-maps/

And the Chidlren Carry The Burden...

200,000 child slaves are sold every year in Africa. There are an estimated 8,000 girl-slaves in West Africa alone. (sources: BBC 5 October, 2001 & Anti-Slavery Society)


About 120,000 African children are participating in armed conflicts. Some are as young as 7 years old. (source: Africa Children’s Charter)

Children account for half of all civilian casualties in wars in Africa. (source: Africa 2015)

One in six African children dies before the age of five. Most of these deaths could be prevented. (source: Africa 2015)

Nearly one third of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are underweight. (source: UNICEF)

In sub-Saharan Africa, measles takes the life of a child nearly every minute of every day. An effective measles vaccine costs as little as $1 per child. (source: UNICEF)

Between 12 and 14 million African children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (source: World Bank/UNICEF)

Nearly 2 million children under 14 years old are HIV positive. (source: UNICEF)

43% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have safe, accessible drinking water. (source: UNICEF)

64% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have adequate sanitation. (source: UNICEF)

Only 57% of African children are enrolled in primary education, and one in three of those does not complete school. (source: Africa 2015)

For every 100 boys there are only 83 girls enrolled at primary school. (source: World Bank/UNICEF)



SOURCE:  http://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com/facts/africa.html

Invisible: Children Living with AIDS

AIDS destroyer of Africa, destroyer of dreams

• Twenty-two million people in Africa have HIV, representing 2/3 of the total infected population of the world.
• Seventy-five percent of the world's AIDS-related deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The main mode of HIV/AIDS transmission in Africa is heterosexual intercourse. The second-most common mode of transmission is from mother to child, either during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Many Swazi communities have been destroyed by the AIDS epidemic. Swaziland has been affected most by the HIV epidemic. The country has a 38.8 percent adult infection rate and a life expectancy of only 39 years.
• In Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, current estimates show over 1 person in 5 between the ages of 15 and 49 is living with HIV or AIDS.
• Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 83% of the deaths have been in Africa.
• At least 95% of all AIDS orphans have been African.
• In 1998 wars in Africa killed 200,000 people. AIDS killed 2 million on the continent.
• As infection rises in the general population, so does the likelihood of encountering an infected partner early in one's sexual career.
• In Africa, especially Southern Africa the average life expectancy is only 48 years; this being largely because of the AIDs epedimic. In 2005 the world suffered around 3 million deaths because of AIDs, out of those 3 million an estimated one third were in Sub-Saharan Africa. The cause of this has to do largely with lack of education on the subject, and lack of prevention methods coupled with hard to find quality treatment.

SOURCES (These are not my words.  I cut and pasted the facts & figures directly from the sources listed above.)

• http://cesa.imb.org/aidsinafrica/facts_on_aids.htm
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_5467396_bullet-point-aids-africa.html
• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/388297/the_sad_facts_about_aids_in_africa.html?cat=47

Donkeys Bring in Books, The Children Come

To contribute to this program, read below and clink on the link provided for more information.



The Story of Johannes & His Reading Program (taken from Ethiopia Reads)

Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a native of Etihopia, learned to read in his village school - taught by Peace Corps volunteers. He fondly remembers the first book he held in his hands outside of school...at the age of nineteen. Eventually, he came to the United States as a political refugee. He earned a Master's degree in Library Science from the University of Texas.

While working as a children's librarian at the San Francisco Publisc Library, Yohannes was asked to purchase books in various languages for the library. He was surprised to discover that, despite a large Ethiopian population int he area, he was unable to find books printed in any of the Ethiopian languages. Recognizing the importance of reading for children in his native country, he founded Ethiopia Reads in 1998, inspired to make books available to Ethiopia's kids.

As Yohannes worked to develop his project, he contacted American author Jane Kurtz. Jane grew up in Ethiopia, where her parents worked for many years, and has written many books about its land and people. Yohannes' vision caught Jane's attention: she, too believed in the power of books to change lives. She rallied friends, family and her community to raise funds to publish Silly Mammo, the first English/Amharic book for children, which was written by Yohannes and based on a well-loved children's folk tale from Ethiopia.

Proceeds from the sale of Silly Mommo supported Yohannes' dream of opening a free public library for children in Addis Ababa, a city of 3 million people. In 2003, Yohannes moved back to Addis Ababa to formally establish Ethiopia Reads. he and his family lived in the top floor of a small house; on the bottom floor, he began building a library.

On April 7, 2003, Yohannes and Jane cut the ribbon on Shola Children's Library. Established in a poor neighborhood with no safe spaces for play, reading or art activity, the library served thousands of children during its first year of operation. Four years later, the staff recorded 60,000 visits from children! In June of 2008, the library moved from its original location into a larger facility, with more room for books and children. Shola currently offers programs in sanitation, art, theater and dance as well as tutoring and study groups.

Ethiopia Reads believes that education is the key to improving the lives of the next generation of Ethiopians, a country filled with children, and that books are the key to fostering a genuine love of learning. We invite all who love children and books to join us in this endeavor.

I Saw What I Saw

I saw what I saw and I can't forget it

I heard what I heard and I can't go back

I know what I know and I can't deny it

Something on the road

Cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me

Your dream inspires

Your face a memory

Your hope a fire

Your courage asks me what I'm afraid of

And what I know of love

We've done what we've done and we can't erase it

We are what we are and it's more than enough

We have what we have but it's no substitution

Your pain has changed me

Your dream inspires

Your face a memory

Your hope a fire

Your courage asks me what I'm made of

And what I know of love

Something on the road

Cut me to the soul

I say what I say with no hesitation

I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction

Something on the road, cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me

Ooohhh...

Your dreams inspire

Ooohhh...

Your face a memory

Ooohhh...

Your hope a fire

Ooohhh...

Your pain has changed me

Your dream inspires

Your face a memory

Your hope a fire

Your courage asks me what I am afraid of

Your courage asks me what I am made of

Your courage asks me what I am afraid of

And what I know of God,

And what I know of God.

http://www.nomadshow.com/

LRA: Army of Destruction and Despair

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Koney, is part cult, part army, but entirely the driving force of destruction and despair in the lives of thousands of young African boys and girls.  To better understand the plight and suffering of these Invisible Children please watch the two following videos and refer to the links provided.

• Invisible Children
• Global Security.org
• AllAfrica

My African Child

So young in heart

He cried for milk

So poor and helpless

Mama weeps in pain

His eyes so red

A week he cried

A month ago,

To the world he came

Mama so young

Papa has run

Under the bridge

They lay their heads

In storm and rain

They search for food

Through man and sex

Mama fed him well

The days went by

Mama health decreased

Only five months old

Mama said goodbye

In rain and cold

He cried so loud

In sun and heat

He wept and wept

Three days gone by

Since mama left

And now he sleeps

To meet with mama

~Toris Okotie (The African Poet) NY~

http://www.poemsofsoul.com/africanpoems.htm

History of Human Rights: Self-Evident Truths or Merely Words?

by:  Youth for Human Rights International

"Youth for Human Rights International teaches human rights education both in the classroom and beyond traditional education settings. We aim to reach people from diverse backgrounds and our materials often appeal across generations. From teaching human rights through conferences and workshops to hip-hop and dancing, the message spreads around the world and reaches onto every continent and into many countries." (About Youth for Human Rights)

Disparity: Waiting to Be Fed

~disparity~