World Travel and Tourist Destinations

HIV is proving to be smart as man is becoming difficult to work with. What other option do we have that will help us get out of this trap? Is there anyway you can help? This piece shades some light on this issue.

It really kept disturbing me why some people had doubts on the existence of God. Now, I know. The damage that HIV has done and is still doing is proving to be worse than even the two world wars. There is no part of the world where you will mention HIV and fail to get the attention of people. I mean, from the widows, the orphans, the infected and the affected everyone is just tired about this whole thing.

The question is; why isn’t a solution being found to permanently end this scourge? I mean even if you ask a child you will get to realize that they understand the ways of contracting the virus and the methods of prevention. This message has reached everyone. Yet, everyday we see more and more new infections. Has God abandoned his people? It depends on what you think and believe. God is not the type to desert you. He will always continue to demonstrate his undeserved kindness to humans.

Despite the fact that people know what should be done, not all are practicing that. That is the reason behind the increasing infections. The only thing that will save us is when we look for other preventions. There are a lot of people who are beyond the abstinence age and they have no permanent partner to be faithful to. Yet, sometimes they are forced to avoid condom use. This is the group who will benefit greatly from the HIV vaccine.

The people who have been infected have also not accepted to practice what they are told. Some of them keep behaving as though they are on some revenge mission. Even for their own health they are not supposed to be engaging themselves in unprotected sex. If they were adhering to this, there would be no much infections. At the same time, not everyone who is infected knows that they are. There is still that group who are afraid to test and know their status.

They will keep infecting those who do not know for sometime. So, the responsibility should be taken by everyone regardless of their status. You see mothers infecting their children out of ignorance. Who does not know about the prevention of mother to child transmission program that has been around since? We do, yet not all pregnant women are willing to have the test and give birth in hospitals.

Surely, it is God that will deliver us. Just the way he has helped scientists and medics to get the ART, he will help researchers get a vaccine. The vaccine will be our only help. So, when you see the call for volunteers in the trial studies, if you are not yet infected, please take the responsibility to volunteer.
 

Authored By Elmeldah Obiero, Kenya

When I see children, I see all good that remains in this world in their faces and actions. Doesn’t this world always christen children as; ‘the future of the world’, ‘the father of man’, ‘the epitome of innocence’ and ‘the icon of love’?

And this very same world also takes the pleasure to crush the very innocence of a child when they are used by adults to cater to their wild sexual needs.

Chubby Cheeks, dimple chin
Rosy lips, teeth within
Curly hair, very fair
Eyes are blue, lovely too
Teacher’s pet, “Is that you?”
Yes, yes, yes.

Aashu loves to recite this rhyme; she is after all her class teacher’s favorite student.

Aashu is a normal, pretty and lovable six year old child. She is the ultimate representation of joy, freedom and innocence. Aashu goes to a neighboring school and studies in 2nd grade. She loves Mummy, Papa and her doggy Bozo. Her best friend is Rashi and she shares her food and even her favorite crayons with her. Aashu loves to draw rainbows in her drawing book. Life is beautiful for Aashu and she blooms everyday basking in the love of all who know her and care for her.

But……

A month has passed since all have started noticing the changes in Aashu, she doesn’t laugh anymore, she hates going out to play and bursts into tears with no reason. She hits Rashi and doesn’t like Mummy,Papa or Bozo.

Mummy and Papa think it is just a phase, maybe it is the workload at school; after all Aashu is ‘no more a kid’.

They have no idea as to how ironical this statement is! 

Yes, Aashu is no more a kid, her innocence, her modesty and her childish dreams have been destroyed and thrown away.

Nobody noticed that Aashu’s seven color rainbows had changed into red ones; she had started drawing small, childish stick figures which she would later slash them and tear the pages.

Those figures were Aashu herself!

Aashu used to bleed everyday but as the bleeding would stop in few minutes, she could never tell Mummy. Without proof, Mummy may think that she is lying and give her a good spanking. Already it pains every day and she doesn’t want more of it.

Aashu is scared!

Aashu wants Mummy to hug her tight and talk to her with love but she doesn’t want Papa to hug her, she is scared of Papa.

Papa is a ‘man’ just like the uncle who makes her bleed everyday, maybe Papa too will do the same and hurt her if he hugs her, so she remains far from Papa.

Mummy had told her on her 5th birthday( how happy we all were that day, we had many balloons, chocolates and glittering ribbons all over my room and I got so many gifts, Papa had given me the huge teddy bear) that GOD hurts only those who have sinned in this world.

So, that meant she had sinned and that’s why uncle hurt her!

She hates this world, she hates school, she hates uncle, she hates Mummy, Papa and Bozo.

She hates herself! 

Aashu now wished only one thing – TO DIE!

I have never known Aashu personally, I have never met her but I know that this is the story of millions of children who are victimized by sex-fiends every second in this brutal world.

If, I could wish for something, I would wish that a story like Aashu’s never existed.

‘CHILD ABUSE’ (Yes, I have written it bold and loud so that the readers can feel at least an iota of this harsh reality), this is a phrase I have detested since the day I came to know what it actually means.

Before 19th century, child was considered a property and when I think of it now, aren’t they treated the same way even today when their childhood is scarred by actions of abuse? 

“Universal Declaration of Human Right’s recognized ‘child rights’ in 1948.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Child came into force in 1990(this shows that it took almost half a century for adults to declare that children have rights too).

“The world would be a better place if we would bend down to try and protect these saplings from being trampled upon.”

This space and word limit is too short to describe this horrendous crime but I wish from the bottom of my heart that this piece would have scarred the heart and burnt the soul with rage of every reader. Because it is said;

“When the heart and soul rebel; a change is achieved”

We all should act or we may have to change the nursery rhyme to-

Wounded cheeks, broken chin,

Torn lips, no teeth within,

Ragged hair, dirty not fair

Eyes full of tears, full of pain

Teacher’s pet, “Is that you?”

No, No, No. I don’t want to be the pet.

Just save me from this big bad world!

Authored By Lekshmi. G.Nair, India