Ethiopian Girls Flee Early Marraiges

This article was published on October 8, 2009 by Hanna Win. In the US, women have a 1 in 3,418 chance of dying due to complications of pregnancy, childbirth, and unsafe abortions compared to a 1 in 7 chance in Ethiopia. Many young girls in Ethiopia are forced to get married as early as 14 years old and many before they even have a menstrual cycle. About one half of young women in Ethiopia are married by 15 years old, and almost two thirds by 18. Many girls recently began fleeing their homes and going to Biruh Tesfa ("Bright Future"), an informal school for Ethiopian runaways. Mentors from Biruh Tesfa go to the young ladies' employers and ask if they be allowed to participate in the program.
There is a story of a young girl, 14 years old, who had recently lost her big brother. Her mother was trying to force her to marry. She never met the boy, but she saw him in her town. The young girl wanted to finish school and was grieving for her lost brother. She did not want to marry so she left with her aunt and uncle. She goes to Biruh Tesfa for a few hours every day and meets with other young women between 13 and 19 who have also fled early marriage.
Early marriage can lead to many problems, as the article explains, including: higher rates of infant and maternal mortality, vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, abuse, isolation, and long-term psychological trauma due to forced sex.
This article is very interesting to me. I have heard stories of planned marriages where the women do not meet their husband until they marry, but for young girls to be forced to marry before puberty and against their will makes me sick. After reading about all of the problems that early marriage and early pregnancy can lead to, I feel for the girls who could not flee. I am proud of the women who stood up for themselves and left because they knew that this life was not for them. Many of the examples in the article explained that the girls wanted to get an education and not be forced to marry and quit school. It is good to see that these girls are not afraid to make their own decisions. Although it would be very difficult to leave your family behind, the futures for these young ladies is still bright and open.

Reference: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/africa/091007/ethiopian-girls-flee-early-marriages

Gay Marraige In South Africa

The article I found on gay marriage in South Africa was posted on October 16, 2009. The image along with this article is a photo of homosexuals at the gay march in South Africa. The main focus of the article is that South Africa is the only country in Africa that has legalized gay marriage. Gay marriage has been legal for three years and although there are many that support same-sex marriage, there are many opposers that are fighting to change this. The process of legalizing gay marriage in South Africa was very difficult and many opposers held rallies. Homophobia became a problem, and there was a case in which one South African woman soccer player was raped and murdered by a gang for being openly homosexual. President Zuma made a harsh comment, stating that if he were to face a homosexual man, he would "knock him out." Zaidoo, a man speaking on behalf of the Family Policy Institute, stated that it would take time and that after people were exposed to and got to know the gay culture, they will have a greater understanding of it.
I think this article is very important in our culture today. I know that we in the United States are fighting for and against gay marriage and that laws are being passed to legalize gay marriage in certain states. To see that South Africa was one of the first countries to legalize gay marriage, as well as the only one in Africa to do so, it is astonishing to see that after three years, there are still opposers working hard to make it illegal again. It breaks my heart to hear that people are being raped and murdered because of their lifestyle. The woman who was murdered did not deserve to be, but those who oppose homosexuality took their homophobia and rage and used it to do a horrible thing.
I also found it hard to believe that the President of South Africa made a comment against homosexuals as well. I think that if I were a homosexual, I would be very upset and taken back by the rude statement made by President Zuma. I think that the religious aspect of being opposed to homosexuality makes sense, but as a religious person, I also believe that it is wrong to kill someone for the way that they are. I believe that people have a right to be who they want and do what they want. I think that people need to open up, like Zaidoo said, and get to know the homosexual population before being opposed to them. Also, with all of the effort it took to get gay marriage legalized, I think that instead of doing twice as much to make it illegal again, instead those who do not agree with it should take a step back and either get used to it. If it does not affect you personally, I do not think that you should worry about it.


Reference: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/south%20africa/091008/south-africa-same-sex-marriage

Bitter Struggle To Learn in Zimbabwe

This article was posted on October 8, 2009. It has many statements from those living in Zimbabwe about their opinion on education and what their future will look like. It was good to see that many were optimistic in the interviews. Although they knew that times were hard and that schooling was limited, they had hope. Some things that caught my attention were that the professors and teachers would go on strike often, or would go to other countries to teach, and often the students were taught by student teachers or had to work together to teach themselves.
Many of the youth that were interviewed say that it is hard to go to school without any financial resources. It is hard to find a job in Zimbabwe, and there is a fee in the schools. Many of the students discuss their parents hardships and how they must do what they can to help them, putting education lower on the priority list. One of the boys explains that his father had passed away and his mother was a civil servant, so he spent his time trying to feed and support his family. He took his two younger brothers to school and worked to help support his family.
These stories, although very sad and different from the life that I have lived, touch my heart. The youth in Zimbabwe have high hopes for a better future and work hard to gain an education. Those interviewed who were not attending school said that they hoped to in the future. I think that the main focus of this article is the hope shown by the youth generation in Zimbabwe. Even during tough times, these people have goals and do what they can to make a living and to have a future.

Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8295291.stm

Namibia: Illegal Abortions Common Despite Risks

This article, published on October 7, 2009, discusses the prevalance of illegal abortion cases in Namibia. At one point, Namibia tried to legalize abortion but failed to do so. Since then, unplanned pregnancies have been common, leading to many illegal abortions. The article explains the many people are either unwilling or unable to use contraceptives. Misoprostol is the drug that is commonly used in Namibia for these illegal abortions. This drug was commonly used to treat ulcers. Pharmacists are available in the streets to sell this drug. The cost is somewhere around $14 US dollars per pill.
The article explains the story of a college student in Namibia who bought 5 pills for $113 dollars. She said that she had no complications and that it felt like a really bad menstrual cycle. The drug Misoprostol is also known as Cytotec (used for ulcers) and should only be given to those with a medical doctor prescription. One pharmacist tells that she only sells the pills to people who are referred to her because it is a risky business and she doesn't want to get caught by the police. She stated that she needs the extra money and she believes that she is helping women who need it. She buys the pills in packets of 56 for 50 dollars and sells each for $14, leaving her a tremendous profit. The article goes on to explain the many cases that lead to health problems and death. The bodies of the fetus' are often found by the police force.
One comment from the pharmacist that stuck out to me was, "It's not like we are killing babies, I only sell Cytotec tablets to those whose pregnancy is less than three months to minimise the risk of fatal complications."
This article upsets me. Not only are these women killing a child, but they are also hurting themselves in the process. It was also discussed about legalizing abortion again recently because of all of the deaths and problems that occur in the women who try to do it illegaly. I believe that this is absolutely a horrible and wrong idea. I think that if the people were trying to decrease the problem, they would make contraceptives free and have people teach about the many potential risks to abortion. I also find it sad that so many lives are being destroyed and not even being given a chance to live. The comment by the pharmacist angers me. She does not believe that what she is doing is wrong. These people need to be taught what right and wrong is. She is not helping these women, she is potentially harming them.

References: http://allafrica.com/stories/200910080001.html

Zuma : Too many guns in South Africa

This article was posted on October 8th, 2009 by a news reporter in South Africa. The article discusses the overpopulation of guns (most with proper documentation) in South Africa and the need for more strict laws regarding gun ownership. President Zuma of South Africa commented on the need for new laws including a "shoot-to-kill" law with the power to kill violent criminals. Many people attended this speech given by Zuma, and were proud to hear that gun control had not been forgotten by Zuma and the government. At the end of the article, an organization called Gun Free South Africa was mentioned. This organization was created in 1994 in order to decrease the amount of violence and making South Africa a safe place.
I have added a website for GFSA with more information regarding the organization. I think that it is amazing how much gun violence there is in South Africa. Here in Waterloo alone, we are worried about the shootings going on recently and are terrified. These people witness these things every day of their lives, and most of them come to expect it. It is sad that the people are worried that they will live in fear and have to call their country unsafe. Hopefully President Zuma can pass a few laws regarding the gun chaos.
Also, I would like to add that I met someone who lived in South Africa. He is 20 years old and moved to the US when he was around 10 years old. I spoke to him about my plans to travel to Africa someday. I told him that I am interested in going on a mission trip as well as traveling on a safari! The first thing that he said to me was, "I would make sure you get alot of information before you go and make sure that you stay safe." When I asked him what he meant, he told me that in some places in Africa, people will kill you just because they can. He said that it isn't far from a "good area" to a "bad" one. He moved to the US because life was hard in South Africa. When I read this article, I automatically thought of the conversation I had with my friend.

Reference: http://www.africanews.com/site/Zuma_Too_many_guns_in_SA/list_messages/27356

More Than 4 Million HIV- Positive People Recieving Treatment

This article was written on October 1, 2009. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that over 4 million Africans are receiving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. The best treatment progress is in sub-Saharan Africa, which is where two-thirds of HIV infections occur. An increase of 36% more people per year are receiving treatment in 2009 compared to 2008. Those at WHO and other organizations believe that this is still not enough. Treatment is being started too late because people do not come to the hospital until they are sick. This leads to a late diagnosis, which has a major impact on the survival rate. Many of those being treated are dying within the first year of treatment.
The price of the anti-retroviral drugs have decreased greatly in recent years, which is a great start to increasing the number of those who receive treatment. The main groups of people who receive treatment as of now include women and children. Many pregnant women (45%) who are HIV positive receive treatment in order to prevent the spread of the virus to their child. The number of children under the age of 15 years receiving treatment has also increased. Treatment has risen from 50,000 sub-Saharan Africans to over 3 million as of recent!
As a nursing student, this article grabbed my attention. As we have discussed in the class, HIV/AIDS is one of the common illness affecting Africa along with malaria and bilharzia. In my nursing education, we have learned about HIV and AIDS in the pathophysiological sense, but it was interesting to find an article about AIDS and how it affects a community. Sub-Saharan Africa seems to be struggling with HIV positive infections. It is reassuring to see that the numbers of treatment cases are increasing and the price of the treatment is decreasing. Hopefully this climb is steady. It would also be nice to see diagnoses being made earlier and more Africans coming in to pursue treatment.

Reference: http://www.africagoodnews.com/health/more-than-4-million-hiv-positive-people-receiving-treatment.html