Well, well guys!
I thought it important to write about the health facilities in the third world this time, in the event that health is one of the critical issues that require urgent attention.
I have not written this time to solicit for donor funding or to castigate my government and fellow country men. For us who have seen poverty and not known the luxury of flying around the world, what is important is to live healthy despite the poverty.
We shall not continue talking about third world underdevelopment, imperialism, world order, balance of power, war on Terror, yet the only important thing for the third world countries affecting children, women and youth remains row. In the 21st century, the third world countries have experienced the greatest enemy of all their times- perhaps greater than the colonial powers and imperialistic tendencies of the current super powers. This is poor health services with the attack of HID/AIDS scourge high.
After it was discovered that HIV/AIDS has no cure, many governments in the third worldcountries were struck with panic- the disease could weep out whole populations before the medicine is discovered. However, some courageous countries like Uganda took the bull by the horns. These countries are not winning the battle against AIDS because of huge donations but the will of the population to change their behavior particularly in relationship to sex.
The current period is the most important in the lives of the people in the third world countries. This is the time to talk about free trade not aid, a time of not leaning on the west or east for support. It is a period for re-organizing our perception about Health and responding to complex enemies like HIV/AIDS.
The myths about HIV/AIDS have been demystified. Sensitization of communities about HIV/AIDS has been done extensively, the communities have been cooperative, and the youth have learnt to change their behavior on sex. Despite the fact that our (read third world) scientists have not been able to find a cure for the disease, our ability to mobilize our own selves has been great. It is important to note that our leaders have political conflicts but have been good in fighting HIV/AIDS. Every leader whenever he/she goes at least talks about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
The talk about HIV/AIDS has been done extensively. It is like the words have been permanently written in our hearts. We shall not be distracted with new concepts in our war against HIV/AIDS. We expect challenges though. Our continued approach on the fight against HIV/AIDS requires precision, determination, courage, resilience and focus.
We have been able to fight HIV/AIDS on two grounds. Firstly, we knew that the disease had no cure and once it attacks that is the end. We also knew that it can be contained as it is not contiguous like tuberculosis. If one was faithful to his/her partner, abstained from sex or avoided sharing sharp objects, there was no way one could get it. “Love carefully”, was the message.
If it was not because of this simple message, many of our people would have died. The other approach was to look at the disease carefully and squarely. Our people considered certain words (SEX, ETC) taboo to talk about but we found ways to convince them. Uganda for example mainstreamed in all it is developmental programmes a component of fighting HIV/AIDS. In fact, the country set up an AIDS commission.
Many have asked, how are poor countries able fight HIV/AIDS? The answers are simple. We have considered HIV/aids not as a medical problem but a social one. The African countries this time have shown much resolve in the fight against HIV/AIDS more than their predecessors did in resisting colonialism.
Now having shown that, third world countries can fight for their survival given the limited expertise, technology and finance, we should try to aim further. We should embark on research to find the true challenges facing our continent.
We should also note that, there are pharmaceutical industries out there struggling to retain their share of the market price for their so-called HIV/AIDS drugs. We should also note that, as we do our research, there are many who believe nothing good can come out of Africa. We need to fight back (our challenges not with standing) and demonstrate something good can spring out of Africa.
Cheer guys!!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Without empowering women, poverty will kill destroy Africa
Nobody who knows Africa has ever commented on the extent of poverty, disease, ignorance that women go through. If it is done, it is exaggerated, sensationalized or outright ignored.
Since last year, I have been keen in following government programmes in the third world countries; it is now something which every known critic would like to throw his/ her line on it. However the truth of the matter is that, Africa is in need of good health facilities, better education standards, and better information Technology programmes that deliberately promote women.
About a majority of the rural women here do not have access to clean and safe water. This would be chaos in a country like America were people are interested in tax reduction, fuel provision, the war on Terror and take for granted issues like water.
Although local governments in the third world are trying to improve living conditions of communities by way of providing basics of life, over 80% of rural women do not access. With a few years to go for the world to ‘achieve’ Millennium Development Goals, the number of women that do not know their basic rights is still high.
In Uganda for example, the failure of the majority to meet the basic needs is not because of government reluctance to address these challenges but reluctance of women to take advantage of affirmative action. The government is focusing on improving primary education, primary health care, improving feeder roads, and agricultural extension programmes.
A glance at the implementation process of these programmes shows that government is doing everything possible. For example, President Museveni has been moving across the country side mobilizing and educating masses on how to become rich. The government is getting tough on graft.
The other reality is that, most women in the third world have taken poverty, disease and ignorance as away of life just like the way the westerners have taken living in luxury.
The difference between the west and the third world women are shocking! The western world woman lives in luxury out of choice. She can splash 2,000 dollars just to buy her pet a new outlook! The third world woman has no choice but succumb to poverty. When she struggles to fight poverty in any form, she is hindered by several factors. She has low education; she has no capital, she is hungry and perennially sick.
She therefore opts to live with the problem instead. As a last resort, she adapts subsistence farming, taking her child to a remote school and unreliable traditional medicine man for treatment. She remains trapped at the centre of poverty. This is the circle that requires to be destroyed.
Talk to any of the aid agencies or donors and they will lecture to you on concepts and programmes meant to help a rural woman come out of poverty. Despite all the concepts especially advanced by World Bank and IMF, poverty continues to bite hard in Africa with slow or no remedy at all thought. Why? These institutions come up with experimental programmes and when they fail, they abandon or modify them (programmes) and introduce again to the third world. For example, the Structural Adjustment Programme of mid 1980s was a complete disaster to the economies of the third world countries.
It is effects are well documented and need not be reemphasized here. Briefly Structural adjustment programme led to increased unemployment, environmental degradation, increased external debts, corruption, embezzlement, nepotism and inflation.
Although most international organizations are talking of empowering the women- this sounds hollow. Secondly, powerful women are using fellow women for advancing own interests. Thirdly, Parents (read men) look down on a girl child here. You will note that in the third world a woman is the most central person in the house in terms of providing food and health.
If the third world is to help itself, let it first empower the women, through not only affirmative action but accept that without women, poverty will kill destroy Africa. Uganda government has strongly come out to support women in its fight against poverty through recognition of women talents in all spheres and discouraging cultural practices like Female Gentle Mutilation.
There is nothing to stop the international communities doing the same. They have to explain as to why poverty is still biting women hard in the third world despite their continued interventions.
The World Bank it seems this time is on the break of empowering women fight poverty especially in Uganda through a social action fund, probably after learning structural adjustment programme was a total failure in Africa. This fund has three components: community development initiative, vulnerable group support and conflict resolution and reconciliation. The master plan is superb. A review of the programme is due in June 2008.It seems to have not done well. Women with bare breasts and starving children looking miserable are a common sight at the country side. The question is what could be the problem? Does anyone there have a solution?
I have only one comment; live your powerful and expensive home in London, New York etc and descend to a real rural home in Africa, live and work there for sometime. You will hear and see the life we are talking about. Thereafter, you can go back and talk about policies of fighting poverty in international conference rooms.
Guys, give me your comments
Since last year, I have been keen in following government programmes in the third world countries; it is now something which every known critic would like to throw his/ her line on it. However the truth of the matter is that, Africa is in need of good health facilities, better education standards, and better information Technology programmes that deliberately promote women.
About a majority of the rural women here do not have access to clean and safe water. This would be chaos in a country like America were people are interested in tax reduction, fuel provision, the war on Terror and take for granted issues like water.
Although local governments in the third world are trying to improve living conditions of communities by way of providing basics of life, over 80% of rural women do not access. With a few years to go for the world to ‘achieve’ Millennium Development Goals, the number of women that do not know their basic rights is still high.
In Uganda for example, the failure of the majority to meet the basic needs is not because of government reluctance to address these challenges but reluctance of women to take advantage of affirmative action. The government is focusing on improving primary education, primary health care, improving feeder roads, and agricultural extension programmes.
A glance at the implementation process of these programmes shows that government is doing everything possible. For example, President Museveni has been moving across the country side mobilizing and educating masses on how to become rich. The government is getting tough on graft.
The other reality is that, most women in the third world have taken poverty, disease and ignorance as away of life just like the way the westerners have taken living in luxury.
The difference between the west and the third world women are shocking! The western world woman lives in luxury out of choice. She can splash 2,000 dollars just to buy her pet a new outlook! The third world woman has no choice but succumb to poverty. When she struggles to fight poverty in any form, she is hindered by several factors. She has low education; she has no capital, she is hungry and perennially sick.
She therefore opts to live with the problem instead. As a last resort, she adapts subsistence farming, taking her child to a remote school and unreliable traditional medicine man for treatment. She remains trapped at the centre of poverty. This is the circle that requires to be destroyed.
Talk to any of the aid agencies or donors and they will lecture to you on concepts and programmes meant to help a rural woman come out of poverty. Despite all the concepts especially advanced by World Bank and IMF, poverty continues to bite hard in Africa with slow or no remedy at all thought. Why? These institutions come up with experimental programmes and when they fail, they abandon or modify them (programmes) and introduce again to the third world. For example, the Structural Adjustment Programme of mid 1980s was a complete disaster to the economies of the third world countries.
It is effects are well documented and need not be reemphasized here. Briefly Structural adjustment programme led to increased unemployment, environmental degradation, increased external debts, corruption, embezzlement, nepotism and inflation.
Although most international organizations are talking of empowering the women- this sounds hollow. Secondly, powerful women are using fellow women for advancing own interests. Thirdly, Parents (read men) look down on a girl child here. You will note that in the third world a woman is the most central person in the house in terms of providing food and health.
If the third world is to help itself, let it first empower the women, through not only affirmative action but accept that without women, poverty will kill destroy Africa. Uganda government has strongly come out to support women in its fight against poverty through recognition of women talents in all spheres and discouraging cultural practices like Female Gentle Mutilation.
There is nothing to stop the international communities doing the same. They have to explain as to why poverty is still biting women hard in the third world despite their continued interventions.
The World Bank it seems this time is on the break of empowering women fight poverty especially in Uganda through a social action fund, probably after learning structural adjustment programme was a total failure in Africa. This fund has three components: community development initiative, vulnerable group support and conflict resolution and reconciliation. The master plan is superb. A review of the programme is due in June 2008.It seems to have not done well. Women with bare breasts and starving children looking miserable are a common sight at the country side. The question is what could be the problem? Does anyone there have a solution?
I have only one comment; live your powerful and expensive home in London, New York etc and descend to a real rural home in Africa, live and work there for sometime. You will hear and see the life we are talking about. Thereafter, you can go back and talk about policies of fighting poverty in international conference rooms.
Guys, give me your comments
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
We require fair trade not aid
Well, well, this distrubing.
The debate on poverty has taken different dimensions. originally, we debated whether poverty is caused by external or interanl factors. External factors like imperialism, debt servicing, unfair trade practices were principally sighted by developing world scholars.To these scholars the world would have been a better place to live had such factors been addressed.
These theories met stiff criticism from the developed world; the third world is poor because of poor policies, bad cultures, corruption, nepotism etc. These approaches were advanced by capitalistic scholar.
In the 21 century, these radical views still seem to be propelled but in a different way. The western world has come with abstact concepts that seem not be helping alleviate poverty. New concepts like capacity building, empowering the poor, reaching out to the poor are senseless slogans aimed at championing the interests of western interests. Communties in the third world do not understand such concepts.
The increased advancement of capitalism and globalization in it is many forms has had greater impact more on the third world. The poor continue to be more poorer, Hiv/aids is escalating, conflicts seem to be endless, environment is destroyed etc.
The unfornate bit is that no body seems to care any more about mass poverty, poor health conditions, increasing poor education standards, massive vote rigging, war etc. What is high on the international agenda, it appears, is the war on terror and ofcourse defined at the point of view of super powers. If any help is given out , it has strong conditons making it meaningless.
These world requires genuine relations between the developed world and developing world. The third world does not require Aid. It requires better skilled manpower ( not expertrates from abroad), reducation of brain drain, good policies and fair trade.
Do you have a different view? Post me a comment, guys
The debate on poverty has taken different dimensions. originally, we debated whether poverty is caused by external or interanl factors. External factors like imperialism, debt servicing, unfair trade practices were principally sighted by developing world scholars.To these scholars the world would have been a better place to live had such factors been addressed.
These theories met stiff criticism from the developed world; the third world is poor because of poor policies, bad cultures, corruption, nepotism etc. These approaches were advanced by capitalistic scholar.
In the 21 century, these radical views still seem to be propelled but in a different way. The western world has come with abstact concepts that seem not be helping alleviate poverty. New concepts like capacity building, empowering the poor, reaching out to the poor are senseless slogans aimed at championing the interests of western interests. Communties in the third world do not understand such concepts.
The increased advancement of capitalism and globalization in it is many forms has had greater impact more on the third world. The poor continue to be more poorer, Hiv/aids is escalating, conflicts seem to be endless, environment is destroyed etc.
The unfornate bit is that no body seems to care any more about mass poverty, poor health conditions, increasing poor education standards, massive vote rigging, war etc. What is high on the international agenda, it appears, is the war on terror and ofcourse defined at the point of view of super powers. If any help is given out , it has strong conditons making it meaningless.
These world requires genuine relations between the developed world and developing world. The third world does not require Aid. It requires better skilled manpower ( not expertrates from abroad), reducation of brain drain, good policies and fair trade.
Do you have a different view? Post me a comment, guys
Monday, May 19, 2008
poverty drive high
Was not feeling well today but got encouraged when i read from the local press, government is making efforts to fight poverty. This is good. I have been working hard and not making a brake through. It is tasking, you know.
I hate to hear that conflicts in the world still continue with no one caring. It was sweet hearing from someone in Canada, who has a passsion about Africa.
Is Africa a better place to live in? What do you think. Lets share your ideas. post me your comments, guys.
I hate to hear that conflicts in the world still continue with no one caring. It was sweet hearing from someone in Canada, who has a passsion about Africa.
Is Africa a better place to live in? What do you think. Lets share your ideas. post me your comments, guys.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Teso requires support
Teso region hass suffered enough. let's unite and save people in this part of world. Poverty, hunger can not go on with the whole world watching.
the recent floods that hit the region has pushed back to square one. What should be done in order to address the problem? Local authorities alone can not do much.
The region needs a master plan that addresses challenges it is facing. The time to act is now.
the recent floods that hit the region has pushed back to square one. What should be done in order to address the problem? Local authorities alone can not do much.
The region needs a master plan that addresses challenges it is facing. The time to act is now.
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