USAIDS

One way in which Zambia differs from Ghana is the level of cultural pride. It sounds kinda harsh, but the reality is Zambians are trying to emulate North American culture as fast as humanly possible. I sometimes worry they are replacing Zambian virtues with N.American vices in the desperate scramble for our lifestyle. Men don’t wear traditional suits here like in Ghana, the attire is strictly “Western” and professional.

Another way the two countries differ is when it comes to HIV/AIDS. Troy Barrie, last years UBC Junior Fellow to Ghana, said [hope you don’t mind being quoted Troy] that he was surprised at how much awareness there was and how little of a problem it was in Ghana given what he had heard about Africa. Well what he had heard was about Southern and Eastern Africa. There is an HIV pandemic here. These countries have been devastated. And even now as the world wakes up to the desperate need to turn the tide… these countries have been robbed of the health professionals they need to combat the virus because of how far things have gone. In the Southern Province of Zambia, where I am, the HIV rate is 18%. Who are the four people closest to you in the room right now [proximity-wise not emotionally]. One of you has HIV [ok that’s a bit emotional]. Which is a rate yet beaten by the province with Lusaka the capital.

Despite the vehemently disgraceful amount of development aid the United States gives out, USAIDS [I don’t remember the acronym exactly but I will take a stab at it… United States of America International Development something… that’s who gives out the U.S.’s money for development] is a major donor. And in the cut throat world of NGO’s which all desperately need funding for their worthy causes, approaches get compromised to satisfy the people with money. I’ve mentioned this to you before when it came to the Mulabalaba Dam community being paid to build themselves an irrigation canal. Well USAIDS does not fund organizations that promote the use of condoms… only abstinence will do.

Remember again that all these Zambians are trying to emulate the U.S. culture. Many things are lacking from households here, but satellite TV, big TVs, and great sound systems are not one of them.

You might be wondering what I am getting at. Well…

Watching Zambians import movies [and other media] filled with rampant, casual sexuality, and make a desperate scramble for that lifestyle, from the very same country that refuses to fund anyone who promotes condoms while HIV devastates their country…

the hypocrisy makes me sick.

Don’t just read these words: truly contemplate the tragic implications of that situation. Spend some time and really appreciate it. I am asking this becase I am no writer and have failed to come close to expressing the full emotional reality of this [though I can likely say that about each of my posts]. So think on it a while. You’ll know when you’ve thought enough when you have the urge to spit because the potency of the hypocrisy has left a vile taste in your mouth. Which makes me wonder…

How much of the ailing digestive tract is not caused by foreign food, foreign microbes, etc. but the raw emotion of coming from a more-economically-developed country to a less-economically-developed country.