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March 26, 2005
Choose Leisurewear and Matching Luggage
Last week I met with the head of a local group called Care for Life, which runs education programs in schools and provides teacher training and services to orphans and widows. They have 62 employees, who have built 20 houses for widows and given orphans money for school and school supplies. They even have a farm on which they raise animals and vegetables.
Their HIV education programs are in more than 300 schools in Sofala province. They train teachers in the Choose Life program, which has been taught to more than 50,000 students aged eight to 12. What's the message of Choose Life? "To be happy with their family, they need to do a good choice now." Uh, so what does that mean? "If you're involved in the sex very early, you will die." Is there anything about how HIV is transmitted, how to protect yourself, any junior high-style health information? "No."
The director tells me the group has no religious affiliation, but in fact it's U.S.-based and run by Mormons. According to the director, they get money from the government of Mozambique and their five-year plans will expand Choose Life into all of its provinces. Choose life. Now why would I want to do a thing like that?
Posted by Adam Graham-Silverman at March 26, 2005 07:12 PM
Comments
So... what does that mean? You choose death?
I dunno. Admittedly, I'm not well-versed in the culture of child development in Africa, but I find it hard to criticize the idea of teaching (preaching?) abstinence to prepubescents. I think the condom programs (which, from what I've read, aren't working particularly well,) can be held in reserve for oh, say, the worldly wise 14-year-olds.
By the way, your car misses you.
Posted by: Arwen at March 27, 2005 04:55 AM
Adam, I most Happy Easter, Spike is having a large slice of ham in your honor. I have heard that there are many anesthetic rabbits wandering around the countryside. Perhaps they are related to the Ether Bunny??? :)
Posted by: Tim at March 27, 2005 01:09 PM
I know malaria is not HIV/AIDS, but still pandemic. An op/ed in the Times mentions the success of the Lubombo initiative that reduced malaria by a purported 96% across a broad swath of Mozambique. Unbelievably it was spearheaded by BHB Billiton who runs a giant aluminum smelter outside of Maputo. The rationale for the intiative was the death of 6000 workers and 13 contractors from Malaria. How many died or were incompacitated from HIV/AIDS? If the number is larger/substantial would they try to do anything about it?
Posted by: Parker at March 27, 2005 06:49 PM