joloza

Well said Sarah! AIDS is a disaster for the African continent and no, closing your eyes and hoping it won't affect you is not gonna help. Currently only 100.000 people out of the 40 million living with AIDS in southern Africa receive treatment, what is that.... the other 39.9 million can't afford it, because the pharmaceutical companies elsewhere do not want to reduce their prices and profit. How is that for foreign aid? Joloza, who is feeling a very sad knowing that people die and don't have to..

I agree when you guys say that it's good to use the money in America when you are American. Charity begins at home, right? We often only hear about America's foreign affairs, but not about what's being done about the problems within the USA and as I understand they are many: poverty, racism, abuse etc. But when you say you mustn't spend too much money on foreign affairs, how come the USA has been (and still is) spending a lot of money on foreign "affairs" in places it has no right to be in the first place? Africa is poor and has many problems, so are Central America, certain parts of Asia...And so are plenty other countries where the USA (and other so called "civilised" countries) have walked in, taken over, shouted orders and left a mess. I know that I might be offending a lot of people here, but I had to get it off my chest, if we could all be more focussed on making this world a better place, then it would be one. So, let's all do what we can wherever we are, with respect, dignity and an open mind to everyone who is different, thinks different and lives different. Peace to you all! Joloza, South Africa

Hi, I'm new here and though I am not a nurse, I am very interested in all the topics here and considering becoming one.. And also: I am proudly South African! And thus felt that I had to reply to this thread. Yes, it's terrible that young girls and babies get raped. Unfortunately the one Oprah talks about is not the only one, perhaps just the most famous one. There are plenty others. Luckily the perpetrators are usually caught and sent to prison for life. But what damage does it do to the child? A life long physical battle to recover from all what has been done and a life long psychological battle to trust an adult, fall in love.. you name it? So, how can I be proudly South African knowing that this goes on in my country? Because, hard as it might be, I try to find solutions to the problems. That starts by finding out what causes all this and there is not one answer. The myth that sleeping with a virgin cures AIDS is one, the fact that women are often still treated as second class contributes as well. And don't forget that only 10 years ago we still lived under apartheid rule where torture, rape, murder, political violence etc were everyday life. This has desensitised a whole society, the price of a human life is not much more than a cell phone and lots of young men that are unemployed, have no structure, no struggle to fight for, are left, trying to make ends meet. Drug and alcohol abuse adds to all this. I paint a bleak picture here, but that is how it is in many places. And so, yes, men turn to raping babies, girls, their wives, their pupils... The solution then.. Education and creating opportunities for dignity, employment, support, treatment for AIDS related diseases, for a way out of poverty. As they say: ambition is the best contraception... As to our president being so vague about what causes AIDS, he has passed this stage, though he might still be quoted on it in the media. A big anti-retroviral campaign has started, mothers receive free treatment etc. Too little too late perhaps, but let's concentrate on the way forward instead of looking back at all the mistakes of the past. Afterall that's how our country managed to transform itself. I can You can South Afri can.