White River, South Africa

White River South Africa

We are in the country.  Rolling hills. Orchards. Dirt roads. Stars. Lizards. Insects. Birds. More my speed

But that doesn't mean HIV and AIDS has escaped this area. The problem is great. A  conservative estimate puts one community, Masoi, with a population of around 250 000, at  50%-75% infection rate.

So most of us know how AIDS and HIV happens here in Africa. But those of you that don't,  let us have a conversation. And the rest of you should brush up.

How did AIDS become such a large problem here in Africa?

1. Prostitution.

2. The raping of virgins to "cure"  AIDS. The age of victims has continually gone down. We were introduced to a 8 month old victim. (Someone infected will go to a local doctor to ask for a cure and they will be told they need to sleep with a virgin for a cure.)

3. Female Circumcision.  Dirty knives etc etc 

4. Tribal rights of passage. (That have turned into forced  orgy type situations.) 11- 15 year old's forced to have sex with each other and tribal leaders.

I am sure there are many more reasons and I am far from an expert on this topic.

All of these things are a basic disregard for life dignity and respect of our humanness. 

It is this lack of respect of life that really got to me. It was hard to encounter and even harder to try to understand it. It doesn't enter my world view. I don't really know  what to do with it.