Statistics show that America among other developed countries is ranked number one in dollar contribution to Africa. America is separated into two different entities when giving aid to Africa, the governmental and the individual people. The government has decreased their monetary support to Africa over the last few years. The African people have many worries to face through war, education, and diseases which all lead to poverty. All of these factors inspire people around the world to donate their time and money to make a difference.
War is one of the causes of poverty. The people are displaced from their families or many will leave their villages to walk several miles to neighboring countries for safety in refugee camps. In some cases the camps are not always safe. In 1997, a Hutu armed opposition group attacked a refugee camp in Mudende, Gisenyi, and killed around 300 mainly Tutsi refugees (http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/rwanda/civilwar.htm). The few that survived were left without a home and provisions. Another main factor of poverty is that education is not accessible for most families. For instance the literacy rate in Burkina, Faso is only 12.8 percent (National Geographic). Education is also a key factor in controlling the spread of many diseases.
In Africa the percentage rate of street children is 15-20%(National Geographic). This is a high number due to many parents dieing from HIV/AIDS. It can be reduced in symptoms by the help of a potentially life saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication. HIV/AIDS are not the only diseases; many die each year of malaria and yellow fever. To be able to protect one from malaria a mosquito net is a necessity. It protects the body from any infested insects. Many families cannot afford the ARV medications or mosquito nets to protect them selves.
Despite many hardships the people of Africa have to encounter many celebrities and the people of the United States have helped. Examples include The Carter Center, Oprah Winfrey, Doctors Without Borders, and the UN World Food Program. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn help refugees go back to their home country through The Carter Center, which was founded in 1982. Oprah Winfrey has just opened a school to educate the young girls of South Africa; she opened it January of 2007. Doctors Without Borders is when health professionals volunteer to provide essential medications to people. The UN World Food Program feeds an average of 90 million people in more than 80 countries including works in Africa (National Geographic). These organizations and the individuals involved have helped lives all along Africa’s borders.
In the recent years, the average population has been more involved in humanitarian work around the globe. Celebrities and private organizations have promoted awareness through the media. Hopefully, within the years to come the efforts to diminish poverty around the world will be increased from all nations.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
2nd draft(5th topic)
The statistics show that America among other developed countries is ranked number one in dollar contribution to Africa. America is separated into two different entities when giving aid to Africa, the governmental and the individual people. The government has decreased their monetary support to Africa over the last few years. Several celebrities have increased awareness to the general public by their works. The African people have many worries to face through war, education, HIV/AIDS, diseases, poverty, and simple requirements such as drinkable water.
War is one of the factors that keep Africa’s troubles on going. Men and women are taken from there homes and are killed in their villages or many will leave their villages to walk several miles to neighboring countries for safety in refugee camps. Though in 1997, a Hutu armed opposition group attacked a refugee camp in Mudende, Gisenyi, and killed around 300 mainly Tutsi refugees. Thus, many places people think are safe are actually not. Making the few that survived left with little to support them selves with, including an education.
Education in Africa is not accessible for most families. For example the literacy rate in Burkina, Faso is only 12.8 percent. Illiteracy contributes to high unemployment and lack of resources to provide the essentials for their family. In urban areas fewer than 1 in 5 have electricity while in more rural areas it could be fewer than 1 in 50 without electricity.
Especially women and children have far greater worries than the average American. In Africa the percentage rate of street children is 15-20%. This is a high number due to many parents that died from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be reduced in symptoms by the help of a potentially life saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Malaria and yellow fever also have a large impact on the people. To be able to protect one from malaria a mosquito net is a necessity. It protects the body from any infested insects. Though, this all factors in to the average African family not having enough money to pay for their needs.
Despite many hardships the people of Africa have to encounter many celebrities and the people of the United States have helped. Examples include Oprah Winfrey, Doctors Without Borders, The Carter Center, and the UN World Food Program. Oprah Winfrey has just opened a school to educate the young girls of South Africa; she opened it January of 2007. Doctors Without Borders is when health professionals volunteer to provide essential medications to people. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn help refugees go back to their home country through The Carter Center, which was founded in 1982. The UN World Food Program feeds an average of 90 million people in more than 80 countries including works in Africa.
Even though the American government has not contributed recently as much as it has in previous years, there still is a difference being made. This not only includes celebrities but private organizations as well. Hopefully, within the next years awareness among the people will grow to help more people in Africa that are in need.
War is one of the factors that keep Africa’s troubles on going. Men and women are taken from there homes and are killed in their villages or many will leave their villages to walk several miles to neighboring countries for safety in refugee camps. Though in 1997, a Hutu armed opposition group attacked a refugee camp in Mudende, Gisenyi, and killed around 300 mainly Tutsi refugees. Thus, many places people think are safe are actually not. Making the few that survived left with little to support them selves with, including an education.
Education in Africa is not accessible for most families. For example the literacy rate in Burkina, Faso is only 12.8 percent. Illiteracy contributes to high unemployment and lack of resources to provide the essentials for their family. In urban areas fewer than 1 in 5 have electricity while in more rural areas it could be fewer than 1 in 50 without electricity.
Especially women and children have far greater worries than the average American. In Africa the percentage rate of street children is 15-20%. This is a high number due to many parents that died from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be reduced in symptoms by the help of a potentially life saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Malaria and yellow fever also have a large impact on the people. To be able to protect one from malaria a mosquito net is a necessity. It protects the body from any infested insects. Though, this all factors in to the average African family not having enough money to pay for their needs.
Despite many hardships the people of Africa have to encounter many celebrities and the people of the United States have helped. Examples include Oprah Winfrey, Doctors Without Borders, The Carter Center, and the UN World Food Program. Oprah Winfrey has just opened a school to educate the young girls of South Africa; she opened it January of 2007. Doctors Without Borders is when health professionals volunteer to provide essential medications to people. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn help refugees go back to their home country through The Carter Center, which was founded in 1982. The UN World Food Program feeds an average of 90 million people in more than 80 countries including works in Africa.
Even though the American government has not contributed recently as much as it has in previous years, there still is a difference being made. This not only includes celebrities but private organizations as well. Hopefully, within the next years awareness among the people will grow to help more people in Africa that are in need.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
1st draft (5th topic)
The statistics show that America among other developed countries is ranked number one in dollar contribution to Africa. America is separated into two different entities when contributing to Africa, the governmental and the individual people. The government has decreased their aid to Africa over the last few years but a new movement led by willing celebrities has increased awareness to the general public. The African public has many fears to face through HIV/AIDS, poverty, and simple things such as drinkable water but many people have helped continuously with this situation through charitable organizations.
Education in Africa is not accessible for most families. The literacy rate in some places can be as low as 12.8 percent as the statistics show for Burkina, Faso. With this lack of literacy and education this contributes to many factors of poverty. Including high unemployment and lack of resources to provide the essentials for their family. In urban areas fewer than 1 in 5 have electricity while in more rural areas it could be fewer than 1 in 50 without electricity.
Especially women and children have far greater worries than the average American. In Africa the percentage rate of street children is 15-20%. This is a high number due to many parents that died from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be reduced in symptoms by the help of a potentially life saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Malaria and yellow fever also have a large impact on the people. To be able to protect one from malaria a mosquito net is a necessity. It protects the body from any infested insects. Though, this all factors in to the average African family not having enough money to pay for their needs.
Despite many hardships the people of Africa have to encounter many celebrities and the people of the United States have helped. Examples include Oprah Winfrey, Doctors Without Borders, The Carter Center, and the UN World Food Program. Oprah Winfrey has just opened a school to educate the young girls of South Africa; she opened it January of 2007. Doctors Without Borders is when health professionals volunteer to provide essential medications to people. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn help refugees go back to their home country through The Carter Center, which was founded in 1982. The UN World Food Program feeds an average of 90 million people in more than 80 countries including works in Africa.
Even though the American government has not contributed recently as much as it has in previous years, there still is a difference being made. This not only includes celebrities but private organizations as well. Hopefully, within the next years awareness among the people will grow to help more people in Africa that are in need.
Education in Africa is not accessible for most families. The literacy rate in some places can be as low as 12.8 percent as the statistics show for Burkina, Faso. With this lack of literacy and education this contributes to many factors of poverty. Including high unemployment and lack of resources to provide the essentials for their family. In urban areas fewer than 1 in 5 have electricity while in more rural areas it could be fewer than 1 in 50 without electricity.
Especially women and children have far greater worries than the average American. In Africa the percentage rate of street children is 15-20%. This is a high number due to many parents that died from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be reduced in symptoms by the help of a potentially life saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Malaria and yellow fever also have a large impact on the people. To be able to protect one from malaria a mosquito net is a necessity. It protects the body from any infested insects. Though, this all factors in to the average African family not having enough money to pay for their needs.
Despite many hardships the people of Africa have to encounter many celebrities and the people of the United States have helped. Examples include Oprah Winfrey, Doctors Without Borders, The Carter Center, and the UN World Food Program. Oprah Winfrey has just opened a school to educate the young girls of South Africa; she opened it January of 2007. Doctors Without Borders is when health professionals volunteer to provide essential medications to people. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn help refugees go back to their home country through The Carter Center, which was founded in 1982. The UN World Food Program feeds an average of 90 million people in more than 80 countries including works in Africa.
Even though the American government has not contributed recently as much as it has in previous years, there still is a difference being made. This not only includes celebrities but private organizations as well. Hopefully, within the next years awareness among the people will grow to help more people in Africa that are in need.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Many things bring up emotion in peoples’ lives. Different situations make people react differently depending what the event was. Though, most people can all relate to the emotions family has on us. It could be death, family gatherings, or simply a quick chat on the telephone. My mom, brother, sister, and I all flew to Canada for the winter break of 2006. It was a family gathering not only to visit my mother’s family but, for my siblings and I as well. My brother, Fletcher goes to school in Washington state therefore I see him only a few times a year. My sister, Katia has just finished school in Washington D.C. so I see her for long weekends from time to time. We are a very close family, though at this point in time we rarely see each other all together.
With all of our duffels in a row ready to be put on the airplane my sister, mom, and I all flew to Canada and meet Fletcher at the airport. It was a typical December 21 morning in Virginia, not too much snow to speak of. Upon our arrival we were weather struck. We came out of the airport with inches of gravel imbedded snow pushed to the curb. Next, we rented a five passenger red car and began our journey to our aunt’s house. We ate hot fondue, which warmed up everyone especially since it was below freezing outside. With my small cousins beginning to yawn and become sleepy it was time for us to go to our rental house. The rental was about a half hour away, but closer to my grandmother’s house. As we walked inside the cottage it was nice to plop our selves down to a nice bed and fall asleep to have a fresh start to the next day.
As we slowly woke up to the sun bursting in the window it was time to visit my grandfather in the nursing home. As we walked through the hallways of the nursing home, we finally reached the last door leading to see my grandfather bundled up in a gray fleece blanket and a long sleeve zip up on. He was sitting on a rather large chair in the corner looking out a window. He seemed reserved and a little scared. I looked to my right and saw my mom in the corner biting her fingernails. Her eyes and nose were leaking like a faucet that was left on through the night. I look across from me seeing my ant looking around the room. We were there at least half of the day, he had cheered up by the end.
A few days passed and then it was Christmas! This was an emotional day as well. Though, this was a different feeling that I had previously felt seeing my grandfather. I was so happy being with my family and enjoying the scenery outside, icicles on the trees, snow covering the tips of houses. Christmas decorations filled the small town of “Louiseville”. Again, we went to visit my grandfather and the whole nursing home was full of Santa banners, red and green streamers, and ornaments hanging from a white frosted tree. Other families were visiting their loved ones as well. Everyone came together that day with the same sense of love and being all together. The day before we left, my family and I went on a walk near the rather small house. The walk was not even a mile going there and back, but on the way we had a huge snowball fight! My brother threw one at my sister and she fell right on a thick sheet of ice. We all laughed as she sat there, and then she finally stood up, laughing. I handed her a nicely packed snowball and she threw it right at him hitting his neck. Then, we stopped, there was a beautiful waterfall next to us. It was huge. It had snow chunks falling from it as the water tumbled several feet below us. As the day came to an end, it was time to pack our bags and head home the next day. It was an emotional day because I knew it would be another six months before we would be all together again. As we headed for the airport and said our goodbyes it was another beautiful winter day with patterned white snowflakes falling from the white sky.
With all of our duffels in a row ready to be put on the airplane my sister, mom, and I all flew to Canada and meet Fletcher at the airport. It was a typical December 21 morning in Virginia, not too much snow to speak of. Upon our arrival we were weather struck. We came out of the airport with inches of gravel imbedded snow pushed to the curb. Next, we rented a five passenger red car and began our journey to our aunt’s house. We ate hot fondue, which warmed up everyone especially since it was below freezing outside. With my small cousins beginning to yawn and become sleepy it was time for us to go to our rental house. The rental was about a half hour away, but closer to my grandmother’s house. As we walked inside the cottage it was nice to plop our selves down to a nice bed and fall asleep to have a fresh start to the next day.
As we slowly woke up to the sun bursting in the window it was time to visit my grandfather in the nursing home. As we walked through the hallways of the nursing home, we finally reached the last door leading to see my grandfather bundled up in a gray fleece blanket and a long sleeve zip up on. He was sitting on a rather large chair in the corner looking out a window. He seemed reserved and a little scared. I looked to my right and saw my mom in the corner biting her fingernails. Her eyes and nose were leaking like a faucet that was left on through the night. I look across from me seeing my ant looking around the room. We were there at least half of the day, he had cheered up by the end.
A few days passed and then it was Christmas! This was an emotional day as well. Though, this was a different feeling that I had previously felt seeing my grandfather. I was so happy being with my family and enjoying the scenery outside, icicles on the trees, snow covering the tips of houses. Christmas decorations filled the small town of “Louiseville”. Again, we went to visit my grandfather and the whole nursing home was full of Santa banners, red and green streamers, and ornaments hanging from a white frosted tree. Other families were visiting their loved ones as well. Everyone came together that day with the same sense of love and being all together. The day before we left, my family and I went on a walk near the rather small house. The walk was not even a mile going there and back, but on the way we had a huge snowball fight! My brother threw one at my sister and she fell right on a thick sheet of ice. We all laughed as she sat there, and then she finally stood up, laughing. I handed her a nicely packed snowball and she threw it right at him hitting his neck. Then, we stopped, there was a beautiful waterfall next to us. It was huge. It had snow chunks falling from it as the water tumbled several feet below us. As the day came to an end, it was time to pack our bags and head home the next day. It was an emotional day because I knew it would be another six months before we would be all together again. As we headed for the airport and said our goodbyes it was another beautiful winter day with patterned white snowflakes falling from the white sky.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)