A World Without progress

Erwin Casildo

WLH   

Ms.Tompkins

13 March, 2015

A World Without Progress

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. ” In Tanzania, Africa  there are many families that are currently being affected by the issue of poverty. Because of this issue, they cannot provide their children with a decent education. According to UNICEF  “Across the continent, millions of families currently subsist on less than a dollar a day, only those who read, write can hope to get a better paid job when they grow up.”  It is extremely difficult for the children to get an education because their parents cannot afford to pay for the basic needs to get a decent education, such as books and pencils. The issue of poverty is making the children of Africa blind, they are not able to see what they are truly capable of .

    The number of young girls that are being affected by the issue of poverty is extremely high . According to The New York Times (47%) of primary school aged girls in Tanzania are not attending school” (Tina Rosenburg). This is a huge number, it is nearly half of of the young girls population in Tanzania. The  children  do not go to school  because many of them do not live walking distance to a nearby school and the roads are too dangerous for them to walk alone.  The young girls that do not attend school are forced to stay home and help around the house by cleaning and cooking. According to UNICEF  “40% of  young women begin to have children by the age 18, the country has one of the highest adolescence pregnancy rates in the world.” This is because young girls are not being taught on how to protect themselves. Uneducated women are in higher risk of being contaminated by HIV/AIDS and they are also most likely to have a unsuccessful future.

Not only are girls  being affected, boys are too. The overall percentage of primary age students that do not attend school is very high . According on a Brookings article on education in Tanzania “58% of 5-to-6-year-old in Tanzania do not attend pre-primary schools”  (Justin Van Fleet). This is over half of the children in Tanzania. This affects the future of the young children as each and everyone of them represents the future of Africa. The only way of getting out of poverty is through education but poverty is the reason why  future generations cannot grow as humans. The vibrant children dream of an academic success but they cannot pursue it because they are stuck in a world of no progress.

Overall, poverty is not allowing the children of Tanzania reach their goal of finding an academic success and having a brighter future. It is not allowing the children to make a change in their country. They are stuck in poverty and this  this makes them see no hope, clearly the children are stuck in a world with no progress.

                                                                     Work CitedRosenburg Tina. "Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East 

and North Africa." Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East and North Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2015 . "(47%) of primary school aged girls in Tanzania are not attending school.”

Van Fleet, Justin. "Africa's Education Crisis: In School But Not Learning." The Brookings Institution. Brookings, 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2015. “58% of 5-to-6-year-old in Tanzania do not attend pre-primary schools” 

Unicef. "UNICEF – Schools for Africa – Country Story - South Africa." UNICEF – Schools for Africa. Unicef, 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2015.  “Across the continent, millions of families currently subsist on less than a dollar a day, only those who read, write can hope to get a better paid job when they grow up.”   “40% of  young women begin to have children by the age 18, the country has one of the highest adolescence pregnancy rates in the world.”

Kidnappings, Suicide Bombers, Armed Attacks, and Boko Haram

Richard Wang

Ms. Tompkins

World Lit Honors 2nd Period

March 13, 2015

Kidnappings, Suicide Bombers, Armed Attacks, and Boko Haram

        In Nigeria, groups of people are kidnapped and held for ransom, they are forced to flee their towns which become burned and ransacked, and numerous individuals are killed by suicide bombers and armed attacks. These are the workings of Boko Haram, an Islamist group in Northern Nigeria. The growth of this relatively new terrorist group raises some concerns to global authorities and raises questions: what are their origins and primary motives? What effect does this terrorist group have on the society of Nigeria?

Boko Haram has been founded on factors that date back to the era of the British colonization of Nigeria during the early 20th century (Chothia). British colonization created a geopolitical division between north and south that remains to this day. Femi Owolade, a leading author on issues in Africa, describes that on one side there were “...the so-called "civilized" -- by Western standards -- elite who were used by the British as agents of colonization; and on the other side, the commoners, who vehemently resisted Western influence in the region”, and it was a few of these commoners who had founded Boko Haram in order to cleanse the nation of western influence (Owolade). Boko Haram, when loosely translated, means “Western education is forbidden” (Chothia). Despite the terrorist groups origins as an anti-western group, the terrorists group’s actions reflect a far different motive. Boko Haram’s insurgency has been directed at the people and the government of Northern Nigeria, and it seeks “...to neutralize key traditional and political leaders of Northern Nigeria and to precipitate the disintegration of Nigeria”(We Must). Simply put, Boko Haram seeks to utterly destroy the Nigerian government.

Boko Haram, like many contemporary terrorist groups, resorts to suicide bombings, abductions, and armed attacks in order to achieve its goals. Boko Haram’s terrorist actions have profound effects on the population, causing countless numbers of casualties and even surpassing the scale of casualties in previous terrorist encounters with other terrorist groups. According to the Washington Post, between June 2013 and July 2014 alone there is an estimate of over 7,000 casualties related to conflicts with Boko Haram. In the time that this terrorist group has been active, Boko Haram has caused significantly more casualties than those caused by Al Qaeda and insurrections in Iraq (Allen, Lewis, and Matfess). Boko Haram has not been specific about the victims of its terrorism either. It “... has bombed facilities of the United Nations and those of all and sundry… and targeted and killed a large number of Muslims and Christians irrespective of the ethnicity of their victims”(We Must). In being unspecific about its targets, Boko Haram threatens the lives of everyone and anyone who does not support their cause. In doing so, Boko Haram creates a situation of lawlessness and corruption in Nigeria.

Boko Haram is a dangerous and frightening threat that has emerged from the geopolitical divide in Nigeria, and its activity only continues to increase and endanger people. With more insurgencies and lawlessness occurring in Nigeria, it is necessary to be informed of the terrorist group’s actions and understand their origins, motivations, and the repercussions that it has on the society of Nigeria.

Works Cited:

Allen, Nathaniel, Peter M. Lewis, and Hilary Matfess. "The Boko Haram Insurgency, by the

Numbers." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.

Chothia, Farouk. "Who Are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists?" BBC News. N.p., 21 Jan. 2015.        

Web. 08 Mar. 2015.

Owolade, Femi. "Boko Haram: How a Militant Islamist Group Emerged in Nigeria." Gatestone

Institute. N.p., 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.

"We Must Look Deeper for Answers to Boko Haram [Column]." Global Issues in Context. N.p.,

25 Mar. 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.

Orphans Living In a Nightmare

Daniela De La Cruz

Ms.Tompkins

World Literature 1

March 13th 2015

Orphans Living In a Nightmare

          “Virus you are virus, Because you live in blood only.You are a syndrome,Collection of diseases. You kill young adult young child,You kill heroes and zeros…”( KaNyamazane) Throughout Africa, HIV/ Aids play a big role in men, women and children’s lives. Orphans in South Africa who are infected with this disease have the hardest time out of everyone. These children contract HIV/ Aids before they're even born. According to AVERT, AVERTing HIV and Aids, Mother to child transmission (MTCT) is the most common reason for children to obtain this disease. HIV/ Aids gets transmitted during the labor, pregnancy and breastfeeding(AVERT).              

Orphans who are infected with this disease in Africa, are left in unreliable hands. Leilia Zoe Gilborn informs us in her article “The effects of HIV infection and AIDS on children in Africa” that when children who become orphans are given to a close family member. There are some rare cases where  the child relies on his/her father,but in the largest cases of this problem the father is not available to care for the child. The family members do not have to be capable of caring for them as long as they have full responsibility of the orphans. Gilborn says “Orphans are left with increasingly vulnerable guardians—elderly grandparents, young siblings, and relatives who are themselves infected with HIV—or none at all.”

          

  As the epidemic increased,so did the organizations that willingly help people who are in need. UNICEF is an active participant who gives the donations that people around the world has given to the foundation to cover the cost of medicine, treatments and most of time funerals. Zeria is a young woman who UNICEF helped her and her baby realize their life as HIV - positives. Malawi was anxious to get tested for HIV/Aids since she was pregnant with her fourth child and she did not want to put her baby at risk. Once she was informed that both her and her daughter were HIV - positive she recruited help for a treatment to make her delivery as safely as possible. Zeria now lives with five of her children with one daughter, Joylet, who reached to live a happy life.

             Children all over Africa don’t always have to have the same faith as most of the children who fail to see the world because of this disease. Instead people in Africa should be aware that there are organizations who are waiting to help a child like Joylet.

Works Cited

"Children, HIV and AIDS." Children, HIV and AIDS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.

"11 Facts about HIV in Africa." 11 Facts about HIV in Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.

Gilborn, Laelia Zoe. "The Effects of HIV Infection and AIDS on Children in Africa." Western Journal of Medicine. Copyright 2002 BMJ Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

"HIV & AIDS in South Africa." HIV & AIDS in South Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

"HIV and AIDS." UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

"World Aids Day 2011." Save the Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Erasing the Stigma

Haley Ecker

World Lit Honors 1st Period

Ms. Tompkins

13 March 2015

Erasing the Stigma

Bewitched. Possessed. Demons. This is how South Africans perceive and explain the behaviour of those who exhibit symptoms associated with autism. According to autism specialists, a child with autism is born every 45 minutes in South Africa (Lindenburg). The disability has yet to be defined by the current government and is rarely diagnosed early enough to ensure proper treatment. Many people living in rural communities know little about autism and there isn’t an adequate amount of awareness being spread.

In general, there is very little information about autism available to the South African public. This is especially true in farm-based villages where many of these children are perceived as bewitched and, as a result, are tied to trees to ward off the “demons” inside of them, as stated by the Africa News Service (Africa News Service). These families don’t realize that their child has a neurological disability that impairs their children’s sense. There is so little information being shared with these families due in large part to the fact that there are so few doctors in South Africa and not many have received decent training. Editors from the South African Medical Journal have noted that the current doctors are not educated on the symptoms correlating with autism, which leads to later (and often incorrect) diagnoses (Bateman). While doctors are learning more about the factors that stimulate autism, they are still not able to share this information with everyone since not everyone has easy access to health care facilities.

Additionally, the groups that do have this information and want to promote awareness are completely lacking in funds and don’t always communicate the right message to the public. For instance, the South African Star records that the Hospital of Johannesburg has recently stopped funding the autism wings of their facility (Eliseev). Now the groups that once had to focus on advertising need to raise more money to keep their wings of the hospital open. As an additional difficulty, these groups often reaffirm the social stigma behind autism rather than bring it to light. According to editors from the South African Star, the organization called Autism South Africa recently had to stop their latest campaign because they claimed “autism is for violent people” (Sapa). This completely goes against the aim to stop the stigma associated with autism and  reinforces the harsh terms used to describe these children, which sounds very ironic coming from an organization that wants to promote proper awareness of the disability.

Even though there are many fallacies regarding the true nature of autism, there are still many people who genuinely want to make a difference and promote more awareness for such a prolific disorder. These groups like the Moonlight Foundation have been gaining more recognition day by day with all the hard work they have put into erasing the stigma. Because of groups like these, there is a future for those “bewitched” children tied to trees, that one day they can finally be accepted and receive the proper care they deserve.

Works Cited

"Autism Support Network and Autism South Africa Together Engage to Heighten Autism Awareness, Support." Biotech Week 21 Apr. 2010: 3914. Global Issues In Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

Bateman, Chris. "Autism—Mitigating a Global Epidemic." South African Medical Journal May 2013: n. pag. Rpt. in Why Is Autism on the Rise? Ed. Clay Farris Naff. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2014. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

Cruyawagen, Dennis. "Dlamini Shares Pain with Parents of Children with Autism." Dlamini Shares Pain with Parents of Children with Autism. N.p., 05 Dec. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2015.

Eliseev, Alex. "Centres for the Abused about to Lose Subsidy." The Star [South Africa] 29 Mar. 2007: 3. Global Issues In Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

"Help for Children With Autism [press Release]." Africa News Service 13 May 2013: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.

Lindenburg, Louise. "What Is Autism?" Dr. Louise Lindenburg, Autism Doctor. N.p., 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Sapa. "Autism 'truth' Message Was Too Small, Says ASA." The Star [South Africa] 4 June 2013: 7. Global Issues In Context. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

The Silence of the Twenty-First Century Slaves

Tamoha Saha

Ms. Tompkins

WLH P.1

3/13/15

The Silence of the Twenty-First Century Slaves

In 1981, 126 years after slavery was abolished in the United States, Mauritania became the last country on the planet to criminalize enslavement (African News Service). Still, about 4% of the nation is enslaved, despite their protests and cries for help that are promptly silenced by the government. While it is present in many African countries, the West African country of Mauritania experiences the most slavery in the world. With approximately 155,600 people enslaved, young girls and women are still being married off for money, and men, women, and children are still being sold for their forced labor (Walk Free Foundation). The nation state has taken some action against slavery, but with much of the population enslaved, the issue continues to persist.

The people of Mauritania are never safe from the dangers of slavery; any citizen is vulnerable to being enslaved. According to the 2014 survey from the Global Slavery Index, the Mauritanian government’s “exploitation of citizens continues due to a ‘deliberate and systematic failure’ of the government to enforce laws” (Walk Free Foundation). Mauritanians are not protected by their government, meaning that it is not taking enough measures to protect potential and past victims of slavery. For example, while the state has made enslavement punishable by law, victims must file a complaint themselves (AllAfrica). However, many victims will be enslaved until they die, therefore never free to file a complaint. In addition, most are illiterate as well. They do not have real opportunities for justice, and therefore are not truly sheltered from slavery and its consequences as a result of the government’s limited actions against slavery.

Furthermore, those who commit acts of slavery are rarely punished by the justice system. Specifically, while the Mauritanian government named slavery as a major offense in 2007, only one slave owner has been convicted of the crime, while dozens of anti-slavery protesters have been arrested (Sutter). While Mauritania’s government convicts protesters against slavery, real victims of this act continue to be enslaved. Sufferers cannot trust their own government to take action against slavery. The government is not enforcing the policy they established to protect victims of slavery. Hence, Mauritanians suffer from the government’s lack of involvement.

This society where slavery is normal will continue to exist with the government’s current absence in protecting its citizens from this felony. Slavery has thrived in Mauritania for years, even with the establishments of laws and policies against the punishable offense. In the era where equality and human rights are increasingly taking place worldwide, Mauritanians have to live their lives for someone else as slaves. They remain defenseless against the dangers of slavery, leaving them silent as the world’s twenty-first century slaves.

Works Cited

African News Service. "Mauritania Tops Global Slavery Index." Global Issues in Context. Gale, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.

AllAfrica. "Mauritania: Modern Slavery in Mauritania." AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Sutter, John D. "Slavery's Last Stand." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Walk Free Foundation. "Mauritania - Walk Free Foundation - Global Slavery Index 2014." Walk Free Foundation Global Slavery Index 2014. Walk Free Foundation, 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

A Sickness of the People

Samantha Keller

WLH - Tompkins

March 9, 2015

Period 1

A Sickness of the People

Research pertaining to HIV and AIDS has come a long way since the disease was first recognized in the early 1980s. Medical advancements have led us to the creation of prevention methods and treatments for infected populations everywhere. Unfortunately, medicine cannot cure the social illness that lies beneath the surface of South Africa, contributing to the epidemic. South Africa has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS compared to any other country in the world. An estimated 18 percent of the population is infected, with a ratio of three infected women for every infected man (AIDS Foundation of South Africa). The most prevalent cause of this imbalance is gender based violence and discrimination.

Like many other places in the world, South Africa is still overrun with misogynistic mindsets in both men and women. Young girls are raised to believe that they are inferior, that they must submit to a man’s will. A study in Zambia found that less than 25 percent of married women believed that they had the right to refuse sex with their husbands and a mere 11 percent felt that they had the right to ask their husband to use a condom (Kata Fustos). This exacerbates female HIV rates due to women’s biological susceptibility to infection, as well as the fact that most men are far more sexually experienced than their partners. However, unlike women, men are able to openly seek treatment without fear of repercussion.

Women facing a diagnosis of being HIV positive face more challenges than the disease itself. They must also endure harsh rejection and discrimination from the people around them. “Stigma and denial related to suspected infection cause many people to delay or refuse testing; fear and despair often follow diagnosis, due to poor quality counselling and lack of support” (AIDS Foundations of South Africa). The lack of testing means that many women will not seek treatment or have enough knowledge to warn their future partners of this risks. For those brave enough to own their status, the consequences can be intense. One South African woman diagnosed with AIDS says how most of her family refuses to recognize her as a human being. She recalls an argument where her sister shouts, “Do you think you are a human being? You've got AIDS! You are going to die!” (Gloria Raletsemo) While this woman is able to rise up against others’ harsh actions in favor of her own health, many are not so strong, and succumb to the social pressures placed on them.

While there are many organizations dedicated to helping the South African people in their fight against HIV and AIDS, the only people that can change communities are the people within them. Medical advances may help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, but as long as gender based discrimination against the nations women run rampant in South Africa, so too will the disease.

Works Cited

Fustos, Kata. "Gender-Based Violence Increases Risk of HIV/AIDS for Women in Sub-Saharan Africa." Gender-Based Violence Increases Risk of HIV/AIDS for Women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Population Reference Bureau, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

"HIV/AIDS in South Africa." AIDS Foundation of South Africa. AIDS Foundation of South Africa, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Raletsemo, Gloria. "Living in South Africa With AIDS A Personal Story." TheBody.com. The Body, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Jobless

Emily Aoki
WLH - Tompkins
March 12, 2015
Period 1

Jobless

       Many people choose to believe that life is not all about money. However, to a certain extent, it is. Without money, it is nearly impossible to obtain sufficient food, water and shelter. Most people, in order to obtain the money they need for such resources, acquire a job. But what happens when people cannot find jobs?
        Unemployment is a major issue in South Africa. From 2000 to 2014, the South African unemployment rate averaged 25.25 percent (Taborda). This number is especially concerning when compared to the unemployment rates of other countries, such as the U.S., which is currently at 5.6 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics). However, the problem is even worse among the youth in South Africa. In 2013, 63 percent of the youth labor force was unemployed (Oosthuizen and Cassim). So why is youth unemployment so high in South Africa?
One of the main reasons that youth unemployment is a major problem in South Africa are issues with the government. First of all, the education system in South Africa does not give students the skills that they need to be hired by companies. Only four in ten South African students graduate from high school, and only one in ten will go to university (Yueh). Linda Yueh, chief business correspondent at BBC News writes that “schools, especially in rural areas, lack basic learning materials and have poor teaching standards as well as high absenteeism among staff”. Nonetheless, it is not only governmental issues that are causing high unemployment among the youth in South Africa; businesses play a large part as well.
Many businesses, according to Thero Setiloane, “would rather poach employees from other companies than employ and train talented people who lack skills and work experience but could add value in the long term” (Setiloane). This is a major issue given that these people who want to work but have no prior experience are the young people. Setiloane, CEO of Business Leadership of South Africa asserts that “business must work with government to adapt the school curriculum”, for the government cannot set up an education system that will give students the skills they need in the working world unless they communicate with the businesses (Setiloane). Brookings authors Oosthuizen and Cassim wrote in 2014 that "government alone cannot resolve the unemployment crisis". Non-profit organizations are also working towards supporting small businesses, training the youth, and "facilitating the matching process between job seekers and employers" (Oosthuizen and Cassim).
         It is failures in both the government and South African businesses that are responsible for the high rate of unemployed youth in the country. The government and its education systems decline to provide students with skills they will need in the business world once they graduate, and businesses decline to hire young and inexperienced workers, despite whether or not they are talented or hardworking. Based on South Africa’s past youth unemployment rates, it does not look as though the future will bring any change unless the government and businesses decide to do so. Until then, 63 percent of the youth labor force in South Africa will remain jobless.

Works Cited

Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject." United States Department of Labor. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Oosthuizen, Morné, and Aalia Cassim. "The State of Youth Unemployment in South Africa." Brookings. The Brookings Institution, 15 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.

Setiloane, Thero. "Beyond Advocacy – Business Needs to Get Its Head in the Game." McKinsey on Society Voices Beyond Advocacy Business Needs to Get Its Head in the Game Comments. McKinsey and Company, 2015. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Taborda, Joana. "South Africa Unemployment Rate Marginally Unchanged." Trading Economics. Trading Economics, 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.

Yueh, Linda. "The Jobs Challenge Facing South Africa." BBC News. BBC, 9 May 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.