Something you have to know abt HIV/AIDS

AIDS=Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
HIV=Human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS
(Infected by HIV doesn’t necessarrily mean that you will get AIDS. )
TB=tuberculosis

Many Kenyans are infected with HIV. For every eight adults aged 15-49, one is infected. Most of those people don’t know they are infected. There’s no cure for AIDS so far, so this disease can threaten the social and economic well being of the country. However, it is not inevitable as long as we know HIV/AIDS and act.

HIV can be transmitted from one person to another in a number of ways, such as heterosexual contact, perinatal transmission (like HIV/AIDS babies, 30% to 40% of babies of HIV positive mothers are infected, pretty high percentage), and blood transfusion. After he or she is infected by HIV, his or her white cells will drop down rapidly, weakening the immune system. Therefore, he or she will be infected by any disease very easily, like TB, which will make the patient very fragile and die in a few years.

More than 75 percent of AIDS and therefore of resulting AIDS deaths occur to adults between the ages of 20-45. Why?
It is the period when people are most sexually active.
In addition, according to the statistics, infection levels are extremely high for girls and young women in 20-24 age group. This situation is especially serious in the slums. Most girls or young women are not financially independent, which makes them falling into the game for rich, HIV/AIDS positive rich men. In order to get money, girls and young women choose to sleep with HIV positive rich men. So we can see the young women in age groups 15-19 and 20-24 are more than twice as likely to have AIDS as males in the same age group. Africa, of all the regions in the world, is the most hard hit. This may due to poverty, the high prevalence of other sexually transmitted diseases and cultural practices and beliefs.

Social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS:
1. AIDS orphan
2. Cost of health care: the treatment of HIV is pretty expensive and most of the people in the slum can’t afford it.
3. Reduction in the size and experience of the labor force. The age group of the highest infected HIV/AIDS are the most economically productive part of the population, and these deaths constitute a serious economic burden. This is also the age when investments in education are just beginning to pay off. The deaths also have severe consequences for children since most people in the age group are raising young children.
4. unemployment
The way to preventing transmission of HIV
1. promoting abstincnce before narruage and faithfulness to one partner
2. using and availability of condoms
3. controlling othersexually transimitted diseases

It's impossible to ask people practice abstinence, but we can help them to keep them busy. Why? when people get a lot of things to do, they don't have extra time and energy to have intensive sex. To reduce the number of HIV/ AIDS, education and finanacial support is the only way out.

Weekly journal, 16,July

I just heard the gun shot when I was having dinner. This is my first time to hear the gun shot led by the street crime.
This Saturday I joined Rotarack( Youth in Rotary) in Kenya. We went to the Kambiu slum issuing blankets. This slum, compared with the others, is quite well-organized. (see now I am well- experienced to evaluate different slums :P) The blankets are sponsored by Rotarians. In order to make sure they give the blanket to the right people (those in need), they asked the council in the slum to make the list. When we got there, we gave the blankets to the people on it. I was a celebrity there!!! I showed up my poor Swahili and played games with children.

In Taiwan, I don’t smile that much. But now when I walk in the slum, I would like to take initiative smiling at them. When I am in a strange place, I always smile no matter what happens to me so that I can keep myself safe and people won’t take advantage of me. Smile is a good way, also a good weapon, to show my confidence and fearlessness.

Spoiled children like me would never come up the idea of issuing the blankets in the slum. If I don’t understand how hard the life is in the slum, I can’t get the way to help the people out. It will never be a good choice to give the money to people in the slum for the drug and alcohol abuse is deteriorating there.

The politicians took this advantage to give a public speech. A lot of them do nothing but show up and speak out. The president election is coming in December, so election is always the headline of newspaper, which I am not interested in at all. I had lunch and danced with young Kenyans. That’s the first time I had lamb and Ugali (taste like cake but not sweet at all. It can make u stuffed very easily.) by my hands. That’s the Kenyan style!!!

Once they asked me how I call the Taiwanese currency, I said ‘NT’ dollars, which they misunderstood to ‘auntie’ dollars. They thought I was joking them. This is really funny.

Almost every shop in Kenya has the photo of Kenyan president on the wall, which looks very old-fashioned for me. They do it because when they get some troubles they can show that they are always together with the president and the country. So, when the new president comes out, they will replace a new one. The photo just shows that they respect the country and law.

On Sunday, I went to the Indian shop to buy Indian breakfast. After that, mama and I went to the slum Runda joining the feeding program. I saw Rotary again!! It built the male dorms for the elders. This program is sponsored by one religious association of Indian community. People in the association make contribution and they buy food like bread, fruit, milk, sweets to feed the children and elders in the slum every Sunday morning. Children have to wait on line to get the food. It’s a long queue.

Why Kenyans are so poor?
Just the same as Taiwan, the price is going up like crazy in Kenya recently but the salary still remains the same. Living cost is too high but the salary is not enough for people to survive. All the agricultural products are exported to the other countries, and all money goes into the small population of Kenyans. Water and electricity are always the big problems for Kenyans. The poor can’t afford them. People in the slum don’t have their own houses they have to pay rent to the landlords in the big town.
The poor have to spend every penny they earn putting their children through school.
The modern day slavery problem is still there in Kenya. A lot of companies are biting poverty by hiring casual and cheap labors. The companies ask them to do a lot or they will be labeled ‘non-performance’ and get unemployed.
The poor will never clear their loans and their children have to inherit their poverty if the children can’t get the job in the big city.
The poor young females are especially unfortunately. The poor young females are easily viewed as the games in the eyes of rich men. They are easily falling into the flesh trade market. 80% of prostitutes are from the slums.

In Kenya, poor people can’t be treated equally. For example, if you are poor and in hospital and you might be in your final hours, your families will still be kept waiting at the gate for hours. The poor can’t get the right in Kenya. Poor people are the easy target of every policeman. When the police want to find the criminals, they go to the slum first.

I think, to help the poor out, better education, more awareness, more sensitivity is the only way out.

Taking your bad emotions good for you!

TAKE YOUR BAD EMOTIONS GOOD FOR YOU!!
Do you rule your emotions or do they rule you?
The key to feeling good is to learn to use your negative emotions in a positive way—and then let them go. By Kate Rew

Fear
What it’s like: Sweaty-palmed, gut-wrenching, hairs-on-your-neck horror or slow-burning mental paralysis.
You can feel fear about everything: beginnings, endings, changing or staying stuck.
Survival value: ‘Fear is a fantastic mechanism to keep us safe,’ says London life coach Michael Myerscough. ‘It gets your attention and helps you avoid dangerous situations. But while it’s really useful for sharpening up for sports events it’s not great for creative thinking—blood diverts from your brain to your muscles.’
It’s ruling you when…it gets in the way of actions you might like, such as moving continents, switching lovers or jumping off a cliff attached to an abseiler.
How to get it back under control:Sometimes the only way to conquer fear is to do whatever it is you’re scared of.’ Build up your courage first by taking little risk,’ suggests British psychotherapist Gael Lindenfield, author of Emotional Confidence (Thorsons).
When it comes to things like public speaking, ‘ask yourself: “what’s the worst that can happen?” and “How likely is this?”, ‘says Myerscough. ‘There may be a small rational basis to your fear, like wanting to do well. But the irrational bit is that you feel your world is going to fall apart if you stumble over a few words. Ask yourself: “If I were to act on the basis that I am already supremely fearless, how would I behave differently?” Then take three small daily steps to get you closer to that.

Anger
What it’s like: Boiling, seething rage that makes you want to scream: ‘That’s not fair!’
Survival value: ‘Anger occurs when you feel denied something that is rightfully yours,’ says Lindenfield. This could be anything from a promotion to a parking space. Anger is about defending your territory when someone oversteps your personal, social or professional boundaries.
It’s ruling you when…your anger is inappropriate, for instance when you explode because your new boyfriend is half an hour late and your ex always did that. Or you shout at a secretary about one delayed fax because you’ve missed half hour deadlines. ‘Humorous teasing, sniping and casual put-downs can also be a sign of suppressed anger,’ says Myerscough. ‘Ninety percent of what passess for humour is actually people being passive-aggressive.’
How to get it back under control: ‘Traditionally women don’t express anger, they swallow it,’ says conflict-resolution counselor Sybil Evans, coauthor of Hot Buttons (Piatkus). ‘This is bad for your health and creates “hot buttons”—sensitive areas which make you explode when they’re pushed. Make a little inventory of what has pressed your hot buttons and why. Ask friends for feedback and try to find a pattern to what sets you off,’ suggests Evans. Hot buttons generally come from either having unrealistic standards or expectations of other people—in which case you might want to be more tolerant and flexible; or from not letting people know what your boundaries are—in which case you need to start to setting them.
Boundaries concern your base conditions for relationships and involve issues such as loyalty, confidentiality, respect, reliability and trust. Different value systems and priorities mean boundaries are highly individual, but when your’re cross, it’s time to explain calmly and positively what your base conditions are.

Guilt
What it’s like: Think of accidentally hurting someone in your family because you weren’t thinking of what you were doing. That’s the unease that comes from guilt.
Survival value: ‘Rational guilt enables us to live in society,’ says Lindenfield. ‘It keeps up our standards.’ It also ensures we treat other people as we would like to be treated—with consideration and compassion. But not all guilt is rational.
It’s ruling you when… ‘you’re constantly bombarded by visions of perfection—in advertising, films, the media and stardom—makes it possible to feel guilty about everything from cellulite and career success to the contents of your fridge.
How to get it back under control: Distinguish between your actions—ridiculing someone to make yourself feel better or kissing some else’s man—and yourself. The vital thing is not to think your patterns reflect the essential you, as this will lower your self-esteem. ‘Draw up 10 personal commandments that reflect your core values,’ says Lindenfield. For example: 1. Thou shalt be honest. 2. Thou shalt not abuse thy body. And so on. ‘And when you feel guilty, check whether the action has disrespected any of these. If it hasn’t, the guilt is probably something to do with your parents’ or society’s values and not your own personal code.’

Insecurity
What it’s like: You’re just not quite sure about anything—whether he likes you, whether you’re good enough or what you like. Insecurity is a quagmire of not knowing.
Survival value: ‘Feeling insecure makes you stop and think,’ says Lindenfield, which means it may help you make sounder , safer choices.
It’s ruling you when… ‘it causes arguments or impacts on what you would normally do,’ says psychologist Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. ‘At work this may mean feeling like an imposter—a common syndrome among women—to the extent that you don’t apply for a promotion or reach your potential. In your personal life it may mean constantly asking: “Do you like me? Does my bum look big in this? Who are you looking at?”
How to get it back under control: Building up self-confidence means personal-development work. Options include Lindenfield’s book Emotional Confidence (Thorsons); Philippa Davies’s book Irresistibility: secrets of selling yourself (HodderMobius), which will sell you to anyone, including yourself; a personal coach or therapy. ‘Building confidence is not something you can easily do; it involves cognitive and behavioral changes,’ say Mann. ‘Get a book that will help you work on things like not running yourself down and recognizing your achievements and what friends value about you. But also consider new things to do like studying further, to give you a sense of achievement.’ Regarding the imposter syndrome, Mann says, ‘Recognize it’s a common syndrome and, unless you blatantly lied on your CV, you can be pretty sure you got where you are on merit.

Worry
What it’s like: Tense, anxious thoughts. Worry is one endless ‘What if?’ You meet a nice man—you worry that it will end. You don’t meet a nice man—you worry that you will never will.
Survival value: It helps you examine the options.
It’s ruling you when… ‘you barely think of anything that wouldn’t qualify awake at night and worry about the events of the day and what might go wrong tomorrow.
How to get it back under control: ‘First do some left-brain activity like counting backwards from 50, filing papers or sorting your cupboards,’ says Lindenfield. ‘Anything that requires you to get into analytical, logical mode, because worrying is a right-brain activity. Then face the worst-case scenario and develop a contingency plan if that were to happen. Have a backup of SOS friends you would turn to, a plan for remaining financially safe, a retreat for boosting your self-esteem or an idea of how you would find another man. And write it down Get the worries out of your head and onto paper.’ Regular doses of Richard Carlson Don’t sweet The small stuff (HodderMobius) will help put things into perspective.

Envy
What it’s like: Wanting something that you haven’t got. It’s the ‘happy for you—unhappy for me’ sensation you get when someone announces their pay rise, engagement, holiday or promotion.
Survival value: It makes you focus on what it is that you want.
It’s ruling you when… ‘you are broke,’ says Lindenfield. “Envious people spend money all the time because they never feel good enough.’ Or it gets in the way of enjoyment because you’re too busy coveting a friend’s wardrobe or weight loss to enjoy the moment.
How to get it back under control: ‘Get into action,’ says Lindenfield. ‘Whether it’s a boyfriend or a new figure you want, go out and get it.’
‘Envy is a great motivator,’ says Myerscough. ‘Use it to commit to goals and set a time frame to get what you want. But at the same time allow yourself to feel satisfied with what you’ve got.’ Know that you won’t find happiness outside of yourself or by filling your life with things that other people have.
Cosmopolitan August 2005

Are you getting your 5 a day?!

Are you getting your 5 a day?
Portion #1
Strengthen your emotional immune system
Keep your emotions free of toxins by being clear about what is and isn’t acceptable to you in all aspects of your life. Craw a grid on a piece of paper, dividing it up into work, relationships and home, friends, health, and family and write down two decisions for each. Creating boundaries protects you from toxic people and situations.

Portion #2
Forget food intolerances—get your life intolerances sorted
When we put up with irritating stuff—from clutter to so-called friends who always talk about themselves but never ask about you—it can result in extreme fatigue. It’s time to get tough. Make a list of 70 things in your life that you’re tolerating—from that leaking tap to tour boyfriend’s bad breath. Now create a daily ‘power hour ‘for the next seven days and blitz your way through them.

Portion #3
Get into healthy moods
Self-destructive ‘junk moods,’ such as guilty and worrying, create emotional flabbiness. Give them up and replace them with these three delicious daily habits. First of all, exercise. Even a 10-minute brisk walk can boost your mood for 2 hours. Second, have dinner with people you like. Research has shown that eating in good company increases your happiness rating by almost 20%. Third, music is proven to be one of the most effective mood boosters, so crank up the stereo volume on a feel-good tune.

Portion #4
Curb your cravings for sweetness
Being sweet and eager to please gives you a rush of energy. But by 4 pm you’ll feel a slump if you realize you’ve promised too much. This leads to ‘binge-meeting’ as you try to pack friends, family, work and boy friend into a short space of time.
Many of us are raised to believe that nice, sweet girls get more love so we turn on the sugar when we need something. There’s nothing wrong with sweet gestures such as sending a card but ask yourself what it is you need—is it praise, respect or a phone call? Where possible, ask for what you want—write in the card: ‘Give me a call!’ The direct approach saves emotional energy for both of you.

Portion #5
Fill up with small amounts and often
Many of us spend our lives running out of emotional energy because we don’t have enough love, time or money in our reserves. Ask yourself what you can do to fill each server to the brim—maybe build up a store of time by canceling one of your nights out to spend time reading. Consider hiring a cleaner, asking your mother for a cuddle or giving your partner three tasks to show he loves you. By building up your reserves you operate on slow-release energy, allowing you to achieve all you want in life.

Cosmopolitan Kenya August 2005, vol1, No.9