Tuesday 30 July 2013

Help Them Or Let Them Be...

Where I have been? I've been on leave from work... Eating, sleeping and getting fat. And oh... Worked on my long essay which I have submitted. I believe y'all are doing awesome? I am doing same and I resumed work today.

So, on July 19, I submitted my long essay on "Using Communication to Reduce Stigmatisation Against Persons Living With HIV/AIDS". What started as a mere academic exercise (which was meant to add value to my results) turned out to become much more than an intellectually gratifying experience, but also an emotional and soul searching journey.

I had first-hand contact and conversation with persons living with HIV/AIDS (called PLWHA in short)

Me & Joyce D Natey (AIDS ambassador & PLWHA)
and the first thing that hit me was "Hei! Come now! these guys are human beings! Real people! They eat, they talk, they cry, they look good... really good, and they are no different from you and I". I had to come face to face with my guilt and my fear; the guilt of saying to myself, that it is risky to have PLWHA as friends, and the fear of thinking that mingling with them even in a conversation will infect one.

Well... I conquered my guilt, and I conquered my fear concerning PLWHA. I applaud them for speaking openly about their situation; for teaching people like us how to handle ourselves so that we don't get into their situation. I respect them... I don't pity them. Not at all! They don't  need pity, whether yours or mine. They need our eyes, our ears and our hearts to be open to their message, that it could have been us in their shoes. So we must learn what they are teaching us and not stigmatise them. They deserve a good life and we must not stand in their way of getting it. Besides, most of them "before and after" lived and are living a far more decent life and are much less promiscuous than a lot of us who vilify them.

So, just as I have been converted, I end in the words of Jesus "...let he/she that is without sin, cast the first stone"

SAY NO TO STIGMATISATION OF PLWHA

Peace... I'm out!

Monday 8 July 2013

Does this Call for A Divorce?

Hello Everyone!

Best of the week to you all. I had a good rest this weekend , I believe you all are doing very great?.

So there's a column in one of the newspapers where people write letters to discuss their relationship problems and ask for advice as to what to do.

I read this letter that got me laughing all through, but after some time got me thinking and wanting to find answers. The letter was written by a certain man... According to the letter, the man wants to divorce his wife because ever since he married her, he's never seen any hair in her armpit. He's monitored and tried to observe her to know whether she had been shaving...

Its been over 3years since they got married and he still hasn't seen anything like a hair(s) in her armpit, so he mustered the courage to asked her about it, only for her to say she's never had hair growing in her armpit ever since she was born.

Now the man wants to divorce his wife because he feels that the woman "na strong winsh" (is a witch) or she don use her hair arrange some serious occultic powers... In the process of seeking a resolution to his issue, I think the man learnt that there could be a medical explanation to it, and it could be due to some abnormalities, but certainly not anything serious.

Does it really matter whether person get hair for armpit or not? and like seriously, would this man have divorced his wife because of this case... Like for real?!

Best of wishes to you all.

Peace... I'm out!