Two students, Rebecca and Destiny, told us some eye opening statistics that they found about Aids in Africa.
-Statistics from Rebecca and Destiny. Comments from Maya Earls
Just recently, a man named Mark came to our school and shared his experience of visiting people suffering from AIDS in Africa. He showed a slide-show of pictures that really helped us identify with these people, specifically the children. One picture showed a group of children surrounding a boy with trash bags around his hands. Mark explained to us that the boy did not have goalie gloves for soccer, so he had to use trash bags. He asked the class to guess how old those boys were. Most of us guessed 9 or maybe 10. Mark astounded us when he told us that their ages ranges from 15 to 17. The boys live in poverty, so they sometimes can not afford food. Malnutrition stunted their growth. Other pictures were of signs promoting the African people to avoid infecting others with AIDS, and to get tested for AIDS. After the slide-show I asked Mark more questions about his trip to Africa. He pleased me when he said, “In the last 6 to 8 years there has been a higher global effort to help these people suffering from AIDS in Africa”. He also told me, “Many people contribute in different ways.” I asked him how life is like, and he startled me when he replied, “Children have a shorter life span than adults. Most live for 7 to 10 years.” I could not believe that innocent children have a chance of dying from a preventable disease. He told me that there is a “Positive Living” program, which helps a person tested positive for AIDS live their lives. After talking to Mark, I felt a closer connection to the people in Africa, and I felt that I could make a difference in their lives.
-Maya Earls
