God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

03/06/2011 • 9:59 pm Comments Off on Sunday evening blues..

Sunday evening blues..

Sunday eve in Fallersleben – and a long travel week draws to a close while another is just beginning. The last three days were intense: the last meeting of the team trying to move the world, not only alone and in 100 days but with many more supporters and with a move, which will be felt for years to come. At the same time, while I am sitting here close to Wolfsburg and trying to get my mind around safety tips for the trip, fundraising concepts and much more, at home in Cape Town we are busy to shortlist the applications for the directors post. The ability to bi-locate, to be at two different places at the same time remains wishful thinking, but would be necessary on such days. Not to forget that the administration of the “Bundesgartenschau” in Koblenz wishes urgently to have the plan for October, when we will have “our day” of AIDS awareness and prevention within the framework of the show. A whole day, the podium is ours and together with the AIDS-Hilfe Koblenz we have to fill the space months in advance.Even being at two places at the same time seems not enough.. 🙂

But moving the world requires multi-tasking – but also requires the support and the network of each and everybody. In the times of the internet this may mean to visit websites:

www.waae.de
www.hopecapetown.com
www. hopegala.de

are three of those close to my heart on this Sunday eve. Where ever you are, reading this, you can be part of a big movement, you can contribute whatever you can – in ideas, in time, in donation, in the one Euro, which we need from 5 000 000 people to make our move becomes a reality. It does not matter where you live – in Germany, in South Africa or somewhere else along the way of our expedition or far away: you have a constant invitation to join in and to spread the message of hope and future and even to be a piece of this hope for others.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

02/18/2011 • 8:28 am Comments Off on The day of the U2 concert

The day of the U2 concert

The day of the U2 concert has arrived and in the days before the newspapers were full of allegations against Bono, the lead singer, accusing him of supporting Julius Malemas “kill the farmer” song. Even when Bono retracted from his statement yesterday during an interview – there is another question open:
Is this singer turned activist a blessing or a curse for Africa? The same question applies to Bob Geldorf, who seems to have found a new role amidst politicians on high-profile meeting of the G7 leadership. Looking into their claims how to help Africa, there is in my eyes only one answer: they are a curse. Asking again and again for more money is a spin, we have had for the last 50 years and indeed, never has Africa received more money than ever. And the result is also clear as the world bank defines it: The people of Africa are not getting more rich or reaching the standards of a decent living: Africa has grown poorer in all these years.
In pushing for more money as Bono and Geldorf do, they just prolong the suffering of Africa as more money does not mean more development, more education, more clean water, more decent lives to live. It is not the solution but makes a solution more difficult in the development sector.
So I guess they should stay with their music and we can discuss whether we like the music or not. But they should keep out of politics like so many music stars, who seems to get into politics when their musical career is declining or even coming to an end. We don’t need Madonnas adopting babies from Africa, Geldorfs and Bonos pushing for more dollars and euros,  we also by the way don’t need the usual “one to one” partnerships between countries which gives the giving hand so much influence (like Minister Niebler unfortunately pushes in the case of the Global AIDS Fund) – we need to see and experience the life of ordinary people out here in Africa, we need to listen and then to act in a way bringing Africa forward instead our own interests.

Filed under: General, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

01/26/2011 • 2:02 pm Comments Off on Interview

Interview

Interview with a journalist from the WDR radio – and once again I am reminded how different the situation is in Europe and in Africa. Once again I count all our blessings but also have to list all our challenges: more people on treatment but definitely a growing risk of resistance due to the fact, that medication is not taken as prescribed or discontinued for a while. And yes more people know about the pandemic, but knowing does not mean that they act accordingly. Knowing about HIV does not prevent unprotected sex in many instances, having HIV/AIDS in the curricula of schools or NGO’s or other institutions and companies does not mean that the stigma is going away.
People are still killed or silenced or kicked out when they reveal their infection – people still think it can only be the others but not my partner who is infected. People still go for a test but disappear before the result is revealed. We still have the pre-test counselling which might be a nice way of giving unemployed people a little stipend or allowance, but does it really make sense to scare the willing people off or to have badly trained counsellors – some of them also infected – projecting their fears on the poor client?

“treatment for all ” is still the TAC request – but what would happen to the health system if all are treated? I guess, it would collapse before we achieve the goal; not sure we should accept promises which cannot be fulfilled – and we know it beforehand. Let’s be honest with giving hope rather than creating disappointment.

We have come a long way since Mbeki’s stance of denial, but we still are living in a somehow tribal organized society where the chiefs are having the say – and our chief preaches protection, but handles his own affairs differently.

Somehow during this interview I once again realise how different the realities are on the different continents, and even on one continent, there is a diversity which must lead to different approaches in the same question. What is good for South Africa might not be good for Uganda or Mali.

And this obviously also applies to the handling of matters in my church – no interview without the special questions about church and prevention and my own struggle within this institution. And also here I try to explain that there are no universal solutions fitting to each and very situation – and that the protection of life in all it’s shade must be priority. No ideal, no ideology, even a Christian one, can replace facing the realities of life. Here and now, with the people in front of me, with all their challenges and weaknesses and possibilities I have to work.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, , , , , , , , ,

01/23/2011 • 7:58 am Comments Off on Starting packing…

Starting packing…

Normally I start packing earliest a day before I leave the country – but this time is different. The World AIDS Awareness Expedition is only starting mid April but already today I started to collect my stuff and to try to pack it nicely. Space is an issue and this morning I tried out to pack parts of the new cloths I organised for the tour to vacuum pack – interesting, funny, but working. It reduces the space quite a bit.. good so.. Last week I went for all the necessary vaccinations – from hepatitis to yellow fever and cholera – I have it all now and lets hope that it works for me and protect my body from becoming sick. I also decided not to take Malaria prophylaxis – it does not make sense to take it for weeks. But I got a test kit to test immediately if I feel I might be bitten by a mosquito and some emergency medication to keep it at bay. The clock is ticking.. in 3 months we are already 4 days on the run…
Move the world – by watching the blog, which will be hopefully updated during my journey every day – so you can follow and be part of this expedition. And maybe the fundraising effort. We are looking for 5 000 000 people donating each 1 Euro – the money is not for supporting the expedition but projects on the 5 continents dealing with HIV/AIDS like HOPE Cape Town. So if you want to be support, information how to do it is coming soon on this blog.

Be part of a great worldwide experience – and help to move the world…

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Politics and Society, Society and living environment, , , ,

01/20/2011 • 5:10 pm Comments Off on Beginning of 2011..

Beginning of 2011..

2011 begins as 2010 ends, with lots of interesting turmoil: In Tunisia, a dictator is running for his life, in our Church the discussion about the exact meaning of Pope Benedict’s XVI wording in his book ” light of the world” continues, his declaration to hold a peace summit with other religious leaders angers the Pius-brothers and their full-fledged attack against this meeting shows how outdated their belief system is.
Countries fight for they valuation of their currency, Sudan is holding a historical vote on splitting in two parts and in all these, South Africa tries to find its way into more democracy, less crime and less corruption.
And while the country prepares for local election and one can already feel the drama unfolding in the next months, we from HOPE Cape Town are also back in full swing with the declared aim to restructure our organisation to make it more efficient, more professional without losing the grip on the grass root level and our humble origin. It is not easy when an organisation grows out of puberty into adulthood and people responsible have to consider all aspects of work and how to do it best for the next year to come. It costs indeed a lot of dedication of all within HOPE Cape Town to facilitate such a process, but one can already see the horizon of a structure streamlined to serve the people living with HIV and AIDS in the Western Cape.
Tomorrow we will have two AGM’s – the HOPE Cape Town Association AGM dealing with all the matters and afterwards the AGM of the HOPE Cape Town Trust, which will become a bigger player when it comes to finances within HOPE Cape Town. After 4 years of hard work, also the trust is taking off the ground and moving in a good direction. Let’s hope and see that 2011 is a year full of good experience, great work with all associated with or employed by HOPE Cape Town. May the people, we encounter be truly touched by our work, our dedication and bring indeed hope and future and perspective to those in need.

An interesting year ahead on the big and the small scale…

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, , , , ,

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