Blog #5 A Change of Heart and Kids

      So things are really starting to calm down. I have offcially cut down on my work hours because I'm starting to really fall behind in my classes, and that is unacceptable. So I've decided to put myself on a budget for the semester and concentrate more on this class as well as my substance abuse class. I think I've made the right decision.

      On another note last week I explained what happened with me and my friends and this class. I decided to give them some reading material on HIV and AIDS just to see if they would change their minds after really reading the information not just basing their opinions on what they hear others say and so on. Last week out of my group of friends, five of them gave me negative responses about HIV and AIDS. I met up with them a couple of days ago and out of the five, four of them had a change of heart and mind. They told me that they were wrong about HIV and AIDS. They all admitted to being close-minded and falling under the ignorance spell as I call it. However the fifth person in this group has stuck to their views on HIV and AIDS, and honestly I don't know what else to do. as the old saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.  I think four out of five people is a good number.

       Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a huge passion for kids. This weeks Did You Know is about kids who have been orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. I found 2 YouTube videos that really touched my heart and yes made me cry. They also put the issue of kids being orphaned by AIDS more real. I plan on blogging about different areas of kids orphaned by AIDS over the next week or so.

                                                                                                              

 

Did You Know?

       In 2009, close to 1,900,000 kids were orphaned by one if not both parents in South Africa ("Aids orphans," 2011). The actual amount of how many orphans their are by AIDS isn't clear because the time between when the parent(s) contract AIDS and die varies ("Aids orphans," 2011). These kids are being forced at a young age to experience life changes that most of us may not ever experience. Instead of going out and playing they are forced to run the streets of their neighborhoods to find food for them and their younger siblings, if they have any. Instead of having parents to teach and care for them; they have themselves and some local aids who concentrate solely on teaching kids how to cook, clean, help with other, among other things.

      Story:

           Apiwe is 13 years old and has lost her parents.
                          "My sister is six years old. There are no grown-ups living with us. I need a bathroom tap and clothes and shoes. And water also, inside the house. But especially, somebody to tuck me and my sister in at night-time.” 




 Source:  Aids orphans. (2011). Retrieved February15, 2011 from http://www.avert.org/aids-orphans.htm.