AIDS, Adoptions and Africa

[dotinthesky]

Although I would never pay to see Angelina Jolie on the big screen after her Tomb Raider fiasco, I'm impressed that she decided to adopt an AIDS orphan from Africa. So many celebrities attach themselves to a cause because they think it will bolster their profile but Angelina genuinely seems to care. I wish I had the money, or was in a stable situation, where I could do the same. I`ve mentioned before how I would like to one day adopt children and if the process to do so with African children wasn't complicated for a gay couple, I would consider going that route.

I've been thinking lately about Africa after I read in Collapse the causes of Rwanda's genocide. It almost felt like news, or history, from another planet - that's how removed I feel from that entire continent. I suffer from that typical middle-class disease where I gain information about the horrible things going on in the rest of the world but I feel somewhat powerless to do anything about it. I think about donating money, but then the cynical person in me asks whether that money won't just disappear into some bureacrat's pocket. I hear about LIVE8 but I have no intention of joining in because I don't like the musicians involved (but would I have felt any different if the line-up had been made up of African artists?)

Then last night, after I ate a huge plate of spaghetti, I sat down to watch African School on BBC4. It's an ongoing documentary about two schools in Uganda, and the lives of various students. Yesterday told the story of one student who lived with his grandparents and about 20 siblings and cousins. All the adults in the family, apart from the grandparents, had died of AIDS and had been buried behind the house. Every day, the grandparents had to find a way to feed all those children. You can imagine how I felt as I sat there, my stomach stuffed, watching this family boil some rice and fry some tomatoes: it's sick to think that my dinner could have fed a quarter of them!

I`m sure all of you think about these things. Maybe it's easier for some to push it away (and I would say I'm one of those people - I can walk past a beggar without flinching.) I've thought about volunteer work before but I never muster enough will or shame to get off my ass and actually join anything. In the end, I'm left wondering if I have the right to complain about my life.

Comments

[canudiglett]

I think everyone has the right to complain about their life. Just because there are people worse off than you, it doesn't mean that life's trials and tribulations are totally meaningless. OTOH, thinking about people in Africa and the like does help you get a sense of perspective.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

True. But I just don't know whether that sense of perspective is enough for me anymore.

[myendeavorca.livejournal.com]

Have you seen "Hotel Rwanda" yet?

[psyfi.livejournal.com]

It definitely IS a good movie. I've wanted to recommend the same movie for Ollie to watch too.

[myendeavorca.livejournal.com]

It's hard to watch though...but an AMAZING story of street smarts and heroism.

The thing that really got to me about it was that it showed the media filming the events in the beginning, but I NEVER remember hearing about it until after the million people were slaughtered. Did you??? I actually only learned of it on the internet, about two years ago.

The other thing that really, really got to me was how the (WHITE!!!) Belgians started it and then bailed, but never took responsibility for the castes that they artificially created and in turn all the killing they caused.

I'm also pissed that they don't have oil there...because we (AMERICANS) certainly would have saved their asses then.

*SIGH*

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

800,000 people died in 100 days, so that's why there was a quick jump from the genocide's beginning to it's terrible end (although I'm not sure if it's properly over yet.)

The book I mentioned above talked about all of these things, including the I.D. system created by the Belgians. I'll definetly keep an eye out for that movie.

[psyfi.livejournal.com]

It's always easy to make poorer countries and people victims. It's also easier to be ignorant of them coz many are not interested to even know bout em. 'If they have nothing to offer, why bother' attitude has been practised basically everywhere now.....

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

No, but will check it out!

Fifty years from now...

[msanthropist.livejournal.com]

it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account nor what your clothes looked like. But the world will be a little better because you were important in the life of a child."

Volunteer to tutor reading in a near-by school one hour a week, or be a "big brother" to a fatherless boy. (Does England have a program like that?) A little volunteer time can go a very long way....

Re: Fifty years from now...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I`ve been looking into some volunteer organizations. My problem is that I never volunteered before, so it's hard for me to muster the will to get off my ass and just do it. But everyday I get closer to making that decision, and when it's done I won't look back.

More of my favorite refrigerator art:

[msanthropist.livejournal.com]

Success

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a little bit better ~
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch,
Or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed a little easier
Because you have lived.

That is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Re: More of my favorite refrigerator art:

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

♥

[artysmokes.livejournal.com]

I think what Angelina has done is great. Having said that, if I had her money, I'd adopt a whole vilage.

(I'd get all the kids to wear T-shirts promoting my new film).

[myendeavorca.livejournal.com]

She gave over a million dollars of her own money to charity last year. I would say that's about as good as adopting a whole damn village.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You should take Mariah's lesson to heart and just say NO.

[http://users.livejournal.com/supersonic_/]

:(

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Pensei que voce nao lia... :)

[dawnkitten.livejournal.com]

It was kind of weird in Tanzania - knowing that people there live on relatively so little after all anyone can live in one room- if you don't own anything.
I like Angelina Jolie- she may not be the best actress- but I like her as a person and admire what she's done.
Having a chance to (oh so briefly)teach over in Africa reminded me why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place- to help people who want to learn.

I now understand why my in-laws love it out there.

celebrity ramblings

[myendeavorca.livejournal.com]

For some reason, despite her charitable generosity, I still do not like her. Maybe it has something to do with her penchant for wearing blood on her wedding dress and the blood of her lover around her neck...I worry what will happen to Brad. I feel sorry for Jennifer. But still, even before all of that...there was something "odd" about her. Is she a witch? Is it just jealousy? I'm not sure.

I miss Winona Ryder. Did she have something to do with the decline of her career? I wonder.

[psyfi.livejournal.com]

I love her for who she is, inside and out...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Would you consider seriously to go back there and teach?

[gorecky22.livejournal.com]

I’ve also thought a lot about adopting, but maybe China or Russia are easier options for us. And, well, I hope that in some years situation should have improved and it wouldn’t be so difficult to do such a thing…

Africa situation is unbelievable… but as you’ve said, cynicism always spots when thinking of donations or things like those. At last, we cannot avoid pain seeing documentaries as the one you said: the only possibility is to go to Africa and be an active volunteer. And, well, I don’t even feel strong enough to do something like that.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't even know how to go about volunteering in Africa, and part of me would think that because I'm a white person I would not be able to blend in (well d'uh!) It's a weird situation.

[4q.livejournal.com]

I always think these thoughts