KENYA: Domestic workers often do more than housework

Source: IRINnews
The following are direct quotes from the aforementioned article:

*When Nora Adhiambo, 21, started working as a housekeeper for a family in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, she expected to cook, clean and look after their young children; not that she would have to regularly have sex with her employer.

*"He would force me to have sex with him; every time he would sleep with me without a condom and this went on for two years," she told IRIN/PlusNews. "He threw me out when I told him I was pregnant; I realised later that I had not only left that house with a pregnancy but also HIV."

*Salaries are sometimes so low that they are forced to seek additional sources of income, including sex work; those forced out of their employer's home after being raped may resort to sex work as the only way to survive.

Click here to read the full article!

BENIN-NIGERIA: Learning English to enter the sex industry

Source:IRINnews/PLUSNews
The following are direct quotes from the aforementioned article:

Many young people in French-speaking Benin are learning English to adapt to globalization, but some young women have another goal: to enter the thriving sex industry in neighbouring Nigeria, where the market is considered more lucrative.

"Some of them, for example, go to learn English ... in Nigeria, for further study - not all of them go with the intention of becoming [sex workers], but their circumstances push them into it," said Legonou, who emphasized the need to "concentrate on awareness-raising of young girls", particularly to the risk of HIV.

Amy, a young sex worker near one of the big hotels in the city, came from Ivory Coast in 2007. She said she made enough money to rent an apartment for US$400 a month in a suburb of Abuja.

Nigeria has 2.6 million people living with HIV - the third highest HIV caseload in the world after India and South Africa – and a prevalence rate of 3.1 percent, compared to 2 percent in Benin, but this does not discourage young people.

Click here to read the full article!

WEST AFRICA: Combating world's lowest literacy rates

Source: IRINnews
The following are direct quotes from the aforementioned article:

*Illiteracy rates in West Africa are the highest in the world, cramping development and weakening citizens’ power to effect socio-economic and political change,

*Sixty-five million West African adults – 40 percent of the adult population – cannot read or write according to a new study, 'From closed books to open doors – West Africa's literacy challenge'.

*Of the 10 countries with the world’s lowest recorded adult – 15 and older – literacy rates, seven are in West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone, the report says.

*An educated population will also show stronger support for democracy

*Education activist and former child soldier in Sierra Leone, Ishmael Beah, told IRIN: “Education is not only something to get a career or change your socio-economic status, but it is a way you can begin to understand your government and demand more of it.”

*Rich country aid to education in West Africa in 2007 was equal to just one per cent of what the US government spent on bailing out [insurance company] AIG alone,” Pearce said.

*When supporting education donors should pay more heed to literacy, the report says.

Click here to read the full article!

Your purpose is beyond you...

"Past the seeker as he prayed
came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten.
And seeing them...he cried
"Great God, how is it that a loving creator
can see such things and yet do nothing about them?"
God said "I did do something. I made you."
(Sufi Teaching)

The Secret of Living Well...

The secret of living well is not in the answers we amass but in the actions we take. No matter how many problems we solve, there will always be new ones to take their place. We can be more masterful in life if we allow problems to be an ever-present, challenging, and stimulating aspect of living. Accepting and embracing our own humanity is one of the secrets of living life truly satisfied and free of suffering.

[Judy Tatelbaum, You Don't Have to Suffer]

Build and live in a new world...

To change the world we do not need to manipulate people or events; we need to change our minds. Effective transformation springs naturally from higher vision. As we open to a higher reality, we find evidence to support it. Everyone who has improved the world has seen a bigger picture than the one most people were living, and found the courage to live as if it were already so.

Our history is not our destiny. You and I are here to build and live in a new world. Your role in bringing about that world is much simpler than you have realized. You are not required to become a world leader, invent a revolutionary mode of travel, or discover a miraculous medicinal panacea. Your purpose here is much more personal and relevant to the life you are now living. You are here to discover and release the beliefs that have kept you living in a circle smaller than your potential, and step into a world that honors the greatness within you and everyone you meet. You are here to claim your vision and walk in the light. You are here to be you.
[Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]

Each of us really can save the world...

The miracle is that each of us really can save the world. Indeed, we must, for what else of value is there to be done? Since there is no order of difficulty in miracles, our desire to save the world must be within our reach. And since the task of our physically maneuvering the world and its people into harmony is unthinkable, there must be some other way.

That way is the way of Spirit, the way of God, the way of Love, which is not confined to time or to space. When we align our hearts and minds with the intentions of Godly Love, we are joining the forces of that power, indeed the only power that can redeem humankind. We have found the only avenue of action that can have any real effect. We have aligned our intentions with Him whose intention is salvation. [Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]

INDONESIA: Poverty at root of commercial sex work

Source: IRINnews
The following are direct quotes from the aforementioned article:

*In a district of the northeastern part of West Java, commercial sex workers are touting for business right outside the mosque.

*"The root of the problem is poverty, but in some areas... prostitution is accepted. It's the culture," explains Arum Ratnawati...with people so poor they are forced to sell or send their children into commercial sex work to earn income for the family.

*In a country with high unemployment and over 4 million school-age children unable to go to school, it is not difficult to understand how trafficking can thrive. The latest government estimates in 2004 put the number of children trafficked for prostitution at 21,000 for Java and 70,000 for the whole of Indonesia.

*The stories are usually the same: poor, uneducated girls who do not know how to protect themselves are preyed upon by people they trust, including relatives or neighbours, who promise to give them jobs in the city or abroad. They end up working in brothels, forced to pay off the IDR500,000 or IDR1 million ($55 or $110) the trafficker paid their parents.

*While they conduct awareness-raising activities and provide skills training, these NGOs find that many prostitutes do not want to be rescued. "Out of 500 children we tried to rescue over the past four years, only around 150 really want to quit prostitution," says Ratnawati. "They give up their rights because of their economic situation. They need the money."

Click here to read the full article!

Leaving for Ethiopia: Cleansing the Lens of the Soul!

By: Nasir Al-Amin

Tonight, I have a redeye flight to Ethiopia. My journeys to Ethiopia always have a dual agenda/reality attached to them. Outwardly, my journeys are work related. Inwardly, they are transformative, therapy for soul, a stimulus to refocus. Thus, the outward and inward aims of this trip are the following:

1) Yousef: One of the orphans we work with has been in the hospital for a month. Previously he was diagnosed with HIV+ and I have been informed that his body has adjusted to his medication, and thus stopped working effectively. I hear he is in critical condition, so my main aim is to check on him.

2) Commercial Sex Workers (CSW): Last year we launched a project to provide skill training (sewing and tailoring) to 10 women engaged in CSW. I'm going to follow-up with them the about skills they have gained and their life post-intervention.

3) Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs): In partnership with HAPSCO, an NGO based in Ethiopia, ALIF provides monetary assistance for school fees, food, and housing to impoverished and/or HIV/AIDS infected children that have lost one or both parents.

4) Donated School Supplies: A Kuwaiti volunteer, Noura, 

donated school supplies for the children we serve. Therefore, I will have the pleasure to see their smiles as I give them the supplies.  

5) Listen, Observe and Reflect: My first trip to Ethiopia in 2002 fostered a paradigm shift, in that the way I viewed the world and my role in it changed significantly. Each subsequent trip has helped to cleanse the lens through which I perceive, understand and process life experiences and the realities of others. The poor and marginalized have given me something priceless: "the gift of perspective."

In their words...

“There are some that try to steal from you forcefully and others would try to kill you, just as someone killed one of my girl friends.”
(CSW, 22 years old, bar-worker, Assab)

Source: Staying Safe on the Streets
(UNAIDS, UNFPA, Min. of Health Gov. of Eritrea)
Click here to read the full report!

In their words...

A couple of the key informants spoke of Muslim men from adjoining countries (e.g. Sudan, Saudi Arabia) as being common clientele.

“They are ‘over satisfied ones’, those who have much money. Some come from  foreign countries for vacation. For example from Saudi Arabia because there  is “Sharia” law, they come here and pay so much money they can do whatever they want. They are Eritreans who live abroad; they live in Saudi Arabia.” (Key informant, student, 20 years old, Dekemhare)

Source: Staying Safe on the Streets
(UNAIDS, UNFPA, Min. of Health Gov. of Eritrea)
Click here to read the full report!

KENYA: HIV-positive people feeling the pinch of high food prices

Source: IRIN/PlusNews
The following are direct quotes from the article:

*Soaring food prices are beginning to affect the health of HIV-positive people in Kenya.

*"The success of ARV drugs is no more; many patients are suffering seriously,"...They have developed health complications because they cannot afford basic food, leave alone a balanced diet."

*According to the UNAIDS, adequate nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining the immune systems of people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as helping to ensure that those on treatment get the maximum benefits from antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.

*The latest humanitarian food update by the UN...Kenya could expect a food deficit as a result of global food shortages, increased food prices and reduced production, compounded by poor rains and the displacement of people...

*Rama said families had been forced to increase spending on food to ensure their HIV-positive family members had a balanced diet, at the expense of other essential requirements like their children's education...some of the poorer HIV/AIDS patients had begun rejecting free life-prolonging ARV medication because of the side effects of taking the drugs on an empty stomach.

*Mary is afraid her chances of living much longer are being compromised by the food shortages. "I have developed many health problems in the past three months. I had malaria, pneumonia and now I have TB [tuberculosis]; I can no longer wash people's clothes to feed my three children," said the mother of three who tested HIV-positive three years ago.

*...high food prices were also affecting HIV prevention efforts, because girls and women were being forced into commercial sex work to feed themselves and their families. "Food insecurity has been one of the major factors responsible for HIV/AIDS cases in northern Kenya," he said. "It is worse now, and we fear that many girls and women will fall victim to the virus now."

Click here to read the full article.

In their words...

“…Many people are really shocked to see us. I am young and my friends are younger than I am. If there were rehabilitation centres I wouldn’t choose prostitution. I would love to learn, play and live." (CSW, solicits from nightclubs, 18 year old, Massawa)

“The solution is for the government to give us alternative work, like a trade, in order that we can leave this job…I will be able to create a good future for my children; a chance for them to be educated.” (CSW, working from home, 28 year old, Keren)

Source: Staying Safe on the Streets
(UNAIDS, UNFPA, Min. of Health Gov. of Eritrea)
Click here to read the full report!

YEMEN: Poverty, lack of education boosting HIV/AIDS

Source:IRIN/IRINnews.org

The following are direct quotes from the article:

*Maha (not her real name), 22, has been a commercial sex worker since she was 17. She told IRIN she and her sister were forced into prostitution to provide food and medical treatment for their ailing mother. 

*"My father died when we were young and so my mother had to work as a house maid. We lived as destitutes and we could not continue our education. My mother got cancer and my sister and I decided to work on the street," she said. "Prostitution has become our source of income. We have no education or skills... Job opportunities are very scarce," she said.

*When asked whether she was at risk of HIV/AIDS, Maha said she had never been tested. "We hear about AIDS and all I know about it is that it is fatal. I think Yemen is safe as it is a Muslim country. AIDS comes from Western people and we don't sleep with them," she said.

*Experts say Yemenis are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS as a result of high rates of poverty and lack of education.

*According to the US Department of State's Trafficking in Persons Report 2006, Yemeni children were trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, and Yemen was also a destination country for trafficked Iraqi women.

*Some 16 percent of Yemen's 21 million population lives on less than US$1 a day and 45 percent lives on less than US$2 a day, according to UNDP

Click here to read the full article.

In their words...

“The situation is hard; there are no jobs. If you want to help us, create job opportunities for us or give us education. If this is done, we sex workers will not exist, so there will no longer be any clients.” 

(CSW, solicits from nightclubs and streets, 25 year old, Asmara)

Source: Staying Safe on the Streets
(UNAIDS, UNFPA, Min. of Health Gov. of Eritrea)
Click here to read the full report!

Report: Staying Safe on the Streets

The following are direct quotes from the article:
Staying Safe on the Streets: A Situational Analysis of Commercial Sex Work in Eritrea

Major Findings
Classification of sex workers
Commercial sex workers (CSW) are usually classified according to the type of place from which they operate, namely from bars, hotels, their own houses or from the streets, and there are differences in the type of clientele for each of these types, and in the fees that they charge (as discussed below). Often they are also grouped according to their age group – usually into what are commonly referred to as “underage” girls (below 18 years), and older women. Some classify CSWs according to whether they are registered or not; the latter are often referred to as “secret” CSWs, who usually have other occupations too. CSWs who work in bars are apparently often not paid to do so; their payment is in return for sex with clients who frequent the bars.

Problems faced by CSWs
Most agreed that there is significant competition between CSWs, based on the clothes and jewellery that they wear, their hairstyles, their youth and beauty. Key informants had sometimes witnessed nasty fights (involving broken bottles, for example) between CSWs, though others spoke of a strong support system amongst fellow CSWs. The main problems faced by CSWs include violence from clients, clients who refuse to use condoms or who deliberately take them off or tear them during sex, a lack of alternative job opportunities and requests for ‘unusual’ or distasteful sexual acts by their clients.

Possible interventions
The main suggestions for intervention included the facilitation of employment opportunities and training for CSWs, and the provision of more entertainment facilities for youth, to detract from the demand for prostitutes. Several wanted the female condom to be made widely available to CSWs. Rehabilitation centres were suggested, too. CSWs reacted favourably to the idea of peer education and other health-related programmes. They felt that registration appealed on account of their being able to have frequent health-check-ups and free STI treatment but noted that some CSWs resist registration because they fear an HIV positive test result or are afraid of identifying themselves as commercial sex workers.

Source: Staying Safe on the Streets
(UNAIDS, UNFPA, Min. of Health Gov. of Eritrea)
Click here to read the full report!

In their words...

“ There are those clients who if you refuse to go with them, start hitting you. This is a life where you cry more than you are happy.” (CSW, bar worker, 30 year old, Massawa)

Source: Staying Safe on the Streets
(UNAIDS, UNFPA, Min. of Health Gov. of Eritrea)
Click here to read the full report!

Help Kenyan Women Leave Risky Work Behind

USAID, Peace Corps Help Kenyan Women Leave Risky Work Behind
Source: USAID (FrontLines-April 2009)
Writer: Kim Wylie
The following are direct quotes from the article:

*USAID started the project in East Africa in 2005 and aims to reduce the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS in towns along major transport routes. These towns have high rates of commercial sex work and multiple sexual partners, and, consequently, high rates of HIV.

*As many as 80 percent of women in these communities have turned to sex work, including with truck drivers, because few opportunities exist for other kinds of work

*The LifeWorks Partnership Trust, one component of ROADS, supports alternative jobs that help women earn money. LifeWorks Shukrani Ltd., for example, is a company that produces shawls, placemats, napkins, table runners, and tote bags. It employs 21 Kenyan women.

*The stories of the Shukrani workers appeal to socially-conscious buyers who are able to put dollars into the pockets of the most vulnerable in these communities—women and older orphans.

*Shukrani’s workers earn a fair daily wage and don’t have to engage in risky survival strategies to care for themselves or their families. “And we’re giving women access to health benefits and insurance and supporting them to open their own private bank accounts,” Domenico added.

*Seamstress Wanjiku (a pseudonym), 22, who was orphaned at 16, said: “This project recruits people who are hopeless in life and kind of gives them a safe haven. They can meet their basic needs and there’s no reason to go back to the road” to sex work.

Click here to read the full article.

Zimbabwe: The Supply And Demand of Sex Work

Source: allAfrica.com
Writer: Fungai Machirori

The following are direct quotes from the article:

*Yet, as the global economic crisis deepens, rising numbers of women turn to sex work for income. Poverty increasingly has a feminine face. In countries like Zimbabwe, there are countless stories of former teachers and government workers turning to sex work.

*For many, lack of options stem largely from deeply entrenched gender inequalities that prevent accessing resources needed to generate income, such as land, credit, and trade opportunities.

*Criminalisation of sex work usually targets the supply side of commercial sex, and never the demand side. Police charge the sex worker with loitering or some other offence, and never her client.

*Decriminalising sex work would mean the usual labour laws and regulations could be applied, and sex workers could claim their rights to good working conditions, equitable pay and medical aid. They would not be informal traders any longer, but taxpayers sowing back revenue towards the growth and maintenance of essential public services such as hospitals, clinics, and schools.

*Decriminalisation would also criminalise offences committed against sex workers -- by clients, pimps, or police. Such protection would make sex workers more visible within society and therefore far easier to reach with information on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services -- all of which they currently lack.

*Denying the reality of commercial sex work is like trying to hide an elephant in a room -- no one is fooled. Let us not forget that sex workers are human beings who deserve the same dignity and respect bestowed upon every person by virtue of their being human. Rather than continue to criminalise the practice, let's rather make it safe, and provide access to the resources that would enable women to earn income in other ways...

Click here to read the full article.

Divine Light...

"Everybody carries the extraordinary spark of the divine light that has been put in us."  (Hamza Yusuf) 

Reflection: a Prisoner of Hope

"I am not an optimist; I'm a prisoner of hope."
—Bishop Desmond Tutu

ETHIOPIA: Parliament adopts repressive new NGO law

Source: CRIN
Articles: *See footnote

The Ethiopian parliament has adopted a potentially repressive new law which could criminalise the child rights activities of both foreign and domestic non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The Charities and Societies Proclamation law (CSO law), adopted on Tuesday, is designed to strictly control and monitor civil society in an atmosphere of intolerance of the work of human rights defenders and civil society organisations.

...the implications for civil society organisations under this new law which would allow the government, among other things, to:

--Decide which NGOs can be registered and which ones should be disbanded
--Subject all civil society groups to intrusive government control and surveillance.
--Bar foreign NGOs from doing any work related to human rights, governance, protection of the rights of women, children and people with disabilities, conflict resolution and a range of other issues.
--Strip Ethiopian NGOs that work on human rights issues of access to foreign funding.
Impose criminal penalties on anyone participating in activities deemed 'unlawful'
--Fine or jail, for up to 15 years, anyone participating in meetings organised by such 'unlawful' organisations
--Prohibit all activities carried out by non-Ethiopian NGOs that relate to human rights and other identified fields

*Click on the articles below to read the entire posts:
ETHIOPIA: Parliament adopts repressive new NGO law
ETHIOPIA: Human Rights Council side event on recent NGO law

Yemen: Girls, poor and black children most discriminated against

Source: IRINews & AlertNet

Children of poor families, girls and children of the Akhdaam (servants) are the most discriminated against in Yemen, a new study has found. The unpublished study, titled 'Discrimination against Children and its Relation to the Cultural and Social Status in Yemen', was conducted by Dal Centre for Cultural and Social Studies, a local NGO, in cooperation with Save the Children Sweden.

... poverty had become a major source of discrimination and contempt. The study identified 13 categories of children that faced discrimination and 45 kinds of discrimination, ranging from sexism to sexual exploitation. Some 90 percent of respondents said the children most vulnerable to discrimination were Akhdaam (children of servants, who are mostly black), girls and poor children.

According to the study, 12 factors were responsible for discrimination against children, most notable of which were economic disparities, unwillingness of parents to educate children about discriminatory practices and illiteracy.

Click here to read the entire article!

CONGO: Free lunch tempts children into school

Source: IRINews

The promise of a free meal at lunchtime has over the past few years seen up to 39,000children going to school in the Republic of Congo, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). "Between 2002 and 2009 we've been feeding up to 39,000 children at 1,072 primary schools in the Congo, which has helped them to keep studying," Central Africa regional WFP assistant director Sory Ouane said.
Click here to read the entire article!

Peace in the world begins in the heart...

"If you want to bring about peace in the world, first bring about peace within yourself. Don't worry about reforming the world; reform yourself! The peace that you would have others find must first be found in your own heart. How can you say to another, 'Let me take a speck out of your eye!' when you have a bigger one in your own? First remove the speck from your own eye, and then you will be able to remove that of your brother.

Does this mean that one must be a fully realized spiritual master before one can teach or offer service? No, not at all. If we waited for everyone to be perfect before anyone could teach, we would have a long wait indeed. It is sufficient to teach what we know and have directly experienced. In this case, teaching is really a sharing, a comparing of notes. It is as if we are all working together on a huge jigsaw puzzle. As you find the place for your piece, you make it easier for me to see the pattern and the place for mine. You might even find a piece that I can use. Teaching is sharing. We have nothing to teach each other, but much to share." 

[Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]

Social Reform, World Change & Our Real Purpose in Life

"While we have lofty ideals for social reform and world change, our real purpose in life is to work on ourselves. This at first may seem selfish or uncharitable, but it is honest, and in the long run we will make more of a contribution to society when we are clear than when we are in any way confused. The greatest service we can offer to others is to purify, sanctify, and know our own self. Then, and only then, are we in the proper position to give. Until then, we are taking."

"This does not mean that we are to run off to a cave and meditate until we are realized. Our work on ourselves may involve a great deal of social service. We can be nurses, teachers, and therapists, but we must always bear in mind that we are really using these avenues to expand our own consciousness. Serving others with all our heart does not contradict working on ourselves; to the contrary, it supports it. Until the end, we must remember to use everything we do as a vehicle for our own awakening."

[Cohen, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore]

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How to perform adult CPR and Save a life

Source: British Red Cross

CPR IN THREE SIMPLE STEPS

Source: University of Washington School of Medicine.

Click here to download a PDF of this Guide! 

ETHIOPIA: Rising food prices hit HIV-positive people

Source: IRIN PlusNews

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

"I get angry because every time I go food prices are higher," said the 38-year old mother of three. "Because food prices are increasing, we are eating less."

Many Ethiopians are skipping meals and cutting out "luxuries" like vegetables and eggs as the combination of drought and rising food prices squeezes already tight budgets. But for Bakane that's particularly dangerous; two-years ago she tested positive for HIV and began taking life-prolonging antiretrovirals.

If her diet is too poor, her health could soon deteriorate. "ART [antiretroviral treatment] can't work if people aren't eating enough; this is where food prices impact more strongly on them," 

Poor nutrition weakens the body's defences against the virus, hastens the development of HIV into AIDS, and makes it difficult to take ARVs. ART can also increase appetite and it is possible to reduce some side effects and promote adherence to ARV regimens if the medicines are taken with food, according to health officials.

As food prices continue to soar, Ethiopians with HIV are especially hard hit; they may be weak and unable to work, they often have less savings, and they may also have been shunned by the community.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

NIGERIA: Trafficking of girls, abuse worsening

Source: IRINnews

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

The trafficking of girls from villages to cities in Nigeria is increasing and the state is powerless to stop the trade, officials told IRIN. “The business of recruiting teenage girls as domestic help in rich and middle-class homes is booming despite our efforts to put a stop to it”

Girls aged 12-17 are regularly trafficked from villages and brought to the city to work as maids for an average monthly wage of 1,500 naira (US$13) which they usually send back to their parents who are caring for several of their siblings..

“Apart from being denied access to education, these girls are in many cases raped and beaten by their employers...

As well as poverty, trafficking in girls and women is driven by the extreme income inequality which exists in Nigeria, and gender inequality

Saudatu Halilu, a 16 year-old girl who moved to Kano from a rural village to work as a maid, has been a victim of the trade’s dangers...her master forced her into sleeping with him and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

“I was too scared to tell my mistress or anyone what happened for fear of what my master would do to me and I did not realise I was pregnant until a medical check after I began to show some signs which attracted the attention of my mistress”, Halilu told AFP.

Poverty drives parents into steering their teenage daughters into work as domestic helps, believing the menial jobs would secure better living conditions for their daughters, Ahmed said.

“I had no option but to send Hindu, who is my eldest daughter, to work in the city because we are poor and need money to feed”, said Aisha, a mother of six, who sent her eldest child, 14 year-old Hindu Nasidi, to Kano to earn money. The girl upset her keepers by not washing plates properly and they ground chilli pepper into her vagina as a punishment.

“The money she was paid from the job was very helpful in taking care of her six siblings until the unfortunate incident”, Nasidi said, blaming rising food prices for her decision to send the young girl out to work in the first place.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

YEMEN: New study highlights plight of street children

Source: IRINnews

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Ahmed (not his real name) has been sleeping near a secondary school in the centre of Sanaa city, Yemen's capital, for almost a year. He said he had come from the northern governorate of Amran to work and support his family back home.

The 14-year-old sells cigarettes and sweets in the city. "My father went to Saudi Arabia three years ago to find a job but didn't come back. I have three brothers and one sister and my mother asked me to find any job here in Sanaa to sustain them," he said.

The boy makes 400-800 Yemeni riyals (about US$2-4) a day and did not want to rent a room, in order to save money.

Ahmed is among an estimated 30,000 street children in Yemen, of whom 60 percent work and sleep on the streets and tend to be separated from their families, according to a new study. The remaining 40 percent work the streets but return to some kind of makeshift home at night.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Reflection of the Day: Your Life's Work

The following is a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. regarding one's life's work:

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man must do his job so well that the dead, the living, and the unborn could do it no better." 

Reflection of the Day: "Servant of your Inward Heart"

"There is nothing closer to you then yourself. If you don't know yourself, how will you know others? You might say, "I know myself", but you are mistaken....The only thing you know about yourself is your physical appearance. The only thing you know about your inside [batin, your unconscious] is that when you are hungry you eat, when you are angry, you fight, and when you are consumed by passion, you make love. In this regard you are equal to any animal. You have to seek the reality within yourself....What are you? Where have you come from and where are you going? What is your role in the world? Why have you been created? Where does your happiness lie? If you would like to know yourself....the reality of your existence is in your inwardness. Everything is a servant of your inward heart."

(Al-Ghazali, The Alchemy of Happiness)

Sex trade thrives in Afghanistan

Source: MSNBC/Associated Press
Photo: Farzana Wahidy / AP

Article: Sex trade thrives in Afghanistan

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

The girl was 11 when she was molested by a man with no legs. He paid her $5. And that was how she started selling sex.

Afghanistan is one of the world's most conservative countries, yet its sex trade appears to be thriving. Sex is sold most obviously at brothels full of women from China who serve both Afghans and foreigners. Far more controversial are Afghan prostitutes, who stay underground in a society that pretends they don't exist.

Customs meant to keep women "pure" have not stopped prostitution. Girls are expected to remain virgins until their wedding nights, so some prostitutes have only anal sex.

They are often the casualties of nearly three decades of brutal war and a grinding poverty that forces most Afghans to live on less than $1 a day.

Some prostitutes are forced into the sex trade by their families. The Ora report said 39 percent of the sex workers interviewed found clients through their relatives — including 17 percent through their mothers and 15 percent through their husbands.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Video-Survival: Renting home to Sex Workers (Ethiopia)

Source: Vlogit

Emishaw lives in a crowded area of Ethiopia. His mother has to rent out their home to sex workers in order to make money for the family...

ZIMBABWE: From school teacher to Sex Worker

Source: IRIN

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Surviving the world’s highest inflation rate is resulting in people ditching their professions and embarking on work, which they had never previously considered. Mavis, a qualified nursery teacher, has swapped her life as an educator for that of a sexworker and now cruises for clients in the upmarket hotels of the capital Harare.

"I am a professionally trained infant teacher, but last year I decided to quit the profession as the money that I was earning was not adequate to sustain myself,” she told IRIN.

"If I was still working as a school teacher, I would be earning just over Z$300,000 (US$7.5 at the parallel exchange rate of Z$40,000 to US$1) a month, but now, I can charge as much as Z$500,000 (US$12.5) per night regardless of whether the client wants my services for a short while or for the whole night."

Mavis said that the majority of her clients were married men, who had to get home to their wives. "When clients cannot be with me for a long time, I can double my earnings in a single night,” she said.

There are some clients who demand to have unsafe sex and even offer to pay more but I insist on the use of condoms or cancel the transaction," Mavis said. More than 5,000 teachers failed to report for duty when schools opened for the new term two weeks ago.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

“My mother said I could help the family more if I left school to be a sex worker”

Source: IRIN

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Janet Camara (not her real name) told IRIN her mother urged her to leave school and become a sex worker in early 2008 when it became clear that food and fuel prices meant her mother could not support the family on her own. Janet agreed to do it, becoming one of an estimated 250,000 sex workers in Guinea, according to a local non-governmental organisation.

“My father left a few years ago and my mother supported us by selling odds and ends in the market. I have three brothers and three sisters, and until the end of last year we were all in school. But as food prices rose my mother had more and more difficulty buying enough food for us to eat.”

“I was in my final year– my exams would have been this year - and one day my mother said I could help the family more if I left school to be a sex worker. I didn’t want to leave my friends behind but I thought I might earn enough to buy myself some nice clothes or a phone, and bring money home to my family, so I agreed to do it.”

“I bring home rice, bread and plantains – I help my mother a lot - but I can’t buy anything more because life has changed here - prices are rising so high my earnings only cover the basics.”

“Now I regret leaving school because I miss my friends, and I didn’t know this would be so hard. I suffer a lot. I take an HIV test every six months – organisations come around and offer them to us. I try to always insist clients use a condom but sometimes it means I have to charge them lower prices, and I end up losing clients that way.”

“We get a lot of military men here, but they often round us up in their trucks and take us out to the fields to rape us – and they end up paying nothing at all.”

“On a good day I’ll make US$33 but there are many days when I don’t make anything. The amount that a client will pay varies between US$3.30 and US$20, but that’s unusual. During religious festivals I may make nothing at all for weeks - Ramadan is the worst time.”

“Since I’ve been on the streets over the last year I’ve seen more and more young girls doing this work. I imagine most of them are leaving school like me, but I’ve also heard of some students continuing their studies during the day. I’ve also seen young boys working on the streets – they are more hidden but they exist.”

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

THE LIVELIHOODS OF COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN BINGA

Source:Eldis
Authors: M. O'Donnell; M. Khozombah; S. Mudenda
Publisher: Save the Children Fund, 2002

Article: THE LIVELIHOODS OF COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN BINGA

*The following is a direct quote of the summary provided by Eldis:

This report, from Save the Children (SC), explores the links between commercial sex work and food security in a fishing community in northern Zimbabwe. The authors found that one of the coping strategies for women during periods when they had little or no income or food would be to engage in commercial sex work (CSW). The authors argue that sex work needs be viewed form a livelihoods perspective if the underlying factors of sex work are to be addressed. Existing SC programming focuses more on the provision of information, education and condoms in order to reduce the risk of HIV transmission through commercial sex, rather than on livelihoods-related aspects.

The authors suggest two basic ways in which livelihoods programming could influence CSW. In order to prevent women from entering CSW, large-scale interventions such as SC food aid programmes could potentially have a role in supporting livelihoods and therefore help to reduce the need for women to engage in sex work. For those already engaged in CSW, but seeking a way out, income-generating projects should be considered. The authors also argue that promoting ‘safe sex’ to those engaged in CSW does not work because women are not in a position to negotiate condom use and, indeed, can make more money by not using condoms. The authors suggest that SC review its delivery channels for condom delivery and use and take these livelihood factors into consideration.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Women...Turning to Sex Work to Escape Poverty

Under wraps, prostitution rife in Afghanistan
More women in north appear to be turning to sex work to escape poverty
Source(s):MSNBC/Reuters

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan - When 19-year-old Fatima returned to her home in northern Afghanistan after years as a refugee in Iran, she struggled desperately to earn a living.

She briefly found work with an NGO, before being let go, and then spent two months learning how to weave carpets, before the factory shut down and she was again out on the streets of Mazar-i-Sharif.

Determined to support her mother, two sisters and young brother, she turned to a profession that has long been practiced the world over but remains deeply suppressed in conservative Afghanistan -- prostitution.

"I had no other way but prostitution," says the pretty teenager, dressed in tight blue jeans with a black veil pulled loosely over her head.

"I get up early in the morning and wander around the city," she said, at first reluctant to discuss her work. "My customers stop me and give me a lift and then we talk about the price," she explains, her face coated in make-up.

Sometimes charging $50 a time, her work is illegal and would bring shame on her family if discovered, but it provides a lifeline she otherwise could not have imagined.

And there is anecdotal evidence, supported by doctors concerned about the potential for the spread of HIV and AIDS, that more and more young women across northern regions of Afghanistan are turning to sex work to escape grinding poverty.

"Because of poverty, women are doing this," she said. "It is all because of poverty."

Please take a moment to read the rest of this article: Click here!

TEXT: Poverty And The Social Context Of Sex Workers In Addis Ababa (Book Review)

Source:Forum For Social Studies (FSS)
Author: Bethlehem Tekola

*The following is the Book Review provided by FSS:

Unlike the situation a few decades ago, commercial sex in Addis Ababa has increasingly become an occupation of women born and brought up in the city, a study reveals. The new study, “Poverty and the Social Context of Sex Work in Addis Ababa’, by Bethelehem Tekola*, indicates that more than 50% of the women who are engaged in the commercial sex are born and grew up in the city.

The expansion of urban poverty over the last three decades and the further socio-economic complications are the main reasons that the majority of the sex workers are indigenous to the city, says the author in her monograph published by the Forum for Social Studies (FSS). The study conducted in the city’s major sex trade centers of Mercato, Piazza, Arat Kilo, Kasanchis, Cherkos, Meshualekia and Kolfe involved a sample of 100 sex workers. It has revealed that the majority, 73%, of the women started commercial sex as teenagers. Even though the women cited various push factors that contributed to engage to commercial sex, the major factor that forced 63% of them was escaping economic hardship.

The study criticises the very common castigation attached to sex workers as being social misfits who pose dangers to society. The study proposes a humane approach towards them and their dependents. This should begin by making a clear distinction between the institution of commercial sex and women who practice it, the author suggests. Almost all of the participants covered in the study maintain social ties and carry obligations as heads of families or bread winners and other tasks that society values.

The study has identified seven distinct types of sex work practiced in the city based on venues and conditions of work; Street or Asphalt, Small drinking houses, Bar, Hotel/Club, Yetewosene Akafay - those who work on the bed owned by others who work for fixed payment to the owner, Ikul Akafay- Equal Share, those who give 50% - and on the Bed- Be-alga. Women in all the various forms of sex work are exposed to greater exploitation by those who have direct or indirect control over residential or venue space, the study reveals.

According to the researcher this implies that strategies for dealing with sex trade should focus more on curbing the many problems associated with it. Though the degree as well as the forms of vulnerability of the sex workers to HIV depends, among other things on the type of sex work that the women involve in, the author argues that they become more vulnerable in their non-paying relation with the men which they call ‘lovers’, ‘husbands’, or, ‘friends’ than their paying or commercial customers. The women reported that they are engaged in unrestricted and almost unprotected sexual relationships with these partners.

The study suggests that affirmative action should focus more on poor women who suffer from severe economic and social marginalization rather than on understanding its general sense of expanding opportunities for women in general.

Click here to read this review!

TEXT: Poverty And The Social Context Of Sex Workers In Addis Ababa

Source:Forum For Social Studies (FSS)
Author: Bethlehem Tekola

*The following is the Abstract provided by FSS:

Abstract
This book explores the social context of sex work in the city of Addis Ababa. It focuses on the social ties between sex workers and a variety of other categories of people, from their family members to their relatives, from their roommates to their neighbors, from their coworkers to their clients. It explores which of these social ties are affirmed and reinforced, which come under strain and which are cultivated and built by the women as a result of their engagement in sex work. It argues that these things depend on the women’s background, on the conditions under which they turn to sex work, on the specific types and conditions of sex work that they do and on the places and conditions of their residence. The main thesis of the work is that sex workers share the same social milieu and value system with non-sex workers and that, despite severe constraints put on them by poverty and very difficult working conditions, they struggle on a daily basis to have social life and social relevance. The work critiques the very common castigation of sex workers as social misfits who pose dangers to society and proposes a humane approach towards them and their dependents, an approach that should begin by making a clear distinction between the institution of commercial sex and the women who practice it.

The work employs both qualitative and quantitative methodology. It combines detailed one-to-one interviewing with focus group discussions and personal observation to bring out the perspectives of the women themselves. The quantitative data is composed of responses to a structured questionnaire by 100 sex workers.

The book begins with a critical review of existing literature on commercial sex work. The review establishes that in the West, in Africa, as well as in Ethiopia, sex workers have often been conflated with sex work itself; that they have been described either as sick and immoral people or as victims of male domination and abuse; and that they are described as such in categorical terms, without any attempt at internally differentiating among them.

The book then suggests a scheme for a classification of the sex workers of Addis Ababa. The scheme is based on those variables that determine the terms and conditions of social interaction between the women and wider society. They include the women’s backgrounds, the circumstances of their entry into sex work, the terms and conditions of work, the terms and conditions of residence and the degree and forms of dependent relationships in which they are involved. The analysis of sex work in Addis Ababa on the basis of these variables suggests significant shifts in the social background of the women who engage in it as well as in the organization of the work. The fourth chapter of the book employs this scheme and works out a classification of the sex worker population in the city. Seven distinct types of sex work are identified. The organization of work and residence in each of the types is discussed, followed by descriptions of the general profile of the women who operate in each type. Finally, the implication of this classification for the social behavior of the women is discussed.

Click here to read more about this text!

SEX-WORKERS AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF SEX WORK IN ADDIS ABABA

NEGOTIATING SOCIAL SPACE: SEX-WORKERS AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF SEX WORK IN ADDIS ABABA
Source: Bethlehem Tekola
Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Addis Ababa University

ABSTRACT This paper explores the social life of sex workers in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. It focuses on the social ties between sex workers and a variety of other people, such as their family members, relatives, roommates, neighbors, coworkers, and clients. It explores these social ties in terms of the way they are (1) affirmed and reinforced, (2) strained and broken, and (3) initiated and cultivated by the women as a result of their engagement in sex work. The main thesis of the work is that sex workers share the same social milieu and value system with non-sex workers and that, despite severe constraints put on them by poverty and very difficult working conditions, they struggle on a daily basis to have a social life and social relevance. The work critiques the very common castigation of sex workers as social misfits who pose dangers to society and proposes a humane approach towards them and their dependents, an approach that should begin by making a clear distinction between the institu-
tion of commercial sex and the women who practice it.

Click here to read this article!

AFGHANISTAN: Children work in brick factories to pay off family debts

Source: IRIN
Photo: Gulam Rasol Hasas/IRIN
ARTICLE: AFGHANISTAN: Children work in brick factories to pay off family debts

*The following is an excerpt from the aformentioned article:

More than 2,200 children are working for long hours in dozens of brick-making factories in Nangarhar Province, in eastern Afghanistan, to pay-off their families’ debts, a survey of Child Action Protection Network (CAPN) has found. Up to 90 percent of 2,298 children – boys and girls – who work in 38 brick-making factories in Sorkhrod District of Nangarhar Province do not go to school and are deprived from other means of education, said the survey which was conducted by a local non-government organisation (NGO), Wadan Afghanistan. IRIN’s Ghulam Rasool Hasas has prepared this report which starts some child workers voices…

Click here to listen to the audio reports from these children!

AFRICA: Soaring food and fuel prices may hurt growth

Source:IRINews
Photo: Tesfalem Waldyes/IRIN
Article: AFRICA: Soaring food and fuel prices may hurt growth

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

~"I cannot afford to buy wheat from the market," Tayech, a single mother of five, told IRIN. "It is too expensive."

~Ethiopian officials say the grain-subsidy programme was a response to the hardships faced by low-income urban dwellers because of escalating inflation rates - which they blame on the rising costs of oil and other commodities, including grain.

~Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: "While our current economic development is encouraging, worsening inflation has created a difficult situation for the low-income urban dwellers."

~The number of food-insecure people, it noted, could rise worldwide by more than 16 million for every percentage increase in the real prices of staple foods, meaning 1.2billion people could be chronically hungry by 2050. That is 600 million more than previously predicted.

~Market-related factors and decreased production would render an estimated eight million Ethiopians food-insecure this year, while 2.4 million acutely food-insecure people would require food and cash assistance.

~Of these, 825,000 Ethiopian urban dwellers, including Tayech, already rely on wheat supplied through the government's distribution centres.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Event: Cookies For Consciousness

BAKING FOR CHANGE:

Amber
"The Red Velvet Revolutionary"

VS.

Nasir
"The Best Cookie Maker on both sides of the Atlantic"

The aim of this event is to raise awareness and funds for ALIF's work with orphans and vulnerable children, as well commercial sex workers.

The details:
- RSVP is a must - seating is limited!!!!
Email your Name, # of guests, phone # to: hampton29@gmail.com to reserve your spot

- The cost is $5 (minimum - this is a fundraiser remember!)

- We invite you to name our competing cookie (Send suggestions for Nasir or myself to hampton29@gmail.com)

- Desserts, Teas, Coffee, Water will be served

- The prize for the best cookie - ...bragging rights! The REAL prize- Raising money and taking ACTION to make positive change in the lives of orphans and vulnerable children!

- As an attendee, YOU will get to taste test and vote for the winning cookie!

-If you can not make the event and would like to contribute click the following link: EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN!

Presentation at the Ethiopian Cultural Night

On Thursday, April 10th the ESA of CCNY hosted an Ethiopian Culture Night that highlighted the beauty of Ethiopia both past and present, which included traditional dances, a fashion show, guest performers, and traditional Ethiopian dishes. Additionally, I was honored to present on the progress of the Hiwot (Life) Campaign--an initiative to provide orphans and vulnerable children with the opportunity to actualize their right to education. Last year I spoke at the ESA's Ethiopian Culture Night after the recent launching of the Hiwot Campaign, thus I was pleased to announce that the campaign was successful in meeting our stated objective:

(1) Send 50 orphans and vulnerable children to school in Ethiopia:
Currently, 58 orphans and vulnerable children are enrolled in school through the Hiwot (Life) Campaign!

On behalf of ALIF and the women and children we serve, thank you!

Nasir Al-Amin

To learn more about ALIF visit: www.ALIF.us

Event: AMAL for ALIF

L'Altruist Noir Presents: AMAL

The Event: Amal for ALIF
On Friday, April 4th, L'Altruist Noir hosted an evening of chic altruism: AMAL. Amal, meaning 'hope', was held at France Origine (FR.OG). ALIF aids orphans and children of sex workers in Ethiopia by providing them with the opportunity access education. At present, ALIF provides approximately 58 orphans and children of sex workers with the following services:
~educational assistance and sponsorship,
~uniforms & school supplies,
~rent stipends for homeless orphans and mothers with children,

A special thank you to L' Altruist Noir and the following host:
Michael S. Hailu - Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Aja Byrd - MTV Networks
Felipe Tewes - FocusFeatures
Kai Livramento - The Fortune Society
Melanie Kannokada - PulseTV
David Bruhowski - Roque & Dalton Group
Kwame Owusu-Kesse - Triumph
Juan Fortuno - JI Group
Henock Wolde-Semait, MD - Mt. Sinai Medical Community

To learn more about L'Altruist Noir visit: http://laltruist.blogspot.com/

I thank all of the hosts as well as L'Altruist Noir for taking the initiative to put this event together in order to affect change in the lives of the women and children we serve!

Thank you,
Nasir Al-Amin

ESAi 8th Annual Summit

Photo: ESAi
Ethiopian Students Association International (ESAi) 8th Annual Summit

On Saturday, March 29th, I was honored to facilitate workshops on ALIF's work with orphans and children of sex workers in Ethiopia at the 2008 ESAi summit hosted by the ESA of George Mason University and ESAi. The theme of the three-day summit was "Looking Back-Leaping Foward." Additionally, the ESAi is the sponsor of one of ALIF beautiful children sponsored in Ethiopia. On behalf of our sponsored children and ALIF, I thank ESAi for their continued support!

In solidarity,
Nasir Al-Amin

(Columbia University) Presentation: Hearing their Voice

I would like to thank Prof. Marion Riedel of Columbia University and the AGPP Student Caucus of Columbia's School of Social Work for the invitation to present on my work with orphans and commercial sex workers in Ethiopia through ALIF.  One of my aims behind establishing ALIF was to create a medium and/or platform that would amplify the voice of the poor and underserved.  In order to amplify their voice, it first has to be heard and noted, and the accumulation of their voice is identified as a Needs Assessment. While studying at Columbia, one of the courses I took while pursing my Masters was Program Development and Evaluation, with Prof. Riedel.  One of the many skills that Prof. Riedel emphasized was beginning an initiative with a Needs Assessment, essentially their voice.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to walk alongside the poor and in some cases, I've been able to serve them as well--and at the core of that service is hearing their voice--performing a Needs Assessment. 

Again, I'm deeply in debt to Prof. Riedel, Prof. Robertson and other faculty members at Columbia for accentuating the value of their voice.

Thank you,

Nasir Al-Amin

Post Event: Thank You

Serving Humanity: “The best of mankind are those most beneficial to mankind.”

I would first like to convey a sincere appreciation to all of you for attending the fundraising and awareness-raising event hosted by Rodney and Lava Gina on behalf of ALIF. Your attendance and contribution are vital to ALIF’s aim to amplify the voice of orphans and vulnerable children, as well as the clarion call of sex workers for a better life.

In an effort to amplify their voice, the following are short videos that illustrate the plight of orphans and commercial sex workers in Ethiopia:

Title: A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video Part 1}  

Title: A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video Part 2}

Title: One Woman’s Story

Title: “I don’t want this life for her”

Title: Sex Work for HIV/AIDS Treatment {Video Part 1} (English Subtitles)

Again, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Rodney and Lava Gina for hosting this fundraising and awareness-raising event.

One Life at a Time,
Nasir

*If you would like to contribute to the education of orphans and vulnerable children visit the following link: 

Donate!

EVENT: For The Love of Ethiopia

A life is not important except in the impact it has on the lives of others" (Jackie Robinson)

Event: For the Love of Ethiopia
Host: Amir Rodney Smith
Location: Lava Gina
116 Avenue C, between 7th and 8th St.
Time:7:00PM-10:00PM
Donation: $10

Discription: Ethiopia is a country of distinguished history and presence. We come together in this particular time to remember the historic victory at the Battle of Adwa (March 2, 1896) and to commemorate that victory by supporting Ethiopia's children!

Each of us can change the lives of others today. Guided by a vision and by true faith in the power of one, Nasir Al-Amin established ALIF as a means to support the Ethiopian community one child at a time. ALIF provides scholarships and school supplies for orphaned and vulnerable children within Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Through ALIF, his efforts have created a platform for us to support the change that we want and need to see in humanity.

At the core of this event is the belief that people have the power to change humanity. Therefore, our aim is to remind people of their own power to affect change and assist them with moving beyond issue awareness to actualize social change. We will show video interviews and photo journals of commercial sex workers and orphans, as well as facilitate a brief talk on ALIF’s work with this population in Ethiopia. Join us in our aim to network for social change!

Funds will go to support school fees, uniforms and supplies. Student updates will be provided for those who contribute and who sign our guest list at the event so that each of you can see the benefit of your contribution and become family to a child in need.

*For those who cannot attend but would like to purchase a uniform, school supplies or both, you can make a secure Paypal contribution online by clicking on this link:
BACKPACKS & UNIFORMS

To learn more about ALIF visit:
www.ALIF.us

Contact Information:
Rodney Amir Smith
Phone: 212.477.9319
Email: rodney.l.smith@gmail.com

Thank you for supporting change, action, and unity.

EGYPT: Girls forced to sleep rough in Cairo (video)

Source:IRIN/Youtube

Article: EGYPT: Girls forced to sleep rough in Cairo (video)

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:
There are an estimated half a million street children in Egypt. Many of them are in precarious situation and face violence on the streets. This video short looks at the lives of 10-year-old Sayyida, who’s been living rough in Cairo for at least two years, and single mother Fatma. While they can go to a drop-in centre to get food in the daytime, they face an array of hazards at night in an increasingly hostile environment on the streets.

This video short highlights the dangers faced by people living on Cairo’s streets in a country of some 80 million people bursting at the seams.

Click here to read the full article.

Child labour in Yemen

Source: IRIN FILMS/ Youtube

Yemen's Al Mehwar slum

Source: IRINFILMS/Youtube

Sudanese struggle in the streets of Cairo

Source: Sudanese struggle in the streets of Cairo

Uncomfortable Truths...

By: Nasir Al-Amin

At 8 pm a woman in Ethiopia will prepare her daughter for bed, as she prepares herself for work. Although she works more than a 7 hour shift, on average 10 hours a night, she will only earn around $2.50-$3.50 a night. Beyond preparing herself outwardly, she prepares herself mentally for what the night might bring: physical and sexual assault (slapped, punched, and forced to perform sexual acts), mental abuse, theft, ridicule (from authorities and street gangs) as well as the pain and fear of leaving her daughter alone at home.

Everyday in Ethiopia, thousands of young girls and women (some as young as 15) are in the throes of commercial sex work. Poverty has exploited their orphanhood and/or destitute state. This is an uncomfortable truth, but it is their truth, and thus our truth!

"I believed the lies of a trafficker"

Source: BBC, Addis Ababa

By: Mohammed Adow

Article: Ethiopian tells of migrant ordeal

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article: 

An Ethiopian woman has gone public with her harrowing story about being trafficked to work in Bahrain, hoping this will serve as a warning to others. "I believed the lies of a trafficker and a family friend whom I thought I could trust," says Alem Teklu, 29.

"I ended up being abused, exploited, and held against my will. "My employer refused to pay my salary of more than six months and wanted me to forcefully marry her brother." Ethiopia has for a long time been a source of men, women, and children trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation. Every year thousands of young Ethiopians are trafficked for involuntary domestic labour to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. "Sexual harassment by male members of the family I worked for were a commonplace.  They can endure severe hardship and even death on their arduous journeys to the Middle East. Many believe that trafficking is being fuelled by the abject poverty facing many Ethiopians.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Another Ethiopian maid is found hanged

Source: Gulf Daily News

Bahrain - AN Ethiopian maid hanged herself at her Bahraini sponsor's house in Barbar at around 1pm yesterday.  The victim, who was in her 20s, was found hanging from a shower curtain rail by her sponsor, Chief Public Prosecutor Ahmed Bucheeri said yesterday. "The sponsor suspected that something was wrong with the housemaid so he broke into the bathroom to find her hanging from the rail," said Mr Bucheeri.

"She had hung herself using her scarf."

Mr Bucheeri went down to the scene and examined the body, along with a medical examiner, who found no signs of foul play.  The sponsor tried to save her by cutting down the scarf but it was too late, said Mr Bucheeri.  "Apparently the housemaid suffered from emotional problems and wanted to go back to her country, but her family insisted she stay in Bahrain," he said.  The sponsor said they had tried to get her medical help before.  "We took her to see a psychiatrist several times to help her get through her problems, but it was no use," he said.  Investigations are continuing.

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopian maid jumped from the second floor of a flat

Source: Gulf Daily News
By: Begena George 

An Ethiopian woman is recovering in a hospital after she jumped from the second floor of a building in an attempt to escape alleged physical abuse by a manpower agency. Serawit Gebre Medhen, 29, is being treated for head and leg injuries at the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC). She has worked in Bahrain for over a year as a housemaid, but had asked the Maliki Manpower Agency in Isa Town to be sent back to her country, saying that dust and heavy work were bad for her health.

"I first worked with an Iraqi family but they did not treat me well, so I told my agency, which sent me to work with a Bahraini family," said Ms Medhen.

"They were very good to me and treated me well - gave me the same good food that they ate. "But the house had too many dusty carpets and I am allergic to it so I requested to be sent back to my country as my health had failed me and I knew I wouldn't be any good to them. "My 'madam' took me to the agency and the manager got very angry with me when he heard my request and slapped me right across my face.

"This came as a shock to me but my madam too did not protest, maybe because she was scared. "When I tried to explain myself, he ordered me to shut my mouth and if I didn't he would burn my face with a lit cigarette that he was holding." She also claims that a female staff member at the agency hit her many times, once with a hardbound book on her head. "My madam went home and I was asked to stay the night at the office at Jid Ali, where I was locked in.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopian maid in UAE commits suicide

Source: Gulf News
By: Nasouh Nazzal

(Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates) - An Ethiopian maid committed suicide on Tuesday in Al Rams area leaving a note addressed to her mother asking for her prayers. The 26-year-old Ethiopian maid identified as A.S. hanged herself to death with a rope fixed to the ceiling of a toilet at the house of her Emirati sponsor. Police have started an investigation into the case. Captain Ahmad Abdullah, Acting Head of Al Rams Police Station said they received a report from the sponsor who was shocked to find her maid hanging.

Police found a letter written by the maid herself. She did not mention a reason for committing suicide.

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

ALIF-One Woman's Story

This is one woman's account of the poverty-induced decision to engaged in commercial sex work.

Together we can create viable alternatives to commercial sex work!

Join ALIF in this mission:
www.ALIF.us

Ethiopia is a Source Country for Human Trafficking and Sex Exploitation

Source: Department of State

Report: State Department Trafficking in Persons Report June 2006

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article: 

Ethiopia is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Children and adults are trafficked within the country for domestic servitude and, to a lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation and labor, such as street vending. Small numbers of men are trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States for low-skilled forced labor. Ethiopian women are trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, for domestic servitude; other destinations include Egypt, South Africa, Sudan, and Djibouti. Small percentages of these women are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Transit countries for trafficked Ethiopians reportedly include Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. The Government of Ethiopia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. While Ethiopia's ongoing efforts to educate migrating workers about the dangers of trafficking and detect cases of child trafficking within the country are notable, its small number of prosecutions compared to the large number of investigations is a continued cause for concern. To further its anti-trafficking efforts, the government should improve the investigative capacity of police and enhance judicial understanding of trafficking to enable a greater number of successful prosecutions, and launch a broad anti-trafficking public awareness and education campaign.

Prosecution
The Ethiopian Government's law enforcement response to trafficking improved in 2005. In May, the government enacted a new penal code with improved anti-trafficking language that criminalizes most forms of human trafficking. Working with a local NGO, police monitored five key towns for possible trafficking. At security checkpoints throughout the country, the Immigration Authority verified the legality of migrants' travel documents. Border guards on the Bossasso route reported mass movements toward Somalia; the guards stopped travelers without proper documentation and issued warnings about the dangers of irregular migration. In 2005, 520 cases of child trafficking were reported, eight of which remained under investigation at year's end. Police referred 38 cases to the prosecutor's office: by the close of the reporting period, two resulted in conviction, 18 were pending prosecution, and 18 were closed for lack of evidence or because the defendant absconded. The low conviction rate for trafficking cases serves as a poor deterrent to traffickers, who can operate with relative impunity. In late 2005, police officers assigned to anti-child trafficking units in Addis Ababa were transferred from those duties to deal with recurring street disturbances. The Ministry of Labor (MOLSA), in cooperation with the Airport Immigration Authority, prevented an unspecified number of labor migrants without valid employment contracts from departing for the Middle East.

Protection
The government provided limited assistance to trafficking victims over the last year. The child protection unit in each Addis Ababa police station collected information on rescued trafficked children to facilitate their return to their families; it also referred 262 girls to an NGO for care pending transport home. The Ethiopian consulates in Beirut and Dubai dispensed limited legal advice to trafficking victims and provided temporary shelter for victims awaiting funds to pay off abusive employers for their freedom. In 2005, MOSLA investigated 52 complaints filed by returnees and families of aggrieved employees by verifying employment agencies' reporting through the Ethiopian missions abroad: 45 complaints were determined to be unfounded, four were amicably resolved, and legal proceedings for contract violations began against labor migration agencies in three cases. Government authorities made no effort to interview returned victims about their experiences in the Middle East.

Prevention
Ethiopia's efforts to prevent international trafficking increased, but measures to increase awareness of internal trafficking were lacking. During the past year, the government tightened its implementation of foreign employment regulations, resulting in a trafficking route shift; more Ethiopian victims are reportedly transiting neighboring countries rather than flying directly out of the main airport. The Immigration Authority continued to provide printed information on trafficking to those applying for passports and required applicants to view a video on the dangers of human trafficking. MOLSA supervised the work of legal labor migration agencies through surprise inspections and required biweekly reports. In 2005, the number of registered agencies rose from five to 17, facilitating the travel of 6,200 workers to six countries. MOSLA, in conjunction with Ethiopian consulates in the Middle East, approved foreign labor contracts for an additional 1,345 workers; many Ethiopians still continue to seek international employment through black market channels. The inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee convened regularly, but its activities were not disclosed. The counter-trafficking task force, chaired by the

Click here to read the full report!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Understanding Sex Work in Ethiopia{Part 1}

This brief clip is one of a 6 part series entitled, "Understanding Sex Work in Ethiopia," which is a part of a larger documentary ALIF is working on about the plight of orphans and commercial sex workers in Ethiopia.

For more information about the documentary contact Nasir at Nasir@ALIF.us.

The small hands of slavery: modern day child slavery

Source: Eldis
Authors: Save the Children UK
Publisher: Child Rights Information Network , 2007

Article: The small hands of slavery: modern day child slavery

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Across the world, millions of children are currently being subjected to slavery. This report provides an introduction to the circumstances and abuses of children in the eight most prevalent forms of child slavery:
~child trafficking
~child prostitution
~bonded labour
~mining work
~agricultural labour
~child soldiers
~forced child marriage
~domestic slavery

Photographs, case study examples and direct quotes illustrate the experiences of enslaved children.
The report presents recommendations for governments and international organisations on actions to combat child slavery through:
~interventions to rescue and protect enslaved children
~legislation to criminalize child slavery
~the reduction of the supply of children for slavery, through measures such as working with communities and families to ~address poverty, provide them with access to credit, and offer education

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Maid Abuse Under Scrutiny in Lebanon

Source: ABC News

By: Zeina Karam (Associated Press Writer)

Photo: AP Photo/Grace Kassab

"An Ethiopian maid hangs washed clothes as she stands on a balcony in Beirut, Lebanon Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007. Thousands of foreign domestic workers in Lebanon and the Arab world face abuse at the hands of their employers. Some of these workers-estimated at up to 150,000 in Lebanon-come from as far as Madagascar and Nepal, but the majority are from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Eritrea."

Click here to read this article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopian girl on death row in Bahrain

Source: BBC News

Article: Ethiopian girl on death row in Bahrain

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

The Ethiopian authorities are appealing to Bahrain to lift a death sentence against a 20-year-old Ethiopian maid accused of murdering her employer. Yeshiwork Zewdu is accused of killing her employer using a meat cleaver. 

The housemaid's case has heightened existing concern about the predicament of nearly 25,000 Ethiopian women working as maids throughout the Middle East.

"It's a total shock for us. For a young woman to reach such a position, there must be something wrong going on," said Haile Mikael. The minister said Yeshiwork's colleagues had spoken of how the girl had been subjected to physical and psychological torture for the past two years.

"She was badly treated for about two years. She was not paid a single coin," said Haile Mikael.


Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopia - Maid 'found hanging' in sponsor's villa

Source: Khaleej Times
By: Afkar Abdullah

SHARJAH — A 19-year-old Ethiopian maid was found hanging from a tree in the compound of her UAE national sponsor’s villa in Al Turrfa area here. R. A. the maid, had been working in the house of her sponsor, M.S, for nearly three months now.

Her residency visa is valid and she was working with the family legally, the police said. The police have questioned the members of the family in the suspected suicide case. The police have sent the body of the maid to the forensic laboratory for further investigations.

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Jailed Ethiopian woman found six mths pregnant

Source: Arab Times
By: Mezyed Al-Saeedi

Kuwait Crime News

Kuwait: A police officer assigned in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Police Station has discovered that an Ethiopian woman detained in the station is six months pregnant. She was referred to Ghloum Habib, the Security Department Head in the area, reports Alam Al-Yawm.

Security sources said the woman left her sponsor in Khaitan in search of a better job. She then met an Egyptian woman who immediately hired her as a domestic helper. However, her new sponsor's husband threatened to inform her former sponsor of her whereabouts if she did not agree to have sex with him. After having sex with her for several times, the man fired her. Later the securitymen from the Absconding Committee arrested her. She was referred to the Offenses Department in Dasma.

Police later summoned the man, who allegedly impregnated the Ethiopian woman, for questioning.

Eating well: a guide for children affected by AIDS

Source: Eldis
Authors: Children in Distress Network
Publisher: Children in Distress Network, 2004

Article: Eating well: a guide for children affected by AIDS

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

A healthy diet helps children affected by HIV and AIDS. This illustrated and accessible manual addresses several nutritional concerns that may affect children infected with AIDS. These include:

~the effects of eating badly
~what happens to your body when you get sick
~how can we eat well to live well
~advice on eating well when you are sick
~good foods to keep you healthy
~eating well for energy, gain weight and increased appetite
~foods that prevent infections, improve digestion and ease mouth problems

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Thank You!

ALIF and the children we serve are grateful to all of you that have supported our efforts with vulnerable women and children in Ethiopia.

Sincerely,

Nasir Al-Amin

Season’s Greetings

Season’s Greetings

Wishing you…
every happiness this Holiday Season. Your commitment has brought needed assistance and hope to orphaned children and sex workers. During this season of reflection and gratitude, on behalf of ALIF and the children and families we serve, I want to say:

Thank you!

Their smiles are a reflection of your compassion!

Nasir Al-Amin

ALIF: "I don't want this life for her" (Sex Work/Ethiopia)

(Presentation) Unity Program’s Future Leaders

ABRAHAM'S VISION & THE UNITY PROGRAM
I want to convey a sincere appreciation to Abraham’s Vision and the students of the Unity Program for affording me the opportunity on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 to speak on ALIF’s work with orphans and sex workers in Ethiopia. Globally, we as an international community face a global crisis in terms of our vulnerable children and other marginalized populations. With these crises in mind, it is always invigorating to speak with future leaders who will be the vanguards in redressing the plight of the poor and underserved.

Serving Humanity One Life at a Time,
Nasir Al-Amin

Interview: Tigist Salomon, sex worker in Ethiopia

Source: The Center for Public Integrity
By: Marina Walker Guevara

Article: Tigist Salomon, sex worker in Ethiopia

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

"During the day I am a member of the association and at night I am a commercial sex worker in the streets. I am not sure how old I am, but I think I am around 27," says Tigist Salomon as she introduces herself. Her carefully braided hair is pulled to the side revealing a pair of small earrings, her only adornment. Makeup is reserved for the night.

Where did you grow up?
I lived in an orphanage. With my friends, we escaped to try to find our parents. Along the way, I lost my friends and because of lack of other opportunities, I became a commercial sex worker.

Did you ever have a different job?
I tried a lot of different jobs, including shoe shiner. But I didn't succeed. Then I started commercial sex work.

How much money do you make?
If you stay with the man the entire night you can charge up to 50 birr [roughly $6.]. If it's for a short period of time, 20 birr. Sometimes men refuse to pay, they deceive me. I have a maximum of three clients per night.

What risks do you face in the street?
We face many problems. I was raped and became pregnant. My daughter is 9 years old.

I am very much afraid of HIV and I always go to VCT [voluntary counseling and testing]. I have to do it for my daughter; I have to live for her. Last time I got tested was six months ago.

Do men use condoms?
Men try to convince me that they don't need to use condoms. They say, 'I am confident of myself that I don't need to use condoms.' I always say no. If you go to a man's car he might use force to try to have sex without condom.

Who are your clients?
I don't know the profession of the clients, but they have cars. I believe they are gentlemen.

Is it safer to work at a hotel?
I would like to work at a hotel instead of in the street, but there are many commercial sex workers in the hotels. There's a lot of competition.

How did you get involved with ISAPSO?
The association looked for me in the streets and invited me to be a member. I have learned a lot of things about HIV. I like the collaboration with other women in my same situation. We work together, we defend each other. I like that very much. We are trying now to sell finished food — lunches, for example. If I get enough money here, why should I go to the streets? I don't like it there.

So you want to leave sex work?
I really want to leave sex work. She [my daughter] sees me when I put on my makeup and get ready to go out. I am worried about how that can affect her morals. One day she found a condom in my bag and asked me about it and why I was leaving the house with a condom.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

In pictures: Mozambican orphans with cameras

Source:BBC News
Photo:BBC News

"Children orphaned by Aids and aged between 11 and 18, living in Mozambique's capital, Maputo, were given cameras to document their lives."

Click here to view this photo journel!

In the best interests of the child: harmonising laws in Eastern and Southern Africa

Source: Eldis (www.eldis.org)

Article: In the best interests of the child: harmonising laws in Eastern and Southern Africa

The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Harmonising child rights laws in Eastern and Southern Africa
Authors: ; African Child Policy Forum; UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional
Publisher: African Child Policy Forum, 2007
Full text of document

This report reviews and analyses how far 19 Eastern and Southern African countries have gone in harmonising and implementing the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC, or 'the African Charter').

The report gives an overview of states' performance in all the general principles of the CRC and the African Charter. Issues addressed range from whether states have an overarching definition of a child to looking at provisions protecting children from violence and exploitation, and children's participation. It shows the progress that is underway, but also identifies the gaps that remain between aspiration and practice. This report identifies specific issues that need immediate attention and recommendations that need to be considered in order to address the gaps and challenges.

Findings from the report include:

* despite important steps, children's rights are still not prioritised in Eastern and Southern Africa. Large numbers of countries have become party to the CRC and the African Charter, but child-centred bills have been pending for significant periods in some signatory countries, including Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa

* there is a complex patchwork of existing legislation relating to child rights across Eastern and Southern Africa which poses a significant barrier to the effective harmonisation of laws and legal protection of children. However, nine out of the nineteen countries surveyed have undertaken comprehensive reviews of their legal systems

* there is a need for clarity on the definition of a child

* discrimination against groups of children still exists under the law, particularly on grounds of parentage, as well as sex, ethnicity and disability

* the majority of the countries surveyed do not have adequate registration systems, including registration of birth, and in Ethiopia there is no formal birth registration system at all. This has consequences for many children's rights, such as their legal identity and proof of lineage

* while there has been progress in developing appropriate measures for children, there are still significant gaps in dealing with children in the criminal justice system

* children's participation is generally low in the countries studied, and that there is a need for change in cultural and societal attitudes towards children, as well as legal and policy developments

In conclusion the CRC and the African Charter are bringing about a paradigm shift in understanding and attitudes towards child rights. The challenge is to translate the provisions in the charters into concrete improvements in children's day-to-day lives. Specific issues that need immediate attention by the countries in this review include:

* harmonising the definition of a child

* ensuring that the guiding principle in child-related laws and policies is 'the best interests of the child'

* implementing appropriate justice systems for children, including raising the age of criminal responsibility and using child-focused procedures and systems for children in conflict with the law, and child victims and witnesses

* guaranteeing legal protection for children against violence, abuse and exploitation, including sanctions for corporal punishment in any setting

* providing free, compulsory and high quality primary education for all

The countries covered by the report are Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Click here to be redirected to the Eldis site as well as this full text document!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

2015 Education Goals: Progress Not Fast Enough

Source: AllAfrica.org

Article: Africa: Halfway to 2015 Education Goals, Progress Not Fast Enough

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

~Critics say donors at a recent high-level meeting failed to make firm funding commitments for improving education, particularly in impoverished, fragile and war-torn countries, making it highly unlikely the world will meet ambitious education goals by the 2015 deadline.

~While developing countries agreed to allocate 10 percent of budgets to education, donor countries could not agree to include a specific percentage of budgets for education aid, instead pledging "to work to maintain and increase levels of funding to education" and to prioritise low-income, fragile and emergency and conflict-affected states.

Progress

~Still, both recently-released reports note significant progress in education since 2000, including a 36-percent jump in primary school enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa and a five percent annual increase in domestic spending on education in Africa and South Asia.

~Fourteen countries abolished primary school fees between 2000 and 2006

~However, 774 million adults cannot read or write, 18 million more teachers are needed, and early childhood - the first of the EFA goals - has been completely neglected. Quality of education still suffers.

~"The question is not 'is there progress?' but 'what is the pace of progress?'" said the Global Monitoring Report's Burnett

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

New Light on Sex Trade

Source:PlusNews
Photo:Eva-Lotta Jansson

Article:SWAZILAND: Risky business: report sheds new light on sex trade

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Selling sex for extra income
An increasing number of factory workers were also resorting to sex work, or "night duty", to make ends meet because they were underpaid,

"These are industrial workers; these are working women, they are not prostitutes. If they are forced into prostitution it is because they are not paid enough to support their families. The price they pay is HIV infection

The rising number of women resorting to sex work has been attributed to worsening economic and humanitarian conditions in the country.

Instances of violence against women engaged in commercial sex were also documented. "Some were taken to bushes and threatened with death by customers who refused to pay, whilst others were injured on duty," said Thwala-Tembe.

The survey distinguished between working women who engaged in sex for cash - usually in parked cars or at the homes of clients whose spouses were absent - and women who had multiple sex partners as part of economic arrangements. Such women would be homeless if they could not spend the night with one partner, and hungry if they were not given meals by a second sex partner.

Their highest-paying clients were members of parliament, religious officials, lecturers at the University of Swaziland campus adjacent to the Matsapha industrial estate, police officers, businesspeople and well-heeled tourists.

A session with a sex worker costs a typical client R50 (US$7), but can escalate to R1,000 ($146) for some pastors. Member of parliament and other wealthy clients reportedly paid nearly R3,000 (US$439) per session.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

2008 Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE)

by: Nasir Al-Amin

I want to share with you all a great opportunity to make a commitment to serve humanity by volunteering for the 2008 Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE)!

Brief Information:
On January 28th, 2008, the Department of Homeless Services will conduct the sixth annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE 2008). Teams of volunteers will canvass streets, parks, and subways to count the number of people living unsheltered in NYC. This important information will be used to help homeless people leave the streets for a better life.

Click here for Volunteer Information!

Click here to register!

Please share this great opportunity with your friends, family, and community groups! Through our collective efforts we can contribute to the creation of better services for the homeless!

Does money matter? The effects of cash transfers on child health and development

Source: Eldis (www.eldis.org)

Article:Does money matter? The effects of cash transfers on child health and development in rural Ecuador

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Relatively modest cash transfers to poor women leads to substantial improvements in child health
Authors: C. Paxson; N. Schady
Publisher: World Bank, 2007
Full text of document

This World Bank paper examines how a government-run cash transfer programme targeted to poor mothers in rural Ecuador influenced the health and development of their children. Unlike other transfer programmes that have been implemented in Latin America, the receipt of the cash transfers was not conditioned on specific parental actions. The programme therefore makes it possible to assess whether conditionality is necessary for programmes to have beneficial effects on children.

The paper finds that the cash transfer programme had a positive effect on the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of children, and the treatment effects were substantially larger for the poorer children than for less poor children. The programme also appeared to improve children’s nutrition and increased that chance that they were treated for helminth infections (infections caused by parasitic worms). However, children were not more likely to visit health clinics for growth monitoring, and the mental health and parenting of their mothers did not improve. The paper concludes that unconditional transfers will improve the welfare of poor families regardless of how the money is spent and may also improve child health and development.

Click here to be redirected to the Eldis site as well as this full text document!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Child labour organisations in Eastern Africa: still in the making

Source: Eldis (www.eldis.org)

Article: Child labour organisations in Eastern Africa: still in the making

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

An examination of child labour organiations in Ethiopia and Rwanda
Authors: G. Nimbona; K. Lieten
Publisher: Foundation for International Research on Working Children , 2007
Full text of document

Do child labour organisations make sense as a best practice? This report is one in a series of studies based on the fieldwork carried out for a project on Child Labour Unions in 3 continents (Africa, Asia and Latin America), conducted by the Amsterdam Foundation for International Research on Working Children (IREWOC).

The research for this paper focuses primarily on organisations that are run by working children and youths themselves, in an attempt to assess their presumed positive effects on the development of these children. It touches upon the challenges that new associations, such as the African Movement of Working Children and Youth (AMWCY) in Ethiopia and Rwanda, are facing. Views were collected through participatory consultation with children themselves.

The authors’ findings include that the degree of organisation of working children in Ethiopia and Rwanda is still low. In Ethiopia, the multi-purpose community development project has not yet established base groups according to the AMWCY philosophy and methods. In Rwanda, such groups exist but are stagnated by a lack of activity and monitoring. The AMWCY partners select from the methods only those attributes that they find easy to put into practice; the right for light and limited work is, for example, not defended for children under 14. There is no attempt at “alternative education” and children are prepared for primary education and formal education only.

Click here to be redirected to the Eldis site as well as this full text document!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Impact of cash transfer programmes on child nutritional status and some implications

Source: Eldis (www.eldis.org)

Article: A review of the impact of cash transfer programmes on child nutritional status and some implications for Save the Children UK programmes

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Regular and large cash transfers help improve children’s nutrition in Latin America and Africa
Authors: D. Sridharm; A. Duffield
Publisher: Save the Children Fund , 2006
Full text of document

This paper, produced by Save the Children reviews eight cash transfer programmes in Latin America and Africa, and discusses the effectiveness of each in improving the nutritional status of children. It finds that cash transfers to targeted households have the potential to improve children’s diet and nutritional status. The positive impacts exceed those reported from other typical community-based nutrition programmes.

The cash transfer programme in Mexico called PROGRESA was found to be particularly successful. There are several factors contributing towards this success including: a large cash transfer constituting approximately one-third of households income; regular transfers made to women; transparent and objective targeting; and the provision of free healthcare. Cash transfer programmes are less successful if they make up a smaller proportion of household income and beneficiaries are paid less regularly.

The paper concludes that there should be no rules about how cash transfer programmes are designed since everything depends on the context. It sets out several questions that might be useful for programme staff and policy makers to consider when they design such a scheme. These relate to the size of the transfer scheme required and the costs of adequate diet and healthcare, the proportion of households needing the transfer, and ways of making targeting systems transparent and accurate.

Click here to be redirected to the Eldis site as well as this full text document!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Parenting an HIV Positive Child

Source: AllAfrica.org & The Monitor
by: Jackline A. Olanya

Article:Uganda: Parenting an HIV Positive Child

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

~For starters, parents and guardians of HIV positive children should gather as much information as possible about HIV/Aids.

~Ensure that you keep abreast on any new information and research as it unfolds

~The key lies in early revelation. Start talking to children early.

~If you are to protect your child's delicate emotions, learn to ask about them.

~Ask your child what he/she wants to become when they grow up. That will give a sense of future and be motivational. Also, build on their skills and talents.

~There is also need to show your love and affection. Studies have proven that infants can die and children fail to thrive when deprived of physical touch.

~Also, ensure balanced diets and any infection or disease needs prompt treatment.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Understanding and challenging HIV stigma: Toolkit for action (2007)

Source: Eldis (www.eldis.org)

Article: Understanding and challenging HIV stigma: Toolkit for action (2007)

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Countering the stigma suffered by HIV positive children
Authors: S. Clay; C. Chiiya; M. Chonta; International HIV / AIDS Alliance
Publisher: Pact Tanzania, 2007
Full text of document

What is the impact of stigma on children? This toolkit aims to help explore and understand the different ways in which children are stigmatised, and to look at strategies to change attitudes and experiences. It provides guidance to help trainers plan educational sessions with community leaders, or to organise groups to raise awareness and promote practical action to challenge HIV stigma and discrimination.

Exercises for children and for adults are provided. These are based on a study in Zambia that found that:

* children may be blamed for their parents’ death; for being a burden; or in some countries orphans are seen as ‘unlucky children’ as if they ‘killed their parents’

* children may be excluded from school, families and communities because of fear of infection if there is HIV in their family

* orphans are often treated differently from other children in families, such as being given extra work, and are often accused of carrying on their parents’ ‘bad behaviour’

* street children are seen as ‘dirty’ and ‘out of control’.

Click here to be directed to Eldis site and the full text document/toolkit!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Bar girls and sex work in Nazareth (Ethiopia)

Document: Negotiating boundaries:Bar girls and sex work in Nazareth (Ethiopia)

“My client took me to one hotel room and while we had sex he asked me to do a movement I couldn’t do. So hehit me. He was so mad at me that he tried to strangle me. Then he took all of my clothes and my underwear andthrew me out of the room. Then he tried to drag me back again and I screamed. The boys I knew came out oftheir rooms and saw me naked. I was very ashamed because they were from my village and now they knowwhat I really do”. (Rahel, aged 17)

Click here to read the full document!

Genet's story: A life on the streets

Source: BBC News
Photo: David Levene/EveryChild

Article: Genet's story: A life on the streets

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

~ Violence and sexual abuse within the home are among the main reasons children run away to live on the streets, according to a report, the State of the World's Street Children, published by a coalition of charities.

~In Ethiopia, an estimated 150,000 children live on the streets.

~I was forced to go to bed with the male relative who we had been sent to live with and a woman in the household frequently beat us both.

~After being beaten and verbally abused, I decided to take my chances on the streets.

~I was pretty sure that the man was also sexually abusing my 11-year-old sister too.

~I find it very difficult to talk about my time on the streets of Addis. I survived there as best I could for over two months. I was often very hungry.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Presentation: My Journey to Compassion and Inner Peace

The possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake." (Yoganda)

I would like to convey a heartfelt appreciation to the MSA of Columbia University for inviting me to speak about my journey to inner peace through compassion/service to orphans and sex workers in Ethiopia. My journey began with the story of an impoverished 5 year-old girl yearning for some symbol of a better life and the stories of teenage girls selling their bodies as a means of survival. Their reality resonated in my soul and plated the first seeds of ALIF and subsequently, led me on a path of internal tranquility. I’m a firm believer that inner peace is found through service to others, and by service I mean showing compassion to others.

This universal principle is simple, yet profound: by showing compassion to ones brother and sister in humanity one will begin to experience inner peace.

I’ll close in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Again, I thank the MSA of Columbia for affording me the opportunity to present.

Nasir

*The following are ALIF videos shown during the presentation:
Title: A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video Part 1}
Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeXVTg1pp0w

Title: A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video Part 2}
Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w13JU1aPdwY

Overview: Mr. Tekle is a single father of two children and day laborer at a construction site in which he earns 10 Birr (1.08 USD) a day. He lives in an extremely small dwelling with his two children, one of which is 6 year old Beti.

Title: Sex Work for HIV/AIDS Treatment {Video 1}
Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3-EoXKztJo
Overview: Hiwot is a double orphan and the eldest sibling of three. Due to the death of her parents she dropped out of school in the 8th grade in order to find work to support her younger siblings. Thus, she is now the financially responsible for four people: herself, her daughter, her sister and brother.

Unable to secure enough money to support the family, she turned to sex work. She works everyday, at night, and her daily income ranges from 10 to 50 birr (1.08 to 5.40 USD). However, there are nights when she does not earn anything.

A Vision and A Dream...

By: Nasir Al-Amin

“I could not afford the school fee...if I would have put him in school I would not have been able to afford to feed him.”

2004: The Beginning of a Dream

2007: The Beginning of a Visison....

"I was lured by clothes and cars and now I am HIV-positive"

Source: PlusNews
Source: www.Plusnews.org
Photo: IRIN

Article: Alem Tilahun: "I was lured by clothes and cars and now I am HIV-positive"

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

ADDIS ABABA, *Alem Tilahun is a high school drop out living in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. She told IRIN/PlusNews how, lured by the desire for a better lifestyle, she became involved with a much older man.

"There was a girl who used to live next door and while I spent my days sitting by our gate, she used to dress well and was picked up by different beautiful cars. I was always jealous of her and wanted to be like her.

"One day I approached her when she was dropped off and talked to her. I told her I wanted to get a job and be like her; she told me to come back the next day. I was so excited and could not sleep the whole night.

"The next day she took me to her house and gave me one of her beautiful dresses. She made up my face until I couldn't recognise myself. After a while a beautiful car came and picked us up - there were two men in the car and she introduced me to them.

"Starting from that day I became a friend to one of the men. I told him that I was looking for a job; he promised me that he would help me and from then on he started giving me money and buying new clothes for me. I lied to my mother that I had found a job. I started supporting her and the whole family. Everyone was so proud of me.

"My life changed; he was treating me very nicely and although he was very old for me, I liked him. I even slept with him. He used to tell me that he would marry me.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Audio Interview w/ Nasir Al-Amin: A Life of Service and Inner Peace

"Although there are obstacles, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace knowing that I'm providing through ALIF opportunity to marginalized populations."

The following is an interview with Nasir Al-Amin, the founder of ALIF, in which he discusses a life of service and inner peace.

Click here to listen!

Slum Survivors

Source:IRINnews
Photos:Manoocher Deghati/IRIN

Article: AFRICA: Slum Survivors - new IRIN film released

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

"Worldwide, more than a billion people live in slums..."

Meet Carol, a single mother of three, who walks miles each day in search of work washing other people’s clothes. It is a hand-to-mouth existence - sometimes she gets work and buys food, but most of the time she and her children go to bed hungry.

Carol’s situation is so desperate that on more than one occasion she has come close to suicide. With no-one to rely on for support, she’s left hoping for miracles.

“We hope that one day God will come down – we keep on saying that. One day God will come down and change our situations.”

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Slum Survivors {Video}

AFRICA: Slum Survivors - new IRIN film released
Click here to watch this the video trailer: Slum Survivors!

Hiwot (Life) Campaign: One Year Later

by: Nasir Al-Amin

This chapter of ALIF, The Hiwot (Life) Campaign, began with the heart-wrenching narrative of a beautiful little girl imprisoned by a life of poverty and begging on the streets of Ethiopia. Her life’s story echoed the day-to-day struggles and survival tactics employed by orphans and vulnerable children living in abject poverty. This chapter detailed the plight of destitute mothers who face the poverty-induced choice to either send her child to school or to the streets to beg for food; the teenage mother who out of desperation is forced to sell her body in exchange for money to feed herself and child.

These vivid accounts led to the creation and launching of the Hiwot (Life) Campaign on October 27, 2007. Our aim was simple, provided 50 orphans and vulnerable children with the opportunity to obtain an education. So it brings me great joy to announce that on the 1-year anniversary of the launching of the Hiwot (Life) Campaign, we have not only met our goal, but have exceeded our goal of 50 children. This chapter will now turn a new page and begin with the narratives of 54 orphans and vulnerable children.

I sincerely appreciate each of you for your support in helping ALIF amplify the voice of the voiceless!

This chapter conveys the power of a child’s voice…

Nasir

Zimbabwe's sex workers...

Zimbabwe's sex workers look to their neighbour for business
Source: IRIN
Photos: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN

*The following are Talking Points from the aforementioned article:

Survival tactics
1) The Zimbabweans often survive by street vending, begging and working in the sex industry, but earlier this year the Zambian government clamped down on street vending in Lusaka, leaving sex work as the only option available to many women.

2) Zambia's immigration department recently raided a guesthouse in the capital where all the rooms had been rented by 51 Zimbabwean sex workers.

3) "So I have been supplementing my income to sustain my stay. During the day I sell my products in these shanty compounds; at night I go to taverns and nightclubs to hook up a man or two.

4) When asked whether she understood the risks of engaging in commercial sex work, Kwenda said: "I always insist on condom use, though some of them refuse and force me to sleep with them without using a condom. It is one of the hazards of this occupation, but there is nothing much one can do about such circumstances."

5) "They are usually aged between 16 and 40 years, and so it's a question of one's taste, whether to go for the young one or pick on the elderly and more experienced, but they would all be there at the reception."

6) "These people are desperate for cash and can do anything, regardless of whether they are infecting or getting reinfected. Some don't even know their HIV status."

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Organizational Sponsor: ESAi

By: Nasir Al-Amin
Logo: ESAi

I want to first say that I’m extremely excited about having ESAi as an organizational sponsor of ALIF’s Hiwot (Life) Campaign. Recently, I returned from nearly a month in Ethiopia, in which I had the opportunity to visit the homes of more than 25 orphans and vulnerable children, as well as sex workers in some of Ethiopia’s most impoverished communities.

ALIF launched the Hiwot (Life) Campaign on October 27, 2006 with the aim to send 50 orphans and vulnerable children to school in connection with the Millennium. It gives me great pleasure to say that we not only met that goal, but we exceeded it in securing an education for more than 50 orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia.

Thus, I’m honored that ESAi has joined our mission and look forward to working in partnership as united agents of change for the betterment of not only orphans and vulnerable children, but humanity as well!

One Life at a Time,
Nasir Al-Amin

The Humanitarian Impact of Urbanisation

Source:IRIN
Photos:Victoria Hazou/IRIN

Article: Tomorrow's Crises Today: The Humanitarian Impact of Urbanisation - Overview

*The following are Talking Points from the aforementioned article:

1) At present, 3.3 billion people live in urban centers across the globe.

2) The problem is not growth, but unplanned growth. In 2001, 924 million people, or about 31 percent of the world’s urban population, were living in informal settlements or slums, 90 percent of which were located in the developing world.

3) What this translates to is abject poverty, disease, and appalling conditions... Malnutrition is often highest in slums, as unemployment means people are too poor to purchase produce that could be grown on the land.

4) Defining a ‘slum’ and the ‘urban poor’ invariably focuses on what people lack - access to education, social services, employment, safe and affordable water, sanitation and housing, and residential status. In many cases, they live in sub-standard housing, in public spaces, or in squatter settlements near major urban areas.

5) It is generally assumed that urban poverty levels are lower than rural poverty levels, but the absolute number of poor and undernourished in urban areas is increasing. “In general, the locus of poverty is moving to cities … a process now recognized as the ‘urbanization of poverty’,

6) Throughout the 20th century, city growth was largely fuelled by rural to urban migration.

7) As the UN’s 2006/2007 State of the World’s Cities report notes: in Ethiopia, child malnutrition in slums and rural areas is 47 percent and 49 percent respectively, compared with 27 percent in non-slum urban areas

8) “Living in an overcrowded and unsanitary slum,” the report concludes, “is more life-threatening than living in a poor rural village.”

9) Poverty has long been considered a key driver of violent crime. In recent years, however, this relationship has been challenged as too simplistic. A 2004 article on urban violence and insecurity in the journal Environment and Urbanization identifies inequality as a primary driver, noting that “interpretations based on statistical modeling have demonstrated that with regard to national-level data on murder rates, inequality is more influential than poverty, with income inequalities being generally more marked in urban than in rural areas”.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

FORDHAM UNIV. FUNDRAISING EVENT: MSA FAST-A-THON

By: Nasir Al-Amin

Serving Humanity: “The best of mankind are those most beneficial to mankind.”

I would first like to convey a sincere appreciation to all of you for attending the FAST-A-THON event hosted by the MSA of Fordham University. Your attendance and contribution are vital to ALIF’s aim to amplify the voice of orphans and vulnerable children.

In an effort to amplify their voice the following two short videos illustrate the plight of orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia:

A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video 1 & 2}

Again, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the MSA of Fordham University for hosting this fundraising and awareness raising event.

One Life at a Time,
Nasir Al-Amin

AFRICA: Major improvements needed to retain patients on ARVs

Source:IRIN/PlusNews
Photos:Anthony Kaminju/IRIN

Article: AFRICA: Major improvements needed to retain patients on ARVs

*The following are Talking Points from the aforementioned article:

1) About a third of patients on antiretroviral (ARV) programmes in sub-Saharan Africa are being "lost" within two years of enrolment

2) "Loss to follow-up" - patients who missed clinic visits and failed to pick up their medication, followed by death - were the two main reasons for patients being lost from the system.

3) "Better tracing procedures, better understanding of loss to follow-up and earlier initiation of ART [antiretroviral therapy] to reduce mortality are needed if [patient] retention is to be improved,"

4) Adherence to medication for chronic illnesses averaged just 50 percent in developed countries.

Barriers to Retention
5) "Investment in healthcare systems across much of Africa is insufficient....There needs to be more social workers to reach people, even those who live in rural areas."

6) Many people stopped taking the medication because widespread poverty and food shortages meant they could not afford the quantity of food needed to consume with the drugs.

7) "Distance from health centres, transport costs, shortages of trained health professionals, irregular supply of drugs, poor monitoring systems - these are all issues,"

8) "Cost is also a barrier; even though the ARVs are free, people don't have the money to treat their opportunistic infections."

9) Stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people, even by health professionals, also hindered patients from adhering to their drug regimens and seeking follow-up care.

10) Previous studies have shown that good adherence and outcomes from ART were possible in poor rural African settings, provided healthcare systems modified their interventions to take into account social and economic barriers.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Fundraising Events for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

By: Nasir Al-Amin

I want to thank Laila and Ambreen, for hosting fundraising events at their homes for ALIF’s Hiwot (Life) Campaign, an initiative to enhance educational opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children. Their efforts have secured an education for more that 8 impoverished children, with contributions still coming in.

In our globalizing world, it has become evident that we as citizens of a global community have to work in unison to address the world’s problems, which affect us all either directly or indirectly. Thus, beyond the funds raised one, of the dynamic features of their events was the diverse group of women who came together to discuss the plight of worlds orphans and vulnerable children—Yemeni, Pakistani, Mexican, Egyptian, African American, Iraqi, Tunisian, Palestinian, Haitian, Jamaican and a number of other rich ethnic backgrounds as well.

I sincerely appreciate all who attended and again, want to thank Ambreen and Laila for assisting ALIF in its mission to benefit humanity one child at a time!

Nasir Al-Amin

How You Can Help!

The Hiwot (Life) Campaign is an initiative that provides over 50 orphans and vulnerable children with the opportunity to attend school!

We supply orphans and vulnerable children with the following:
 Financial assistance for food, rent & clothing
 Uniforms for school
 School Supplies
 Backpacks
 Registration Fees
 Tuition for Skill Training Programs

Invest in a child’s future today!
ALIF greatly depends on the generous support of individuals, families, business and organizations. ALIF is comprised of volunteers, thus your contribution goes towards our efforts to send and retain orphans and vulnerable children in school!

You can contribute by mailing a check payable to ALIF Fund to the following address:

ALIF Fund
Columbia University Station
P.O. Box 250457
534 West 112 St.
New York, NY 10025

You can also donate securely online at www.ALIF.us or click here: LIFE

A Father’s Struggle: “I just want to be able to send her to school.” {Video 1 & 2}

{Video Part 1}

{Video Part 2}


Mr. Tekle is a single father of two children and day laborer at a construction site in which he earns 10 Birr (1.08 USD) a day. He lives in an extremely small dwelling with his two children, one of which is 6 year old Bete.

His major difficulties are:
(1) Shelter: His home is unsafe to live in, as the roof is very old and leaks, as well as the walls are covered with cardboard—which has proven dangerous in the event of a fire.
(2) Scarcity of Food: “We are not getting enough food.”
(3) School Fees: Tekle can not afford the school cost for both of his children.

Needs/Aspirations:
(1) “I want to renovate my house; I want it to be safe for the children.”
(2) “I need assistance with food and schooling cost for my children.”

Vision:
(1) “I want my children to get a good education.”

Bete’s Vision:
(1) “I want to be a doctor.”

Click on the following like and help other children like Bete: LIFE!

Event: FAST-A-THON (Speaking Engagement)

In the Islamic month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours as an act of submission, solidarity, and remembrance. One of the main reasons for fasting is to call attention to those who go hungry every day, not as an exercise of religious expression, but as a fact of life. In the world today, there are millions of orphans that do not receive proper nourishment and education. Therefore, this year Fordham’s MSA is raising money to help orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has approximately 6 million orphans; in addition an estimated 7.8 million children are given no form of education. To respond to this deplorable situation, the Fordham Muslim Student Association (MSA) has organized a Ramadan Fast-a-thon, an event that hopes to sponsor at least 10 children in Ethiopia. The proceeds will be given to a non-profit organization called ALIF, which is dedicated to enhance the quality of life as well as the well-being of orphans in Ethiopia.

We are asking Fordham students and staff to go hungry for one day, so someone else won’t have to. To participate, students can either fill out a pledge form at the table or email us msafordham@yahoo.com with subject line “I pledge”. On October 9th, we will abstain from food and drink during the daylight hours. At the end of the day, participants are invited to a free dinner in the Music Room at 6pm to break their fast.Speakers at

FASTATHON:
Imam Siraj Wihaj (Muslim Scholar, Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa): Will discuss the relationship between Ramadan and the signficance of charity

Nasir Al-Amin (Founder of ALIF): Will provide insight into the plight of orpans and vulnerable children as well as the plight of sex worker in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Transcript: “Sex Work for HIV/AIDS Treatment {Video Part 1}

Transcript: “Sex Work for HIV/AIDS Treatment {Video Part 1}
Source: ALIF

Tariku: Now you {Hiwot} have told me that you work at a hotel as a sex worker. Why did you start working there?

Hiwot: In the first place it is to care for him {Abel’s medical treatment} and to buy him food. That is why I started working {sex work}. And, now when he gets the wounds, its to get him treatments. I needed money for food and for his treatments, because of that I have money problems. He gets free medical treatment but when he gets really sick, he does not receive immediate medical care/attention, as a result Abel suffers a lot. What ever money I get, I divid it for food and for Abel’s treatment and I have not found anything {job} that makes me happy. To do everything is hard!

Tariku: Besides the kid {Abel}, do you have other people that you take care of?

Hiwot: I have a daughter. I have a sister and a daughter that I take care of.

Tariku: Under your household?

Hiwot: Yes, they are under my household.

Tariku: Now, does the kid {Abel} have any wounds?

Hiwot: Yes, here are his wounds. Before, all part of his stomach had wounds. When that healed, now this area {leg} has wounds and it does not want to heal. Healing the new wounds would require a lot of money.

Tariku: Where there any medications prescribed for him?

Hiwot: Yes, but I didn’t have money at the time.

Tariku: I see, you didn’t have money?

Hiwot: Yes, because I didn’t have money, I couldn’t buy his medications.

Tariku: What are those mediations? {Referring to the box that contains medicines.}

Hiwot: Those are some of his medications that he is taking.

Tariku: For his treatments?

Hiwot: Yes, for his treatments.

Sex Work for HIV/AIDS Treatment {Video Part 1} (English Subtitles)

by: Nasir Al-Amin

"He's a good student, its just when he doesn't get the treatment he needs he's to weak to go to school."

Hiwot is a double orphan and the eldest sibling of three. Due to the death of her parents she dropped out of school in the 8th grade in order to find work to support her younger siblings. Thus, she is now the financially responsible for four people: herself, her daughter, her sister and brother.

Unable to secure enough money to support the family, she turned to sex work. She works everyday, at night, and her daily income ranges from 10 to 50 birr (1.08 to 5.40 USD). However, there are nights when she does not earn anything.

Difficulties
(1) “My job involves major health risks, such as AIDS and physical beatings.”
(2) “My sister has dropped out of school due to a lack of money.”
(3) “My younger brother is HIV positive and requires serious follow up and care which is beyond my capacity.”
(4) “My brother needs good nutrition and when we lack food his health problem gets serious and misses classes.”

What does your siblings and neighbors think about your job:
(1) Guilt: “My brother thought that I started this job to make him cured from his sickness and he tells me that he will get cured soon and then I can stop this work.”
(2) Fear of Loss & Abandonment: “My sister also begs me to stop this job crying and she tells me that if something bad happened to you who is going to care for us.”
(3) Isolation: “Our neighbors are also very worried about us and they always tell me to be strong but they are not letting us participate in social life (they are not happy to have food with us as they are afraid of having HIV as a result of the sore they see on my brother’s body).”

Needs/Aspirations:
(1) “The first thing is support for my brother, so that he can get the proper care he needs—for his HIV treatment.”
(2) “We also want to have support for our food and clothing needs.”
(3) “I want also to change my job and have my own small business activity and here also I need your support.”

Vision:
(1) “I want to stop this job and to know my health status and my sister and my brother’s status too.”
(2) “I want to engage in a work like small trade activity which does not require much contact with different people.”

This video speaks to the plight of Sex Workers in Ethiopia, as it conveys how a teenage girl lost both of her parents to AIDS, and thus found herself responsible for the well-being of her younger siblings—one of which is HIV positive. In an effort to secure his medical treatment and education, she puts aside her fears and concerns about sex work!

Join ALIF’s effort to break the generational cycle of poverty that gives rise to child labor, commercial sex work and exploitation!

http://www.alif.us/
http://www.ovcs.blogspot.com/

Urgent: Translation & Video Editing Request

Translation & Video Editing Request

ALIF is looking to have 3 video interviews with orphans and sex workers transcribed from Amharic to English. The videos were recently recorded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and are between 3 to 5 mins long. The videos will be shown at an upcoming event to raise awareness about the plight of Ethiopia’s orphans and sex workers, as well as children living with HIV/AIDS.

Additionally, if you have knowledge of video editing we also would greatly appreciate your help, as once the interviews are translated we need to put the English subtitles on the video.

Geographical location is not an issue as the video will be uploaded to the ALIF website, and thus viewable to anyone. Please e-mail me (Nasir@ALIF.us) if you are able to assist with this initiative to amplify the voice of the marginalized and underserved.

Nasir Al-Amin
Founder/Executive Director
www.ALIF.us
www.ovcs.blogspot.com

Sex Work For HIV Treatment {Video-Part 1}

"He's a good student, its just when he doesn't get the treatment he needs he's to weak to go to school."

Video Coming Soon!

Sex Work To Survive {Video-Part 1}

"I always think of the day I can leave this type of work {sex work}."

Video Coming Soon!

A Father's Struggle {Video}

"I just want to be able to send her to school."

Video Coming Soon!

I'm Back: TIME TO WORK FOR CHANGE

TIME TO WORK FOR CHANGE!

I've met with orphans...
I've met with sex workers...
I've met with HIV positive children...
They spoke, I listened...
There struggle is now my struggle...

It's time to create change!

Nasir

Update from Ethiopia

Greetings from Ethiopia,

Since September 4, 2007, I've been in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia traveling from home to home meeting with some of the 50 plus orphans and vulnerable children ALIF is sponsoring through the Hiwot (Life) Campaign. Words cannot begin to explain this heartrenching experince. One of my aims in establishing ALIF was to create a medium that amplified the voice of the marginalized and underserved, so it brings me some since of relief to know that I will be returning with videos of our sponsored orphans and children telling their life story in their words!

One of these stories will be of a young woman, who after the death of her parents she became the head of the household and thus had to secure the basic neccesities (food, clothing & shelter) for her daughter, younger sister and brother--who is HIV positive and requires a considerable amount of medical attention. Out of despiration she became involved in sex work, which beyond the psychological and physical effects she suffers from, her main concern is that even though she is engaged in sex work she still is unable to secure the funds needed for her younger brother's HIV treatment that he desperately needs.

The videos show of a father's struggle to raise his two children after the passing of his wife, and the "shanty" homes constructed out of mud and pieces of cardboard box. It will tell of the young girl who at the age of 16 left for Saudi Arabia to work as a domestic worker, only to fall victim to sexual and psychological abuse.

This trip has awaken my soul to how precious life is and just how each breath and moment is a precious gifts. I think the only comparable gift each of us can give is the gift of helping somone else breath a bit easier. These stories have strengthen my resolve and commitment to a life of service, and I hope you all will join me as humanity needs all of us to give a gift!Sincerely,

Nasir Al-Amin

MY BLOG IS BLOCKED IN ETHIOPIA

Salaams, Tadiase, Greetings to All,

I have not had access to this blog since my arrival to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on September 4, 2007 as it is blocked here—I'm not sure why, but unfortunately it is the case. However, I'm currently in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and can access it here.

However, with limited time I will direct you all to go to Youtube and put "ALIF" in the search field and you will be able to see some of the home visits I've conducted with some of our sponsored orphans and vulnerable children, as well as interviews with commercial sex workers. I will try to post some of them here as well as make entries when possible but do to travels with Saudi and limited access upon my return to Ethiopia I will resume making entries about my experiences in Ethiopia after September 29th—when I return to the States!

Until then, I pray that you all are in the best of health and spirits!

Nasir Al-Amin
P.S. If you would like to reach me send me an e-mail at Nasir@ALIF.us

I’M UP FOR THE FIGHT: I CAN’T CUT TIRSIT FROM THE LIST!

By: Nasir Al-Amin

The list of “51 + 4” is complete. I was supposed to select to 50 orphans and vulnerable children for the Hiwot (Life) Campaign, however I couldn't pull myself to not include Tirsit, who is a 10 year-old 5th grader whose mother is a day labour. Also, Tirsit is a single orphan as her father is deceased.

And then there are the 4 who needed not only assistance, but like the others need to be commended for their commitment to education despite the obstacles. Therefore, I had to add them as well. So its back to the arduous task of fundraising for Tirsit and the following four:

Zelalem, a 22-year old, single orphan in his first year of University. He is living with his mother who is receiving treatment for a mental health condition. The family is solely dependent on the support from neighbors and relatives.

Sisay, is a blind 21-year old, 10th grader living with this uncle, as he is a double orphan. His uncle is a day labor, construction work.

Shewareg, is a 27 year-old, 12+1 student living alone and attending college courses through the support and assistance of the college. She has no relatives in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Fetiya, is a 19 year-old 10th grader living with her divorced mother in temporary shelter. The mother is a day laborer and her father is not assisting the family.

Click here if you would like to help ALIF assist these youth complete their education!

Profile list of 81 Orphans and Vulnerable Children

by: Nasir Al-Amin
Photo: Nasir Al-Amin

I have a list of 81 profiles of orphans and vulnerable children in need of urgent assistance. Through the Hiwot (Life) Campaign funds have been raised to provide assistance to 50 of these orphans. The following is a sample of that list:

He lives with his blind mother who is a beggar.His father is not alive.

She lives with a family who has no blood relationship with her and both are daily laborors.

She is an HIV positive child living with her HIV positive mother.The mother is a daily laboror and her father is not alive.

He is a single orphan living with his mother who is taking continious tratment for her mental health problem. The family depends on the support from neighbours and relatives.

He is a blind youngster living with his uncle. His uncle is a daily laboror(construciton work).

She is an HIV positive youngster living alone with the support of her friends and she is attending her class in a college being sponsored by the college. She has no relative here in Addis.

She is a double orphan living with her grandmother who has mental health problem. The family does not have its own income and depends on the support from relatives and neighbours.

He is a double orphan living with his grandmother in a temporary shelter. Both the child and his grandmother are totally dependant on a kind neighbour for their food.

She is a double orphan living with her grandmother's family who depends on her children's support.

She is a double orphan living with her grandmother's family. Her grandmother sells Injera and this is the income source for the family.

He is a double orphan living with his grandmother in a temporary shelter who is dependant on her neighbours support for her and the child's food.

He lives with his grand mother who does not have her own income except the support from her married children.

His mother is not alive and he lives with his HIV positive father who is a daily laborour.

She has lost her both parents and is currently living with her uncle who is a working as a guard.

She is a double orphan living with a family whom she has no blood relationship with.

She is also a double orphan living with her grandmother who sells charcoal on a road side. She is also works as a servant during the day time and attend school in the night.

She lives with her HIV positive mother who sells charcoal and her father is not alive.

He lives with his parents. His father is HIV positive and daily laboror. His mother is also daily laboror but not HIV positive.

She lives with her HIV positive parents who are both daily laborors.

These orphans are Our Shared Future! Contribute to the Hiwot (Life) Campaign today!

Tommorrow is My Birthday: A Moment to Renew My Commitment to a Life of Service

A Moment to Renew My Commitment to a Life of Service
by: Nasir Al-Amin

I’m blessed to see another year and chapter of my life begin. I pray that this chapter of my life is one that exemplifies a commit to a life of service—a year in which I’ll achieve and maintain a balance in what I believe inwardly and what I display outwardly. On that path I’m confident I can be of better service to myself and humanity.

Internal Blindness: The Source of Individual and Global Imbalance

Internal Blindness: The Source of Individual and Global Imbalance

By: Nasir Al-Amin

It was once conveyed to me that it is not the eye that grows blind, but the heart. After reflecting on recent domestic and international affairs, I found myself saturated with two opposing feelings: one a sense of gratitude and the other, a feeling of discomfort. Specifically, I’m grateful for my present physical and material state as I woke up this morning in a tranquil state, void of concerns about food, clothing, shelter or my physical security; yet I also feel a sense of discomfort and/or inner agitation.

One reality that globalization has crystallized, is that we are all citizens of a global community, and therefore what occurs in one part of the world will either directly or indirectly affect us all. Unfortunately, in our international community we have millions of men, women and children suffering through unspeakable conditions. In our community, women desperate to feed their children are forced to engage in prostitution. We live in an era that has seen our adolescent, teenage boys and girls calling the streets their home and selling anything including their bodies to survive. Conspicuous consumption, greed, materialism, and nihilism have inundated humanity and reduced our diverse and beautiful cultures, belief systems and personal aspirations to a “me-first” mentality, which blinds the heart from seeing and feeling the daily suffering that transpires in our community. This blinding of the heart, what I refer to as internal blindness, thwarts our individual and collective efforts to alleviate the suffering that occurs in what we affectionately refer to as humanity.

If for a moment we can accept this premise of internal blindness, then I further assert that at the core of internal blindness, is a dichotomy between humanity’s inner beliefs and outward actions. It is that dichotomy and/or contradiction that leads to such unacceptable conditions for humanity’s marginalized and underserved. I know at a micro level, personally what I believe, my values, ethics and creed are not always reflected in my actions hence, fostering a state of imbalance between my creed and actions. Subsequently, that imbalance has hampered my spiritual and intellectual growth, and thus abates and undermines my capacity to serve humanity. On a macro level, this simple equation of internal and external equilibrium, a balance between creed and action, is a vital component to alleviating the inhumane conditions that some segments of our community face. Therefore, is it plausible that the first step on the path of healing humanity is individual balance?

New research shows helping others the key to Happiness?

Do Good, Feel Good

New research shows that helping others may be the key to happiness
Via: MSN Health & Fitness
By: Lisa Farino

"Few of us are immune to the frustrations and challenges of daily life—family problems, conflicts at work, illness, stress over money. When we get depressed or anxious, experts may recommend pharmaceuticals or therapy. But a newly emerging school of thought suggests that a simple, age-old principle may be part of both the prevention and the cure: Help others to help yourself. "

"There’s no shortage of research showing that people who give time, money, or support to others are more likely to be happy and satisfied with their lives—and less likely to be depressed. Could helping others be the key to weathering the inevitable storms of life?"

"Some people wonder if these positive benefits make helping others an ultimately selfish act. “If the warm glow and ‘helper’s high’ that people experience when they help others is selfish, then we need more of this kind of selfishness,” says Post. "

How to help others—and yourself
Incorporating kindness into your daily life isn’t difficult. Here are five easy things you can do to help others—and yourself:

Volunteer. Research shows that people who volunteer just two hours per week (about 100 hours per year) have better physical health and are less depressed. To find volunteer opportunities in your area, visit Volunteer Match or contact your local church or school.

Informally offer help to family, friends, and neighbors. Lend a needed tool, bring dinner to someone who’s sick, feed pets for neighbors on vacation, or offer a ride to someone who lacks a car.

Donate. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money. Toss change into coffee cans at cash registers or support local organizations by buying a raffle ticket. Look for opportunities to give within your means. You’ll help make the world a better place and make yourself feel better too.

Listen. Sometimes all others need is someone to lend a sympathetic ear to make them feel heard, cared for and loved.

Make other people (and yourself) smile. The easiest way to make other people happy is to act happy yourself, even if it’s not how you feel. “Sometimes we can act ourselves into a way of thinking,” says Myers. “So like the old song says, 'Put on a happy face.' Talk as if you have self-esteem and are outgoing and optimistic. Going through the motions can awaken the emotions.”

Click here to read the rest of this article!

Video: Prostituting ourselves to feed our children

Via: CNN
Video/Photo: CNN

Story Highlights
*Aid workers: Violence, increased cost of living drive women to prostitution

*Group is working to raise awareness of the problem with Iraq's political leaders

*Two Iraqi mothers tell CNN they turned to prostitution to help feed their children

*"Everything is for the children," one woman says

Click here to watch this video!

Iraqi women: Prostituting ourselves to feed our children

Via:CNN
Photo: CNN

"Prostitution is a choice more and more Iraqi women are making just to survive"

The women are too afraid and ashamed to show their faces or have their real names used. They have been driven to sell their bodies to put food on the table for their children -- for as little as $8 a day.

"People shouldn't criticize women, or talk badly about them," says 37-year-old Suha as she adjusts the light colored scarf she wears these days to avoid extremists who insist women cover themselves. "They all say we have lost our way, but they never ask why we had to take this path."

A mother of three, she wears light makeup, a gold pendant of Iraq around her neck, and an unexpected air of elegance about her.

"I don't have money to take my kid to the doctor. I have to do anything that I can to preserve my child, because I am a mother," she says, explaining why she prostitutes herself.

Click here to read the full article!

Baghdad baby rescued from garbage

Via: CNN/Reuters
Photo: CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) -- In the nine months since she was born, tiny Fatima Jubouri first lost her father, then gunmen killed her mother and uncle and she was left alone and uncared for in a pile of garbage in Baghdad.

Police found Fatima, malnourished and suffering from dehydration in Iraq's scorching summer heat, hidden under rubbish in one of southern Baghdad's most violent districts.
How she got there is not clear, although there is speculation her mother hid her before she was killed.

Click here to read the full article!

Audio Interview with Nasir Al-Amin

Recently, Mariam Lodin of Peace X Peace interviewed Nasir Al-Amin, founder of ALIF, about ALIF’s work in Ethiopia, a life of service and inner peace.

Click on the following link and listen to this brief audio interview!
www.peacexpeace.org/resources/nasiralamin.asp

To hear other interview with agents of change visit Peace X Peace at: www.peacexpeace.org/resources/voicexvoice.asp

One Life at a Time: Yared

What does going to school mean to you?
“It will help me achieve my dream.” (Yared)

Yared is one of the bright and driven youth that I had the pleasure to meet while in Ethiopia. By the time Yared reached the age of 4, he had lost both of his parents, and therefore was one of the first beneficiaries of ALIF’s Project FACE—a conditional cash transfer program designed to assist orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia access education. Often, I would sit with Yared and listen to him share his dreams for his life and how gaining an education is the first step in his vision of being a benefit to his country, Ethiopia.

One of the things that stood out to me about Yared, is his hard work and commitment to fulfilling his vision. Due to such high scores on his examinations, Yared was provided a scholarship to attend a private school in Addis, where he know learns French, English and computer skills. And even though Yared does not have access to tutors and a personal computer like his fellow classmates, he still excels academically. However, recently Yared was faced with yet another obstacle to his education.

Not to long ago, Yared was temporally living in a shanty dwelling next to a sewage system, as he was forced to leave the home of the caregivers that took him in after his parent’s death. This sudden crisis obviously became a threat to Yared fulfilling his dreams. Once, Menen and a Social Worker from WeSMCO became aware of this situation they made an appeal to have Yared moved to another location. Through your financial support, ALIF and WeSMCO were able to move Yared to a new home. And thus, have created an environment for him to actualize his dream to finish his education.

What does going to school mean to you?
“It will help me achieve my dream.” (Yared)

Yared is yet another source of joy and accomplishment, as well as an example of our commitment to enhancing humanity one life at a time!

Take a moment to invest in a child’s life, join the Hiwot (Life) Campaign!

Unitus Microfinance Microcredit Introduction Video

Microcredit debate

Muhammad Yunus: Creating a Poverty-Free World (preview)

"Children Earned between US$0.05 and $0.10 for Providing Sexual Services"

SUDAN: Juba's street children survive at risk of HIV
Via: IRINnews
Photo: IRINnews

"My father was beating me at home - whenever I did a mistake he beat me. He told me that he was sick with malaria and he left to go back to our village," he said. "After that there was nobody to care for me so I came to the market." He had been living on the streets for at least three years.

Begging and scavenging food

Like the other boys he lives with in Konya Konya Market, Mabior survives by begging and scavenging food from local restaurants. He does not go to school and has no access to even the most basic of healthcare facilities.

One of the main dangers faced by homeless boys and girls is the sexual predators. "Sometimes it happens that men come and look for boys for sex; they are looking for boys and girls, but where I stay there are only boys," Mabior said. "It is a mixture: Arabs, southerners, soldiers from all over ... some boys will go straight away for the money, others will resist and refuse, but this means they can get beaten."

He said the children earned between US$0.05 and $0.10 for providing sexual services.

Click here to read the full article!

Defining child labour

Via: International Labour Organization (ILO)

Not all work done by children should be classified as child labour that is to be targeted for elimination. Children’s or adolescents’ participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling, is generally regarded as being something positive. This includes activities such as helping their parents around the home, assisting in a family business or earning pocket money outside school hours and during school holidays. These kinds of activities contribute to children’s development and to the welfare of their families; they provide them with skills and experience, and help to prepare them to be productive members of society during their adult life.

The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.

It refers to work that:

• is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children;
  
  
• and interferes with their schooling by:
  
  
• depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;
  
  
• obliging them to leave school prematurely; or
  
  
• requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.
  

Click here to read full definition!

*This definition is a direct quote from the ILO

Sex and drugs leave Bujumbura's homeless at risk of HIV

Via: IRINnews
Photo: IRINnews

"Thousands of children and adults living rough on the streets of Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, face a daily struggle to eat and find a warm corner to sleep in; many blot out the reality of their situation by turning to sex and drugs."

Talking Points:

• "Innocent Bagayuwitonze, now 26, has been living on the streets for 12 years. He told IRIN/PlusNews that he used the pittance he earned as a casual labourer to pay local sex workers for their services. Unable to muster the same fee as other men, he only gets lucky when the girls have had a particularly bad night."
  
  
• "We [homeless men and boys] offer them 1,000 francs [US$1]...We negotiate with them when they do not get the rich men they want." Bagayuwitonze and other homeless people regularly get drunk or high on drugs in the evenings, and rarely use condoms, putting them at higher risk of contracting HIV."
  
  
• "Newcomers to the streets usually seek protection from older, more experienced boys, which often entails entering into a sexual relationship with one's protector."
  
  
• "Olivier Ndimubandi, 12, told IRIN/PlusNews about his humiliating rape by his protector, in the presence of other boys on the street."
  
  
• "If a street boy gets infected he dies rapidly because he cannot get drugs."

Click here to read the entire article!

Steady progress being made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals for Ethiopia’s children

Via: UNICEF

Talking Points:

• "Close to 400,000 children under-five still dying from preventable causes each year, Ethiopia continues to have one of the highest child mortality rates in the world"
  
  
• "Plumpy’Nut factory in Addis Ababa, which is producing the ready-to-use-therapeutic food...will help save the lives of severely malnourished children and help fight malnutrition across the country”
  
  
• "Under-five mortality rates in Ethiopia have steadily declined to 123 out of every 1,000 live births."
  
  
• "Child mortality in Ethiopia has declined by 40 per cent in the last 15 years”

Click here to read the full article!

“I had to forget my honour to save my husband’s life”

Via: IRIN

Photo: IRIN

“Now I’m alone, without a job or husband, with three children to look after. Sometimes death is the best way to end suffering.”

“They asked me to enter a disgusting-looking house and told me to wait. A rude man came into the room and bluntly told me that I had two choices: have sex with him and get my husband released or return to my home and never see Ahmed again."

Click here to read the full article!

AFRICA: Urban population to double - UNFPA

Via: BBC
Photo: BBC

Talking points:

• "The urban population of Africa will double from 294 million in 2000 to 742 million in 2030"
  


• "If policy makers could reduce the intensity of population growth, they would have more time to address existing needs while preparing to deal with future increases in urban population," Rakotomalala said. "The solution lies in reducing the rate of natural increase by improving the social conditions of the poor and advancing women's rights."
  


• "In Ethiopia, poverty was increasing faster in urban areas than rural ones...40 percent of the urban population was living in extreme poverty."
  


• "In sub-Saharan Africa, urbanisation has become virtually synonymous with slum growth; 72 percent of the region's urban population lives under slum conditions, compared to 56 percent in South Asia,"
  


• "Slum dwellers account for a billion people, of whom more than 90 percent are in the developing world. In Ethiopia, the majority of urban dwellers live in slums."

Click here to read the full article

I'M CLEARED! LETS BLOG AGAIN!

I’M FREE TO BLOG AGAIN!
I apologized for the lack of entries for the month of July as I was denied access to post on the OVC Blog due to a temporary block. However, the Blogger Team has cleared the OVC Blog of any risk of spam, and thus I’m free to blog again!

Nasir
------------------------------------------
Blogger Help

Hello,
Your blog has been reviewed, verified, and cleared for regular use so that it will no longer appear as potential spam. If you sign out of Blogger and sign back in again, you should be able to post as normal. Thanks for your patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

Background to ‘The Journey’

Background to 'The Journey'
By: Nasir Al-Amin

I could have attributed numerous titles to this forthcoming trip to Ethiopia. I thought of ‘The Awakening’, ‘The Transformation,’ ‘The Inspiration’ and various others, but I decided on ‘The Journey’ for a couple of reasons. First, of which was a penetrating poem written by Mary Oliver entitled, “The Journey.” This poem inspired me to go beyond just writing about the stories of orphans and vulnerable children, but to also convey how hearing their voices and seeing their tears affected me inwardly. It was their struggle that sparked an inner transformation and/or inward journey.

In various writings I have referred to an inner agitation that occurred after hearing and witnessing their plight (Inner Agitation: An Alarm is a Precursor to Awakening; Awakening: Ambiguity Fosters Clarity). That inner agitation led to what arguably maybe the most important benefit I derived from Mary Oliver’s poem, which was the reassurance and serenity it gave me through its spiritual undertone and remarkable insight into inward transformations.

It has been said that, “nothing can be more life-changing than an escape from your own preconceptions,” and after various trips to Ethiopia I have found this adage to be true. As what I witnessed during that trip, severed the ropes that held me confined to my habitual ways of viewing the world, beliefs and preconceptions about what is and is not important in life, all of which kept me at a safe distance from reality—allowing me to ignore that inner voice. When I make reference to ‘reality’ I’m referring to a state of consciousness that allows for one’s inner voice to be heard. That inward and/or internal spiritual dialogue with oneself referred to as the inner voice was now acutely audible and no longer able to be ignored. Listening to my inner voice has proven to be a pivotal decision that has affected the entire course of my life, hence the establishment of ALIF and making the commitment to a life of charitable work.

The second reason for the title, “The Journey,” is best conveyed by its meaning. The word journey by definition is a process of passage, a distance or course traveled, progression from one stage to another, going from one place/position to another. That is what this experience has been, an inward journey from one stage of consciousness to another. This inward journey is a major piece in this process, as an invaluable motif unveiled through this experience is the following: When an individual commits to a life of service to others and/or a life of “giving,” he or she will become awakened to their inner voice, and in essence a new level of consciousness (both inwardly and outwardly).

This led me to become conscientious of how my resources (financial, education, time…etc) can be used for the serve others. I’m more cognizant of how I view the world and my position in it. Now I find myself questioning how my actions will not only affect myself, but how my actions will affect humanity.

Before I transition to the logistics of “The Journey” let me make one point clear: I by no means want to give an impression that I’m more spiritually conscious/awaken or righteous then the next person. This is not a matter of judgment, but rather a written expression on the process of self-assessment, reflection and reprioritization, which I simply refer to as a transformation. And it is that on-going inward transformation/journey that has breached the cultural, societal and self-imposed levees constructed to suppress my inner voice, now that voice is amplified and in tune with a life of service.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
(Gandhi)

What life is left after slavery?

Via: BBC News/Sallie George
Photo: PA

Sandra, from Sierra Leone, came to the UK aged 11 after being befriended by a British man who told her he could help her find a school.

Once in the UK, she was taken to a flat in London and not allowed out. When she was 12 she was drugged and gang raped. From that day on, she was forced to serve up to 10 men every day. When she attempted suicide aged 15, Sandra was moved to a separate location and locked in solitary confinement. Ms Kralj said: "This isolation and terror endured for a further five years with increased levels of physical violence at the hands of her pimp."

One morning, her captor forgot to lock her bedroom door before leaving the house and Sandra grabbed her chance and ran. She was later picked up by the police, who asked her for identification. When she was unable to produce any, she was arrested and later jailed for immigration offences.

Click here to read the full article!

How to tackle human trafficking

Via: BBC News

"Trafficked women are ordinary people who left home thinking they would be waitresses." "We need to cut the demand in the host countries and cut corruption, increase life chances and boost the economy in the countries of origin, she said. "We need to address the root causes [of trafficking] in countries of origin - poverty, violence and demand,"

Click here to read full article!

What life is left after slavery?

Via: BBC News/Sallie George
Photo: BBC News

Clinician Lucy Kralj said that though each woman's experience was different, all - without exception - had been subjected to "horrific levels" of physical and sexual abuse. She said the experience of living in captivity - sometimes for years - had a profound effect on the women she had seen.

"She is violated repeatedly, daily, accompanied by physical violence and verbal insults", she said. "She loses her sense of self, her identity. Life becomes devoid of any meaning and she can never be free of the horror through which she has lived. "Her sense of femininity has been annihilated. She shuts her eyes and sees the horror. She looks at her body and the scars and physical pain serve as a constant reminder.

"All men are potential rapists and any hope for the future of which she once dreamed has been robbed from her. "She finds herself repulsive and she believes that her past is transparent to everyone."

'They raped me again and again'

I had to have sex with five to ten men every day, in the bed I slept in at night.
Via: BBC News

My name is Rosemary from Nigeria, and I am 19 years old.
I ran away from my stepmother on my 18th birthday after she tried to force me to be circumcised. I refused and so she beat me, and burnt me with a hot iron on the insides of my thighs as punishment. After I ran away I worked on a market in the city and helped out at a brothel, making beds and cleaning. I was sleeping rough as I had no home to go to.

The woman who ran the brothel introduced me to a man who said he would be able to help me. He said he could help me study in the UK as well as get part-time work. He did not say where I would be working, but I was desperate to get away; I was homeless and afraid of being circumcised.

When I called the phone number I was given an address and went there by taxi. Two men lived there, with another woman like me. They made me watch pornographic films, telling me that's why I was here. They raped me again and again and I was kept locked in a room 24 hours a day.

I was only allowed out to go to the toilet. They brought food to the room, but they didn't feed me if they were angry with me for something. I had to have sex with five to ten men every day, in the bed I slept in at night. If I disagreed or tried to refuse, they beat me up.

Sometimes I asked the customers for help but they just laughed at me.

Click here to read the full article!

Sex slave regrets 'ruined' life

The Home Office estimates 4,000 are trafficked into the UK every year
Via: BBC News/Anna Blackburn
Photo by: BBC

"Beaten, betrayed and forced to have sex with up to 20 men a day - it sounds like a horror story but this is the testimony of a sex slave in Leicester. "

"Edita, who was 19 when she was brought into the UK illegally from Lithuania, said her life had been ruined by the experience. Before I was trafficked, I was living at home with my mother. We were both unemployed and very poor," Edita said. "I had a boyfriend. He was violent and threatened me a lot but I was too afraid to break up with him and sometimes he gave me money which I needed."

"He suggested we went to the UK to look for work. I did not trust him but did not dare say no," she said. What followed for Edita, now 26, was a long journey from Albania in a lorry through Italy and France. When the lorry crossed from France into the UK, she had to lie on the floor of the cab as she had no papers. At the end of the journey, the "better life" that Edita had been promised was just a distant daydream."

"When I arrived in the UK, my boyfriend drove me to a flat in Leicester. When we arrived he took me inside and said I would be living there with him and some other men," she explained. "He told me what I would be doing - having sex with men to earn him money. I was so frightened and told him I did not want to do it.

"He hit me and then he and the other men in the flat - four of them - gang-raped me. It was horrific. I felt destroyed inside."

"Edita spent three years working in the flat, seven days a week, having sex with between 15 and 20 men a day. She was not allowed to leave and the men threatened to kill her mother if she tried to escape."

Click here to read the full article!

Britain's hidden children

Many victims of child trafficking are sexually exploited

Via: Mark McGreger/BBC News
Photo by: BBC

When Marie, a young girl from Cameroon, turned up in Manchester at the end of 2004 she was just one of hundreds of asylum seeking children alone in the city looking for help. Her story was harrowing. Having been trafficked to France and forced into prostitution by her aunt, she fled to Britain with the help of a man who said he would help her escape. Suffering from a range of physical and mental health problems, probably as a result of the abuse she endured, Marie was admitted to hospital.

Within two months she was dead. A post-mortem examination revealed natural causes. She was 16.

Click here to read the full article!

Sex slavery widespread in England