TV News and Cats

Yesterday in global studies we watched this documentary on AIDS in Kenya called “Left Behind.” It was made by a college student who had volunteered at an AIDS orphanage in Kenya. He interviewed children and adults from the orphanage and neighboring slum town. It was probably one of the saddest films I have ever seen. When asked, one boy who was dieing of aids thought that he caught the virus from glue sniffing when he used to live on the streets. Other children in the orphanage knew very little about the virus. The abandoned children living in the streets weren’t sure how it was transmitted either. One boy thought it was from “being kicked”, others thought companies put drops of HIV into condoms.
The documentary taught us that over 100,000 children are homeless on the streets because their parents have died of AIDS. These children have nothing to eat and sniff glue in order to forget their hunger. On top of that most of them are having sex, even though they are like thirteen-years-old or even younger, therefore increasing their chances of getting AIDS. The guy who made the documentary asked one boy what he missed most about his mother. The homeless boy, although tough looking, got quiet and wiped tears from his eyes, finally saying “She helped me with things,” before another boy spoke up, explaining that he was crying because he loved his mother so much.
On another side of the spectrum, prostitutes were interviewed. These women said they had been with over a thousand men, many without condoms, in order to get food for their children. One woman was asked what would happen to her children if she were to get AIDS and die. She explained that if she dies then they won’t expect her to feed them anymore. But right now as their mother they look to her for food and she has can’t tell them that she has nothing because she is their mother and it is her duty. Another scene showed a woman on the side of the road, beaten to a bloody pulp and surrounded by people looking on. The college kid filming said under his breath “Jesus Christ” over and over as he taped. Apparently the woman had asked her husband to use a condom and he had taken it as a sign that she doesn’t trust him so he got his friends together to teach her a lesson. After being beaten her husband helped her stand up and took her back home. The documentary made everything so real and pointed out that although he got to go home after his stay in Kenya, the homeless boys are still roaming the streets and AIDS is still spreading rapidly. Once again, it was really a disturbing movie.
When the film was over Professor Murphy left us with a quote I can not remember at this time, and left us leave. No one really talked, instead everyone shuffled out of the union quietly. I heard Jed, a boy I vaguely know, talking to another person behind me, “It’s hard to see all of that and be stuck on a ship and have to go to class and not do something. And know that I probably never will do something,” he said in defeat. As I walked down the five flights of stairs to my room I saw one girl, red faced, being comforted by a friend. Anyway, I definitely had a “thank god I’m seeing this side of our world” moment yesterday morning.

And then last night I went to a discussion about Myanmar with one of my teachers and the academic dean. I’m anxious to finish my book on Burma and learn more about the military regime ruling the country. It’s so upsetting, especially because so few people know about what is going on there. It’s all so hidden.

So yeah, learned a lot yesterday. Also, once again, got no nap in…that makes it three days in a row now! My roomie is impressed. Sea TV is taking up all my time, but I’m getting used to it. All is well, hope it is in Illinois too.