Why did I name my blog Hope4thehopeless?
Many times my eyes tear when I think of "the Motherland" as it is generally called. Africa has become the place where you find every bad thing: HIV/AIDS, measles, polio, Ebola, mulnutrition, malaria, menengitis, ethnic cleansing, tribal wars, drought, femine, just to name a few. What good can come out of Africa? Are we the cursed nation? Is Africa a death trap? Is Africa ever going to be designated a "first world continent" or at least a "developing nation"? Are we are sentenced to be a "third world country" for ever? Is there hope beyond the horizon?
At the same time, Africa is the richest continent in gold, diamond (80% of the world's diamond is from Africa), platinum, copper (about 70% of the world copper is from Africa) and many other rich and highly sought for minerals. Yet we have nothing but poverty, starvation and death.
A year ago, I had the opportunity to visit "Mother Africa" after a good 7 years. All I saw was a decline in everything; education (illiteracy around 30% and even increasing), infrastructures, sanitation and even hope for a better Africa. I saw miles and miles of graveyards that show the grip AIDS has on its people. I saw children being taken care of by grandparents. I saw children taking care of children. In Zimbabwe, life expectancy has gone down from 57 yrs to 35 years whereas in America, life expectancy is going up0into the 80s. What does the future hold for Africa (or better still, is there any future at all)?
I believe the situation in Africa has reached its zenith and it is time for hope for the hopeless! The status quo should not continue for another decade. There has to be a way the world can come together to turn the situation around.
We have to start from somewhere? Where? Education, malnutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS etc? I do not know. Does someone out there hear me? WHO, United Nations, UNICEF, World Bank, whoever! Please SOS! We need help! We have a conundrum!
Meet The Winning Team!
Grandparenting & Poverty
Not an option but a must
Causes of Obesity
Prevalence in Children
Obese children
Cost Burden of Obesity
Gvt funding for Obesity
Concerned World Leaders
Mandela with an HIV+ child
AIDS in Africa
AIDS orphans
Malaria Prone Regions
6 comments:
Many times I wonder, why all these are happening in Africa? Why this continent is always being hit hardest by diseases, malnutrition, famine...? Why God allow these to happen, anyway?
What we can do is to help the Africans as much as we can.
Hello Onias! I like your blog. Thanks for sharing. There sure is work for us to do and help the hopeless.
Angel got a call message from his cousin Ana yesterday in Argentina asking for help. She survives on $30 US dollars a month. She has 3 children, 2 with Down Syndrome. Her husband dumped her years ago. They are skin and bones.
We're sending them money, but don't know what else to do for now. We need to start helping one at a time. Sometimes this could even mean a relative living in extreme poverty.
I'm with you in this Hope4theHopeless!
Wow, I was moved by your blog. It is true, Africa does suffer so much. I wonder if the suffering is at the hand of many of the countries leaders who choose to not make changes in order to keep their way of life? I remember a trip to Nicaragua and learning of the corrupt leaders who kept most of the aid and money for themselves and did little for the their people. Do you think this is happening there too? And what other reasons keep them from thriving with all the natural resources that could help advance them?
Yes, Onias, it is sad what is happening in Africa. I worked in Kenya from 83-90 and saw much suffering from malaria, aids, and poverty. When we returned from 95-99 it was no better. I agree with Liz that perhaps the leadership has a great responsibility that they don't take. Too much selfishness, but that's also happening in other countries including here in Asia. The leaders often want to "get rich" and enjoy their power, thus they don't use the resources available to help their countrymen. Only Jesus can solve this world's problems.
Hey Onias! I am really touched with what you posted on your blog, since I am part of "motherland Africa", I know how it feels. I wonder until when all this agony and misery is going to happen on those innocent children, young ones, mothers and older people, especially. It's very discouraging!!!
I agree with you Tim that only Jesus is the solution!!!
Hie Onias
After reading your blog, I could not but agree with you that there is hope for the hopeless somewhere out there. However it looks like we have given into the idea that we can never unseat the brutal dictators back home. But history has shown that with hope everything is possible. Hope will see us there. Hope led us into the diaspora and that same hope will one day liberate the beloved motherland from its woes.
Hope inspires change and change comes from within. We own our own destiny and we should not expect other people to shape our future. The Africa- Zimbabwe, Kenya, Sudan etc- we want to see is a product of our own efforts. No state is greater than the colective efforts of its citizens. The international comunity is very well aware, probably behind the chaos in the motherland, and no one seems to have an idea or less concerned about it.
Those who are now oppressing their own, were once in diaspora, they saw the tears on the face of our motherland, with hope, they packed their bags and engaged in the liberation struggle. In like manner, those of us in diaspora need gather the momentum and put our resources together, pack our bags, go back home and fight to make our continent a place of opportunity and hope for future generations. WE ARE MASTERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY.
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