Berry-Kagan,+Lauren

=__12/11 Money Given to Poor Families in Exchange for Supporting Orphans In Malawi__=

1 in 8 children in Malawi have lost their parents, mainly to HIV/AIDS, however the orphanages can only house a fraction of these children. A new program is being developed that would give families $4 to $20 a month if they take in an orphan. Part of the big problem these children face is that families are too poor to afford a child, and this program is looking to help that. The money can be spent on food, education, clothes, and health care. Researches say that children do much better in an actual home as opposed to an orphanage, even if it is poor. According to studies done on the program so far, children in families that got some extra money were healthier, better fed and clothed and more likely to be in school than children in families that didn't get the money. The children mainly go to extended family, such as aunts and uncles and grandparents.

__Sources:__ NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/world/africa/06orphans.html?pagewanted=2&ref=africa __SOS Children's Villages:__ http://www.sos-usa.org/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/Malawi%27s-Orphanage-Alternative-Cash-to-Poor-Families-Having-Positive-Impact.aspx The NY Times article was much longer and talked about individual children and families, while the SOS article was pretty short and talked more about the specifics of the program. The pictures in the NY Times article showed children playing in a falling apart building, and the SOS article had a picture of healthy and happy looking kids. The headlines were different, the NY Times mentioned the aid being given, and the SOS headline noted that it would help bring extended families together.

I think that this is a really good idea and that children should definitely be in a family as opposed to an orphanage, but I wonder if families will take in children just for the money and then not take care of the child. Neither article mentioned this, and I hope that there will be a system to help prevent this. I was shocked to read that 1 out of 8 children in Malawi are orphans! That's insane... The NY Times article mentioned that Madonna has donated a lot to orphanages there, and I think that that's great. I really hope that something changes and there are less orphans. Parents are good things to have. :) = = =__12/4 Sudanese Girl Flogged for Indecent Skirt__=

Silva Kashif, 16, has said that she was flogged 50 times for wearing a skirt that was supposedly indecent, even though it went below her knees. While walking through a south Khartoum neighborhood, she was arrested, put on trial, and flogged, all within half an hour. Her parents weren't even notified until she went home and told them. Even though she's Christian, she was sentenced by Islamic laws. Sudan enforces these Islamic laws in the predominately Muslim north, but not in the south which is semi-autonomous meaning that it has more independence that normal areas in the country. Kashif and her family are planning to sue the police and the judge because the verdict was in violation of the laws because she's a minor.

__Sources:__ Cape Times: http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5266754 Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243024502&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

The Cape Times article was longer and included quotes from her family's lawyer and also mentioned other instances where women were flogged for their clothing. The Jerusalem Post article had a quote from Kashif and said what law she was specifically convicted under, offending public morality. They were both pretty short articles and pretty much said the same thing.

The idea that governments in some places think that they can hurt people just because of what they wear is ridiculous and disturbing. The family of Silva Kashif should definitely sue and an apology should be made because it's against the law to do that to a minor. Eventually I think that the laws should be changed, because it's none of the government's business what people wear and not everyone in the country is Muslim and therefore shouldn't have to follow Muslim laws.

=__11/27 Journalists Held Captive in Somalia Freed__=

After 15 months in captivity, Amanda Lindhout, from Canada, and Nigel Brennan, from Australia, have been released and are now in Kenya receiving medical care. They were both isolated, beaten, and tortured. Lindhout said that she was forced to call various media outlets to arrange a ransom, although the details of the release, including whether or not a ransom was paid, are still unknown.

__Sources:__ NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/world/africa/27somalia.html BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8380474.stm

The BBC article had a lot of quotes from the journalists and included more about the details of their captivity, such as how they were tortured and what average days were like. The NY Times article was more about the release and mentioned things such as the fact that they were released on a Wednesday and were flown Thursday to Nairobi, Kenya. Both of them included a lot of quotes in general. The BBC article included a photo of the two journalists.

15 months is a long time to spend in captivity. I hope that they will be able to heal both physically and mentally as quickly as possible and that they can go back to living normal lives. I think that it's really sad that the Somalian government captures a lot of journalists, and it makes me really want to read the things that they end up writing if they get released.

= = =__11/20 Makers of Racist Video Allowed to Return to University__=

Last spring, a group white students at a university in South Africa made a video protesting racial integration. It also included a scene where a group of black maids at the university were forced to eat food that the students had urinated on. The students were expelled, but recently the university announced that they are welcome to return and won't face any discipline from the school, although they're facing prosecution for humiliation. Many people are angry that the students aren't expected to apologize, especially the women that were in the video.

__Sources:__ NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/world/africa/18safrica.html?_r=1&ref=africa BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8313997.stm

The New York article was way more in depth. It included quotes from the women that were humiliated in the video, as well as a description of the racism in the university. It also had a picture of people protesting the pardon of the students. The BBC article had a map showing where in South Africa the university is, as well as a photo of protests. The picture in the BBC article shows the protest as closer to a riot, while the NY Times photo was of people just standing together.

I think that if the video was simply a racist video, that while they should apologize, they do have freedom of speech and that the university is right to let them return. However, because the video included what may be illegal, maybe they should have to do community service at the school as well as whatever punishment they receive from the court.

= = =__11/12 Malawian Government to Give Loans to Sex Workers__=

In an effort to reduce the number of sex workers in their country (in order to empower women and reduce rates of HIV/AIDS) the Ministry of Women and Child Development in Malawi is going to start giving loans to prostitutes so that they can leave the sex industry and start their own businesses. Poverty is the main cause of prostitution in most places, as an uneducated woman is likely to be paid four times more for sex work than for anything else. All the women receiving the loans will go through business and HIV/AIDS education first.

__Sources:__ Nyasa Times: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/kaliati-says-govt-to-table-bill-to-support-prostitutes-with-loans.html/comment-page-1 Official Website of the Government of Malawi: http://www.malawi.gov.mw/story.php?id=46

Personally I think that prostitution should be legal because it's a person's own decision to make, even if it's a bad one. However, I really support what the Malawian government is doing because everyone should have opportunities and people shouldn't be forced into toxic situations because they need the money and don't have any other options. This is a really good idea and should benefit the entire community, not just the individual women.

The article from the Malawian government site was extremely sparse and barely had any quotes while the Nyasa article said more about the challenges of prostitution, as well as more quotes.

= = =__11/5 President of South Africa Pushes for Fight Against AIDS__=

Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, is r allying for the end of denial of the seriousness of AIDS. This is very important because South Africa now has more HIV infected people and annual AIDS deaths than any other. The steady climb of these deaths could mean that in a few years the death rate may outnumber the birth rate. The sad thing is is that many people still view HIV/AIDS as taboo or shameful because two of the main ways the virus spreads is through drug needles and unprotected sex. The result is that an extremely serious issue doesn't get the attention it needs and many people die as a result.

__Sources__: NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/world/africa/01zuma.html?_r=1 Polity: http://www.polity.org.za/article/zuma-wins-rare-backing-of-hivaids-activists-2009-10-30

Someone I'm really close to is HIV positive, so this issue means a lot to me. Prevention is cheaper cheaper than finding a cure (although that's extremely important) so that needs to be the priority. I think that awareness is the most important thing, and I applaud President Zuma's efforts and I hope that they work.

The NY Times article had many more quotes, and the Polity talked about previous South African official's approaches to the issue (one health minister recommended beetroot and garlic as treatments). They both talked about statistics (1,000 people in South Africa die of AIDS every day) and pointed out that South Africa has an especially bad problem with the virus.

= = =__**10/29 Abuses of "Witch Children"**__=

In Nigeria, there is a growing trend of children being heavily abused or killed by their community members or even their parents because they are suspected of witchcraft. Some examples of abuse are **//__forcing a child to drink acid, sawing off the top of a child's skull, chaining up and then starving and beating, burying them alive, and setting them on fire__//**, which is the most common. Local pastors can make money off of exorcisms, which can cost anywhere from US $60 to $270 (eight months' wages). They can also establish their credentials by accusing children of witchcraft and help in competition with other congregations. In areas that are extremely poor, it is very easy to make someone a scapegoat, and being the accusing person gives religious leaders even power and authority. Even if the children are able to survive the intense abuse, they are cast out of their homes and may not survive living on the streets.

__Sources:__ NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/18/world/AP-AF-Nigeria-Child-Witches.html?pagewanted=1&sq=africa%20gay%20african&st=cse&scp=3 CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/18/nigeria.child.witchcraft/index.html

This is incredibly awful. While many churches agree that witchcraft should be prayed against as well as practice non-abusive exorcisms, this is completely beyond normal and absolutely insane. No one, especially small children, should be treated in this way under any circumstances, period. Religious freedom is something that I believe in very strongly, however violence in the name of religion is just as inexcusable as violence not related to religion.

The NY Times article was much longer and gave more examples. It also talked about a house for children accused of witchcraft, and talked about the kids living there. The CNN article showed a photo of some children holding a sign saying "We Are Not Witches". The quotes in the NY Times were from kids, pastors, and activists, and the CNN article had a quote from the grandfather of an accused witch.