Friday, March 16, 2012

HIV/AIDS Overview

Here's the link to the HIV/AIDS overview presentation on Prezi.com.

Presentation via Prezi.com on HIV/AIDS overview

If you want to look up some of the data yourself, you can go to UNAIDS and select "Data & analysis" from the menu; then select "2010 Global Report" for the latest statistics as far as numbers of people living with HIV, separated by women and children, numbers of orphans, prevalence rate, new infections, etc. The report is rather lengthy but the data tables are at the end of the report in the Appendices. There's also a slew of information on the UNAIDS website regarding individual country progress reports and the like. UNICEF also collaborates with UNAIDS and focus their fight against AIDS largely on children, in accordance of course with the purpose of the organization.

To put all these statistics and information into context, a helpful documentary to watch is Madonna's "I Am Because We Are".

I didn't cover practical applications as part of my presentation but here are a few we discussed:


  • Volunteer for a local HIV organization 
  • Continue to educate yourself and people you know about the issues surrounding HIV and break down the myths that exist about the epidemic, particularly with associated stigma; this is really necessary in order to appropriately care for the people who are impacted by this epidemic
  • Programs that combat malnutrition, especially in children, or orphanages that cater to those children impacted by the AIDS epidemic could certainly use help, monetarily or otherwise (I invite people to put up links related to these in the comment section or a separate post - like the orphanage in China that came up in our discussion). 
  • Since there are a lot of orphans due to the epidemic, finding ways to support these children through the rest of the education and such are also things we could do. For example, the high school in Malawi which I mentioned in a previous comment to a post has students who cannot pay their school fees because they have become orphans; sponsoring one of these young people through school would be helpful. 
As I said, this topic is so broad and so complex that it is hard to cover everything in one discussion. This conversation is definitely something that can be continued. And as I think of more practical things we can do I will post those as well. 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Continuing the conversation on trafficking

Here are the places that I mentioned where you can purchase goods made by women escaping prostitution:

Trade As One
http://tradeasone.com/producer_stories/human_trafficking/

Fair Trade Winds (they have a storefront in Stony Brook Village)
http://www.fairtradewinds.net/

I have a question though- I recently heard about this organization from our school's health teacher. It aims to help provide opportunities for children and their communities, and it was founded by a 12 year old in Canada.
Has anyone heard of it? Is it effective? It isn't on Charity Navigator.

http://www.freethechildren.com/aboutus/index.php