The Avartsy Poverty Foundation

Help Victims of Haiti's Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:39:00 +0000

Most already know what is going on in Haiti, please help however you can. If you text YELE to 501501, $5 will be automatically added to your cell phone bill. You can also click the picture to be taken to a secure page on Wyclef's site where you can donate online.

Also check out CNN.com/Impact for more ways to donate.

God Bless Haiti!

Not Forgotten!

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:03:00 +0000

I haven't forgotten the mission of this blog. I haven't even been updating as I've just been bookmarking the news stories of interest.

Foundation plans are on hold as of the moment, but it's only temporary, other areas all of a sudden have more pressing needs. I've disabled commenting in the interim, I'll still update with articles every now and then and God willing, at some point in the future I'll be unveiling a website.

There's a lot of things in the works, but it's all in due time and as I've come to learn, in God's time. In the meantime, I'm on twitter (see link to your right) and have a cooking blog I update more frequently (see above).

That's it for now folks, just wanted to give an explanation as to my blog whereabouts!

A Child Bride Show?!

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:43:00 +0000

This is so ridiculous, words fail me.
Take a look see...

Liberian Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:30:00 +0000

I'm quite sure most people must have heard of this outrageous story out of Phoenix, AZ. An eight year old Liberian girl was raped by 2 Liberian boys aged 9-14. She was lured into a shed on July 16 with the promise of getting a stick of gum.

It's bad enough that she was raped at EIGHT years old, but what's even worse is that her parents' disowned her for bringing the family to shame.

Honestly, I don't get that. I know it's got to be rooted in tradition and culture, but she is EIGHT and at EIGHT, she probably knew nothing about intercourse. So, for them to disown her at a time when she should be brought closer to the family fold and nurtured so she could get over the trauma, she is being disowned by her family. I watched the clip on CNN where the mother, sister and some male relative were interviewed and I don't want to be mean, but it's just ignorance. The mother was just in denial that nothing happened to her child. I mean seriously?!!!!

How do you justify the rape of an eight year old girl in your mind?! She is not eighteen, she's eight. She's not even in double-digit age range yet. She's so young and a child at that. She didn't ask to be raped!

The girl in question is now under the care of Arizona Child Protective Service (ACPS) and they have been fielding numerous phone calls of people wanting to help and even adopt the girl. It's so outrageous that even the President of Liberia, Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf, said the family was in the wrong and that a child that has been traumatized needs help not neglect.

I can rant on and on about the mess that is this situation, but I'll leave it at that. I sincerely hope this child, this raped eight year old girl gets appropriate help, the juveniles are brought to justice and she is adopted by a caring family that will smother her with love.

Read more here.
Read more here

R.I.P "King of Pop"

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:18:00 +0000

So sad. I cry like I knew the man. However, we shouldn't mourn him, we should celebrate his life and the legacy he's left through his music.

He's in a better place away from his detractors. The peace he didn't find on earth, he's finally found.

CNN
BBC
His You Tube Channel

6/25/09...2:26pm

Rest in Peace Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

Slumdog Outrage

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:41:00 +0000

***update here***

I haven't seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire, but it racked a bunch of Oscar awards and is reported to be an extremely good movie. It thus goes without saying that this movie must have made the producers a lot of money, not so?

So why was the home of one of the young actors, Azharuddin Mohammed, demolished by the Indian city authorities and most importantly why oh why are they homeless? They reportedly smacked the boy in the head before proceeding to demolish the home in Mumbai.

The movie's director, Danny Boyle has denied charges of exploitation but man please, give me a break. The only thing done so far for the children was to enroll them in school for the very first time, which in itself is a good thing, but for a movie that grossed over $200m, are they not supposed to be relatively well off?

Would child actors here like Dakota Fanning be paid peanuts? Hell to the no, so why these children? Are they any different because they're Indian? I'm enraged, it's some major bs and highly unfair.

Slumdog millionaire, an oxymoron indeed.

Read more: BBC, CNN

In Honor of 'Apo Six'

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Apo Six is the name given to six individuals who were brutally murdered by the Nigerian police in Abuja on June 7-8, 2005.

The deceased are:

Ekene Isaac Mgbe
Ifeanyin Ozor
Chinedu Meniru
Paulinus Ogbonna and
Anthony and Augustina Arebu

Below is the timeline of the murders:

7 June 2005: 2200 Apo Six meet Danjuma Ibrahim at a party

8 June: 0200 Four shot at police roadblock

0400 Ifeanyin and Augustina seen alive at Garki police station

1100 Police try to bury six in a cemetery near Apo

Two days of rioting in Apo and Garki districts

13 June: Police begin internal investigation

24 June: President Obasanjo orders inquiry

5 July: Police witnesses testify the six were slain in cold blood

6 July: Police armourer admits weapons planted on bodies

13 July: Court rules the suspects will face trial

15 December: Bodies buried by families

18 January 2006: Trial of police officers begins

3 August: Danjuma Ibrahim released on "exceptional and special" medical bail

It's ridiculous that almost four years later, justice has still not been served and to make matters worse, the culprit is out on 'medical' bail, how insensitive.

May their souls find rest and peace.

Photo Credit & Timeline: BBC
Read full story here

The Death Penalty & A Pregnant Lady

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Update: 8/14/09: She has been released into UK custody where she will serve out the rest of her sentence
**Sentencing Update: BBC***
***UPDATES HERE: BBC and CNN***

Ms. Samantha Orobator is a 20 year old Briton, of Nigerian heritage, who was arrested August 5, 2008 in Laos for smuggling a little over a pound of cocaine.

It is the law in Laos that anyone caught with more than a pound of cocaine will face the death penalty. Ms. Orobator has been sentenced to death by firing squad. To make matters worse, she got pregnant in December while in prison. A legal charity in the UK, Reprieve, has said that things that happen in prison are usually not voluntary, in other words, she was probably raped by a guard. She is due in September.

She was born in Nigeria, but lived in Britain since she was eight. Her father still lives in Nigeria while her mother and three sisters live in Ireland. Her mum only just found out in January that her daughter is pregnant, she also didn't know what her daughter was doing in Laos.

Legal director for Reprieve, Clive Stafford Smith, stated that Laos authorities have now decided to bring her case forward by a year to next week. This has been done because arrangements were only just made for her to see a lawyer and the authorities want to avoid her meeting with one.

Reports state that she is being kept in the most inhumane condition, not conducive to a pregnant woman, her needs are not being taken into consideration.

At this point, she has no lawyer and it is common in Laos for a defendant to get a lawyer only a few days before trial. If something is not done pretty soon, it might be too late.

It's sickening to think a pregnant woman will be executed without fair practices. Guilty or not, human rights still needs to prevail, given her condition, I can't even begin to imagine how she must feel, it must be torturous mentally and physically.

I hope the best for her and her unborn child. Hopefully, she can get a reduced sentence as opposed to the death penalty. I am wholly opposed to the death penalty because it's simply ineffective and doesn't serve it's purpose, so really what's the point?

This hits home even more for me because she is Nigerian and so young too, only 20. I'll definitely be following this story closely and not wanting to start writing in the past tense, I'll leave it be for now.

**The Reprieve lawyer handling her case, Anna Morris (who was refused access) stated that Orobator will not face the death penalty because she is pregnant. Apparently, Laos law prohibits the execution of pregnant women. The UK Foreign Office states that she became pregnant in jail while the Laotian government states she was pregnant when she was arrested. She is yet to go to trial.**

Petition for her freedom
Background on Samantha Orobator

Photo Credit & Article: BBC, CNN
More on story: CNN
More: BBC

Policing & 'Civil Lunatics' in Nigeria

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:43:00 +0000

"What kind of human being are we working with, we needed back up."

Policing in Nigeria is nothing short of a traumatic experience. The Nigerian police are extremely gun-happy and are always ready and willing to point a gun at you for any perceived slight. Cars are flagged down, sometimes really for no reason and the policeman's lingo will be 'You! Out! Now!' For your own safety you had better comply and don't argue, even if he is in the wrong, otherwise you'll be opening a can of trouble.

The BBC is writing a series of articles looking at policing in Nigeria. In the above image, culled from their site, is of Stephen Osaghae, SARS Commander. SARS being 'Specialist Anti-Robbery Squad.' The method used by this group, located in Enugu, Nigeria, is to stop random cars and search for weapons.

It is the belief of SARS that the manner in which they approach civilians is necessary in order to weed out the bad eggs. Pointing guns at unsuspecting people, they say, is the only way to determine the criminals from the regular folk. They argue that once the driver sees a gun pointed at him, his demeanor changes, um, yeah, but if anyone had a gun pointed at them, I believe their demeanor would change not necessarily because they got caught but because they're simply scared for their lives!

SARS also argues that the robbers have more sophisticated weapons than the police and that these robbers also use marijuana to numb them, thereby making them more dangerous. Okay, that might be true, but it still doesn't call for outright agression, they can't even tell criminals from civilians. If the robbers have better weapons, wouldn't they also figure out a way to outsmart the police and avoid getting caught?! Innocent lives get caught in the cross-fire and there are still numerous criminals at large.

For the criminals they do capture, torture is often used to extract information. While the BBC was at the SARS office, two suspects were brought in and interrogated. After saying they didn't know what the interrogating officer was talking about, the SARS commander orders that they be taken to the back cells and in 15 minutes they will tell the truth. When asked by the BBC what he meant by that, he declined to say anything.

Torture more often than not leads to false confessions. Anyone who is tortured for an inordinate amount of time will no doubt say what his interrogators want to hear just to stop being tortured. This in turn, will then lead to jail sentences and sometimes even death for innocents.

Another issue that is getting out of hand is the incarceration of the mentally impaired. In the South-Eastern part of Enugu, some people who haven't committed any crimes, have been locked up for years, simply because they are 'civil lunatics.'

According to Victoria Uzamaka, Enugu's Prison Controller,

'civil lunatics are people that the society doesn't want to be roaming around causing problems.'

According to the BBC, "these are people that have been taken to court, either by the police or their families, and a magistrate has jailed them indefinitely, somtimes for life."

The bad thing about this is that those who determine the civil lunatics are not psychologists. This they do without any training whatsoever. Some of the crimes committed are misdemeanors and don't deserve life sentences or indefinite jail terms. However, colonial era law allows Nigeria to imprison the mentally ill.

Enugu's prison asylum, where these civil lunatics are housed are reportedly hot as ovens and filthy. One can only imagine the stench.

It seems there is a light at the end of the tunnel for some of these inmates, as an NGO, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) is working hard to get some released. So far, they have had 54 inmates released since 2007.

The Nigerian police have a very long way to go. Their methods are crude, their aggression is utterly uncalled for and the logic behind their reasoning is ludicrous. I honestly don't know what to recommend because their logic has been so firmly ingrained in their minds and it will take a lot to reverse that; maybe an entirely new force...

It's really sad, because some of these civil lunatics might have become that way from being incarcerated in such conditions for so long, some of them have memories of their families and long for home, some have children on the way and fear being forgotten in prison, some don't know that they'll ever get out. It's a sad end to life for most and it shouldn't be that way. Where to start reform is the question that begs to be answered. BBC article on whether reform is possible.

Photo Credit: BBC

Links for more information:
Nigerian Prisons Service
Nigerian Police Force

Hope for Swaziland's Orphans

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Sipho Mamba (in purple) is a retired business man and former government minister who decided to start Kambhoke Primary school for orphans. He runs the school along with his wife, they charge no fees and feed the children twice daily.

Swaziland is a country with the world's highest rate of HIV/AIDS. Not all the children that attend the school are HIV orphans, some are children of alcoholic parents. The cook, a grandmother of one of the children, gets support from the World Food Program. The school also gets support from other NGO's.

It's simply an amazing thing he's doing; catering for these children who might otherwise have been left to perish. Free meals, free uniforms, no fees, God bless him!

Photo Credit and pic story: BBC

Hunger Strike over Darfur Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Mia Farrow will be going on a hunger strike effective today. She is doing this in response to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan to which most of the world has turned a blind eye. Her plan is to carry this on for three weeks and drink lots of water during that time.

While I applaud her efforts and obvious concern, I just don't think this is sensible or feasible. She is risking her health and for a cause that has gone unanswered for six years. Albeit, she is a celebrity and there is the fact that by doing this, she is reopening the canker worm that is the humanitarian crisis and by extension, this might cause a re-evaluation by world leaders, but this is highly doubtful.

Mia Farrow is a lone voice, while she can effectively raise awareness about this, I don't think it's going to receive the sort of response she is hoping for. No doubt, the situation is Darfur has been on-going since 2003 and world leaders have done nothing tangible to effect a change. Last year, the ICC (International Criminal Court) issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir for his role in the situation; in return, he expelled numerous international aid agencies from the country.

Issuing an arrest warrant does nothing, is he really going to be arrested? I honestly don't think so. It's not enough to deal with paper where lives are concerned. Those words need to become action, after all actions speak louder than words.

It's been six long years, hoards of people have been brutally murdered and displaced, most have no where else to go and live in refugee camps, even then, they don't feel safe. If the Western world really wanted to do something to rectify this situation, they would have done it a long time ago. Six years is a long time to ponder the fate of people. Like Rwanda, the world watched and continued to let innocent people die till the last minute.

Her mission is noble and honest and deserves commendation, but how far is it really going to go? She will be interviewed by CNN's Larry King tonight in hopes of shedding more light on the reason behind her hunger strike.

A letter was written by the spokesman for a network of refugee camps, Hussein Abu Sharati to President Obama, pleading for an intervention seeing as most, if not all the international aid agencies have been expelled. With the expulsion of these agencies, the crisis will no doubt worsen as there won't be doctors on hand to treat those malnourished and injured, no food and no one to repair water pumps, so no water.

If a lot of people, not only in the States but around the world, fast as a whole, it would send a stronger message to world leaders letting them know that something needs to be done immediately.

In her words,

"non-action is an act of acquiescence."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Photo Credit: CNN

World Malaria Day

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:39:00 +0000

Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease transmitted by mosquitoes and kills more than one million people every year, most in sub-saharan Africa, where malaria is the leading cause of death for children under five.

World Malaria Day (April 25) calls for action and sheds light on the dangers of the disease.

Because malaria is a global emergency that affects mostly poor women and children, malaria perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty in the developing world. Malaria related-illnesses and mortality cost Africa’s economy alone USD 12 billion per year.

As a child growing up in Nigeria, I remember having malaria. The body gets extremely warm and you feel very cold, one of its symptoms is a fever. The medicine that was used to make one feel better always had 'quine' at the end of it, like Chloroquine, Camoquine and the likes. I always thought that after a while, one became immune to it, but I don't know how accurate that is.

There are a few foundations that focus soley on eradicating the scourge that is malaria. Some include Malaria No More and Roll Back Malaria. It is the hope that malaria can be eradicated by 2015. Even though there have been successes in countries like Zanzibar, I just don't think this is feasible.

CNN has an article called the A-Z of Malaria, which is highly informative.

Malaria No More is a non-profit organization seeking to end malaria related deaths and provides tools (such as nets) to those in need. The recent Twitter competition between Ashton Kutcher and CNN was part of an effort to lend a helping hand to eradicating malaria. Kutcher donated 10, 000 nets since he was the winner (if he lost, he said he would've donated 1,000). CNN's Ted Turner donated $2 million to the effort.

A soccer professional, Saana Nyassi, originally from Gambia, recovered from having malaria as a child and currently plays for the Seattle Sounders soccer team is also part of the effort to eradicate malaria. He and his teammates have marked the day by donating $20,000 to Nothing but Nets, a UN Foundation sponsored-campaign to supply anit-malarial bed nets to the poorest parts of the world that need them the most.

There are many simple ways to get involved, just getting more knowlegeable about malaria is an effective way. Learn of more ways to help.

Photo culled from CNN, quotes culled from Roll Back Malaria.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:10:00 +0000

At Jamba Juice today, I saw a flyer from a non-profit called Love Our Children USA. Apparently, April is National child abuse prevention month and I wasn't even aware.

A section on the card read:

"Over 3 million children are victims of child abuse and violence and those are only the ones reported!..."

It's really sad when children have to bear the brunt of adults' frustrations. It should never be like that and children should always remain children without having to mature beyond their years. I hate hearing instances where children have been murdered or sexually abused or just basically traumatized all because they're young. Not all cases are reported and to think that there are more children who silently endure abuse is heartbreaking to say the least.

You can participate by wearing a blue ribbon or heading over to Love Our Children USA to purchase a blue wristband. If these are not options for you, simply wear blue...in any form you wish.

In Nigeria, children are also faced with the same dilemma, to make matters worse, some are breadwinners.

Children should always remain children no matter the circumstances. Please visit their website for more information.

And another one....

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:36:00 +0000

Avartsy's Beauty Studio

The Adoption Furor

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:38:00 +0000

In 2006, Madonna adopted a little boy from Malawi known as David Banda. She ran into some issues which were eventually resolved and she was able to take him home with her.

Forward to two years later, she is at it again. This time, her intention is to adopt a little girl from the same orphanage in Malawi as David. The girl in question is four year old Chifundo 'Mercy' James, who has been living in the orphanage since her eighteen year old mother died after child birth.

This issue is raising a lot of questions about celebrities adopting children internationally. On CNN, it was asked why these celebrities don't adopt American children? The charity Save the Children is against her adoption because they are of the opinion that these children would do better to grow up in their own environment around their remaining family members/ relatives.

I'll be honest, when I first heard about the adoption, I was of the same opinion as some; that she should adopt American children, after all, it's been said that charity begins at home. The argument for others is that she is also a single, divorced parent and that does not make for a conducive environment. While reading an article by Roland Martin on CNN's site, he mentioned how much harder it is for parents' here to adopt American children due to all the red tape they have to deal with. It got me thinking that if it's so difficult to adopt kids here, then maybe it would be better to adopt internationally.

My gripe with this however, would be two-fold: in the case of internationally adopted children, what happens to their culture/ traditions...I think it would be lost, even if the children pay frequent visits back to their native country, being adopted at such a young age, does not afford them the opportunity to be ingrained in their culture, whatever it may be. The second part, which should not really be a concern, but on further introspection, is well- founded, would have to do with whether or not the adoption of international children by celebrities is genuine or simply to garner publicity.

It is my sincere hope that it's the former, because thinking about it, adopting a child is a lot of responsibility not for the faint hearted as it is pretty much a lifetime commitment. I assume that it would be possible to return the child should things not work out, but why?

The adoption of international children by celebrities no doubt, affords these children a much better life than they would've had if they remained orphans in their countries of birth, but at what cost?

There was a commentary by Julia Fleming of OASIS on BBC, in which she rightly said that "... no one charity can care for all children. Not all children can be reunited with birth families or placed in local foster homes." I completely agree with her, but I guess my main question is who really benefits from international adoptions?

Madonna will not know if she the adoption will be approved until Friday, until then it's just a waiting game....turns out she was denied today 4/3

Photo credit: BBC

Clowning Away...

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Often times, I wonder what children of war feel. I wonder how they deal with their hurt or if they understand what exactly happened. Do they wonder when their parents' will return or when they'll go back home or even when they'll see their grandparents' again?

For the adults that have the task of breaking the news to them, how do they do it and where do they summon the courage from? I often wonder about this because from war, most times the children are also unfortunate casualties, who often get forgotten in the melee.

On the BBC, I read about a group called Clowns without Borders or Payasos sin Fronteras(no doubt an intelligent spin on Doctors Without Borders or Medecins sans Frontieres). This group was formed in July 1993 in Barcelona and aims to help children of war overcome their trauma.

This team of clowns travel around the world and have recorded numerous success in the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Sudan and more recently, the Congo. It's their first time in the Congo and there are seven camps for displaced people, almost 100, 000 and out of this number, the children make up 55-60% of this.

It's heart warming to see these kids are not forgotten.

All images culled from BBC and Clowns Without Borders.

The Hearing Miracles

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:40:00 +0000

I read about this on Time.com and going through the pictures, it struck me how we who are fortunate enough to hear sometimes take it for granted, all the Verizon ads 'can you hear me now,' come into mind. Well, maybe not necessarily take it for granted, but since it's almost second nature to most, it's just kind of lost by the wayside.

Imagining what it would be like not being able to hear is somewhat difficult because all around is some form of noise, be it the steady hum of an equipment or rustling leaves. I guess sitting still in an empty room devoid of noise could provide that type of silence, but still, for me anyways, I know I'd be inadvertently straining to hear something...anything.

For those not so fortunate to hear, being in silence all day, every day must be hard, for those born with the defect, it might not be so hard simply because they've just never heard anything, although I imagine they must often wonder. For those who lose hearing at some point in their lives, it must be even harder because they've 'heard' before. For the latter though, as the saying goes, you can't miss what you've never had.

In 1984, William F. Starkey had a goal which he termed "so the world can hear." This goal became The Starkey Hearing Foundation, whose mission it is to provide the gift of hearing whilst promoting health awareness.

Below is the image of a child in Malawi, who benefited from this foundation. The joy on his face is indescribable, he must've felt so happy.
The Starkey Hearing Foundation has provided 32, 620 hearing instruments to Africa. Some of the countries that have benefited from this include South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria.
With regards to Nigeria, there is no information the site when the visit was and where, but I'm sure in due time, those who need it the most will continue to benefit from the goodness of this mission.

It is the aim of the Starkey Foundation to provide hearing to those in developing countries and to the impoverished in developed countries.

All images culled from Time.com
The Starkey Hearing Foundation

Issue with Papal Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit to Africa this week, with stops in Cameroon and Angola.

In Angola, he stressed the need for an end to corruption in Africa, by saying that Africans, with compassion and integrity could bring an end to it. This is no news for most Africans, you can sit and discuss African politics for as long as you please, but unless those at the top are willing to institute change, discussions are often all for naught. This is not the issue I had with his visit, as this is just reiterating what most already know.

My issue lies in his condom comment in Cameroon. Pope Benedict stated that he is opposed to the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa. I understand that the Catholic church and the Pope, by extension, preach abstinence and fidelity, but it is my opinion that this is not a very feasible solution to stop the scourge that is AIDS.

The BBC states that a fifth of Africans are Roman Catholic and 22 million are infected with HIV. Those who who are fiercely Catholic are probably hanging onto his e.v.e.r.y single word and I think that a man of his power, who undoubtedly cannot go against the grain of his church/religion, should use his position to espouse a better idea with regards to condom use.

I am of the strong opinion that if you are to teach abstinence and fidelity, please also teach the other side of the coin. It's all gravy if a person's decision is to abstain from sex or be monogamous, however, change is the only constant thing in life and people succumb to various pressures. For the Africans that take up his idea, some might end up interpreting his suggestion the way they see fit and that will only spread the virus.

The pope's predecessor was of the same opinion and both have received major flack from around the world for this comment.

With a continent like Africa, where poverty is rife, anti-retroviral medicine is hard to come by and those that have access to it can't all afford it, how do you tell them in the first place not to use what could possibly prevent getting the virus?

The Pope further said the HIV is a serious threat to the economic and social stability of the African continent. Um thanks, but we are totally aware of that. Abstinence of course, is always highly effective, but not everyone remains that way and for those that don't, the understanding needs to be there that condoms should be used.

I think his condom comment was highly ignorant and to make it worse, the comment was made on a plane en route to Africa, whilst answering questions from journalists. He should've made that kind of comment in a townhall type situation like Obama-McCain.

Bottom line, a man in his position should understand the kind of power that he wields and put it to better use.

Photo credit and article

New Developments

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:17:00 +0000

I have started writing as a Contributing Editor for an online magazine, Mahogany Butterfly

I finally got round to cooking, so I opened up my cooking blog. I'm also hosting the same cooking blog on WordPress, no special reason. It's called on blogspot The Avartsy Kitchen Chronicles and on WordPress, Avartsy's Kitchen Chronicles

I'm finally on FaceBook for more networking to promote Avartsy Poverty. You can find me there as Yetialos Avartsy. (I can't seem to figure out a link to put on here.)

The Man....The Moment....His Time

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:55:00 +0000

August 4, 1961... a man who would change the face of American politics was born
The Man was named Barack Hussein Obama
The Man grew up to become an intelligent, eloquent and articulate speaker

January 20, 2009...The Man had a Moment
He took an oath of office...
His Moment marked an epoch of peace, dignity and renewed alliances

His Time, has been all along...from his birth to now
God knew of his destiny while he was in his mother's womb
"God of our silent tears," Thank You.

End of an Era

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:25:00 +0000

It is no news that most people are glad to see the end of the Bush presidency. However, it merits mention that he has been quite helpful to Africa in the years he was in office. Most of the things he did, I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't aware of. Thanks to the BBC, below is the list of what he did for the continent of Africa:

Pumped $18bn into fighting HIV/Aids, much of it in Africa

Backed cancelling $34bn worth of debt for 27 African states

Launched initiative that has halved Malaria in 15 African countries

Led condemnation of Sudan's record in Darfur as genocide

Pressed for north-south peace deal in Sudan

"Saved millions of lives", according to aid activist Bob Geldof

Backed Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia to battle Islamists

I don't exactly know about the saving millions of lives, but I guess if you consider his efforts to ensure those with HIV/ AIDS get anti-retroviral medication then I guess it is saving lives, but there is still so much unrest and death in most parts of Africa, so I don't quite know if that would suffice. Since 2003, however, the number of Africans on anti-retroviral drugs has jumped from a mere 50,000 to over 1.3 million as of 2007.

Most important is that he led the international community in declaring the situation in Sudan a genocide, unlike with Rwanda, where the situation wasn't declared as genocide until an awful number of people were killed.

Here's to hoping Mr. Obama does an even better job where Africa is concerned.

Photo credit and article: BBC

Older & Wiser

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Yesterday, I saw 25

25 sees me more pensive

25 sees me more introspective

Am I older? Most definitely...

Am I wiser? I sure would like to think so...

I'm thankful for 24

...... grateful for 25

...... faithful for the remainder part to come.

New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:27:00 +0000

Not sure if that is actually an appropriate title, but whatever, it kinda captures the essence of my mood at the moment! Got a new layout (still editing, moving stuff around), ya like...me likey... a lot...similar colors to my new blog.

(I ended up changing my template yet again, I really liked the second one, but I thought it would suffice better if my blogging was more risque and I felt it was too busy, my eyes kept roving, couldn't quite focus and capture the essence of the message...still tweaking this one, but I think it'll work better)

I'm excited for 2009, made plans, things I want to see happen, but they say if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans right? So, we'll see...but I'm sure it'll be good. Will probably usher in 2009 in church (as always)!

New Year's resolutions...hmmm...still working on that one.

I really just wanted to end the year on an even note with 40 posts, so no real reason for this post just minor ramblings. Happy New Year!

Happy B-Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:58:00 +0000

...to Avartsy's big sis!!!

Happy b-day dearest sister!!! Best wishes now and always!!!
Let's party like its 1999!!!

HAPPY B-DAY.....

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:27:00 +0000

to Avartsy's Mama!!!!!

Shout out to my ma! Yup, Yup!!!

Happy Birthday Mummy, best wishes and lots of love, hugs and kisses!!!