Re: The pending Sh30m HIV/Aids question

[Guest guest]

Ndugu Chifu,

Thanks for that posting.

I have a lot of admiration and respect for Minister Charity Ngilu. I believe

that she is one of most committed and transparent ministers we have in the

NARC Government. In the campaign against HIV/Aids in Kenya, she has no equal

present or past. The lady has done more in sensitizing Kenyans about Aids

in one year than NACC and her ministerial predecessors have done in

years.She treats her role in fighting Aids as a mission rather than official

assignment. It would be sad indeed if the shortcomings of the just concluded

women conference is used politically to discredit her. We who have been

involved in some capacity in fighting the scourge know we have never had a

better friend, a real patner as we have in Ngilu.

Ed

The pending Sh30m HIV/Aids question

> The pending Sh30m HIV/Aids question

>

> The HIV/Aids pandemic is such a serious issue it should not be at the

> centre of gender or political conflicts. It is a national disaster

> whose implications go beyond this polarity.

>

> Yet the officially opened but hardly " closed " women's conference on

> HIV/Aids last weekend came very close to being reduced to a conflict

> between extravagant expenditures of men and the need for women to

> meet over an issue close to the hearts of the people.

>

> When the Mwingi South Member of Parliament, Mr Musila, first

> questioned the rationale of the huge expenditure during a meeting in

> his constituency, the Minister for Health, Mrs Charity Ngilu, read

> the legislator's comment as a challenge to women's right to hold a

> conference and spend even half what men routinely waste. Yet the

> conflict was not about gender or comparative budgets for conferences

> organised by, and for, men or women. Neither was it about politics,

> not Akamba politics in the least, but the rationale of the huge

> expenditure.

>

> If it is true that men spend millions of taxpayers' money

> on " useless, useless " conferences, as Ngilu put it, that is not the

> reason for women to try to be just as reckless in their expenditures

> even if it is under the guise of a HIV/Aids conference.

>

> Two wrongs do not make a right, and Ngilu knows it.

>

> Now we know the event, hailed as the first women's conference on

> HIV/Aids, was a hype that was not worth the expectations and the

> expenditure.

>

> The Sh30m allegedly spent in the organisation could have made a

> difference if the money was spent on drugs for those infected with

> the Aids-causing virus or for the improvement of wards for sufferers.

>

> Sh9,000,000 of the amount came from the National Health Insurance

> Fund. Other financiers included the Government and the United Nations

> Women's Fund.

>

> About 4,000 women were transported to Nairobi last Friday, supposedly

> for a three-day HIV/Aids conference at the Moi International Sports

> Centre, Kasarani. But the participants walked away immediately after

> the President opened the conference on Saturday. Some of the

> participants could not even find accommodation, even as late as 2am

> on Saturday.

>

> There were no discussions, resolutions or recommendations to justify

> the publicity blitz before the awareness conference.

>

> To public knowledge, the participants simply walked away, without

> letting the people into what was discussed.

>

> And four days later, the public does not know what happened after the

> conference was opened. Other than the President's opening speech in

> which he waived tax on sanitary towels, not much is known about what

> else took place.

>

> Instead of the usual recommendations, the next TV footages were of

> workers packing up a large collection of cups, spoons and forks,

> signs that there was a huge gathering here the day before.

>

> If creation of more awareness was the basis of the conference then it

> failed, and the money should be accounted for.

>

> After more than 22 years of HIV/Aids, awareness is no longer the

> problem in the fight against the scourge. The fight must now be taken

> to another level above conferences and workshops.

>

> Women who are mostly affected by the scourge need practical

> interventions. The 1.1 million children orphaned by HIV/Aids need

> alternative support base, and the infected need drugs. No conference

> can compensate for these.

>

>

> http://www.eastandard.net/commentaries/editorial/editorial2.htm

>

>

>

>

> http://www./group/

> http://www./group/aids-africa (a group made up of Africans

worldwide)

> Join Digital Africa- an information technology group that discusses IT in

Africa at http://www./group/digafrica

>

[Guest guest]

I can't help but jump in here too, Ed and Wellington and I am not just saying this because I am a Kamba! Ngilu has done some amazing work! While some might criticize the conference (and yes, it did have its flaws), she did her part in pushing for it and mobilizing the necessary forces to make it happen. I regret the comments made by my MP, Musila but will venture to say that they were driven purely by politics. Kalonzo, though Musila's "main man," has sat in the background because wars with Ngilu notwithstanding, he has more sense than to sound so ridiculous.

Ngilu has her fair share of critics but I hold her in very high regard. She continues to demonstrate courage when faced with adversity, strength when challenged and endurance. Her fiesty personality has given her ministry the passion it needs to confront issues such as HIV/AIDS. That I can recall, she was one of the first really visible women to openly discuss condom use and sexual matters as they relate to HIV/AIDS. I do not believe that Ngilu was rationalizing spending ksh 30m by comparing it with what "men spend." That was not the point. The point was that the expense was justified. Women bear the greatest burden of HIV/AIDS. We are the hardest hit from every angle...just look at the numbers! Holding a conference focused on women and AIDS was long overdue! We should examine those challenging her decision to endorse such a conference and consider what they have done in their various capacities and also what they stand to gain by criticizing Ngilu. Political wars or not, it would be nice to see people according each other their due respect and giving credit where due. .

Ngilu has given a voice to this struggle and has, unlike many, put her money where her mouth is both officially and personally. Agree with me or not, I am proud of Ngilu.

Mwende

[Guest guest]

-

Reasons why Aids meeting was justified

By NYOKABI KAMAU

The politics that have clouded the just ended women's Aids conference

was unfortunate. Instead of supporting the organisers, we have made

them to defend every move they made and every coin they spent.

Although I am against lavish spending in hotels talking about issues

that many people already know, I am convinced that a women's Aids

conference could not have come at a better time. In any case it is

coming about 15 years late.

The argument that we no longer need any more awareness as 90 per cent

of Kenyans are already aware of Aids is contestable. How many men and

women have ever seen a male condom leave alone a female one? Who has

control over the use of that condom? Who suggests its use? What are

the implications, for example, if a girl suggests the use of a condom

to her boyfriend? How many married women can never even imagine

asking their husbands to use a condom even when they are 100 per cent

sure of their unfaithfulness?

The time is ripe to stop using simple statistics to cover up

underlying problems. When it comes to women, talking of 90 per cent

of them being aware about the issues about the pandemic is not

correct. Even if they were aware about the scourge, they are not

conversant with means of coping and managing it. Few really know

about the availability of the antiretrovirals that can prolong lives

of those infected.

So, if the conference was the beginning of changing the approach for

Aids education on prevention and care, then it could not have come at

a better time.

For those questioning the rationale of the conference, they need to

be reminded of some facts and realities thousands of women go through

daily.

A woman dies alone in a crowded rural hospital, abandoned by her

husband and family because she is infected with HIV.

A mother goes through agonising moments when she waits to hear the

results of a test that will tell her whether she has passed the Aids

virus to her newborn child. A grandmother struggles to feed her five

grandchildren, who have already lost their mother to Aids, while

caring for their bedridden father.

Aids is fuelled by ignorance, economic and political

disenfranchisement and sexual powerlessness. It cuts across common

issues facing all women: domestic violence, economic dependence,

illiteracy, poor access to health care, discriminatory laws, among

others.

One of the ways of fighting this scourge is to incorporate gender in

all programmes and particularly include women's needs. The following

suggestions should be considered:

Listening to the women's experiences and factoring them in all

programmes.

Empowering women in the fight against Aids through education. This is

where conferences, workshops and seminars come in. Meaningful

prevention programme for women requires a different kind of strategy,

one that helps women to gain control over their economic, social and

sexual lives.

Research more on prevention methods that women can control like

female condom and vaginal microbicides.

All Aids campaign messages must be gender sensitive. Messages

like " use a condom every time you have sex " or " stick to one

partner " – do not mean much to women because they do not have control

over what their husbands do.

Provide funding for the education of women and for programmes that

integrate gender in all aspects.

The objective should be to have approaches that are gender sensitive

and transformative. Gender sensitive approaches alone cannot change

the gender based realities that fuel the pandemic and make men and

women vulnerable.

So instead of politicising the conference, leaders should address the

fundamental issues that have a bearing on the spread of the pandemic.

The writer is a doctoral student at the University of London.

http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/Today/Comment/Comment28022

0043.html

[Guest guest]

Ijust want to touch briefly on the post below to say that when I was there

in Kenya and Uganda most people knew what AIDS was but that was all they

knew. They also believed it was as a result of sin that anyone got it.

The education message that was rampant in Kenya but not in Uganda was that

abstinence was the only knowledge needed and that condoms were extremely

unreliable as a prevention method.

That was where the knowledge base stopped.

There was very little organised sexual health and safety information or

counselling.

It is the knowledge and acceptance of the sexual realities in Africa that

will make the difference and if the next generation is to be salvaged we

need to start teaching it urgently.

Geoffrey

Geoff Heaviside

Convenor - Brimbank Community Initiatives Inc

Secretary - International Centre for Health Equity Inc

P.O. Box 606 Sunshine 3020

. Australia.

Ph: 0418 328 278

Ph/Fax : (61 3) 9449 1856

or in India

Mr Geoff Heaviside

Mobile : (91) 9840 097 178 (Only when in India)

" Concern for what is right causes us to do our best - Knowledge of what is

best inspires us to do what is right. "

>From: " Chifu " <Chifu2222@...>

>Reply-AIDS treatments

>AIDS treatments

>Subject: Re: The pending Sh30m HIV/Aids question

>Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 00:29:51 -0000

>

_________________________________________________________________

Hot chart ringtones and polyphonics. Go to

http://ninemsn.com.au/mobilemania/default.asp

-

Reasons why Aids meeting was justified

By NYOKABI KAMAU

The politics that have clouded the just ended women's Aids conference

was unfortunate. Instead of supporting the organisers, we have made

them to defend every move they made and every coin they spent.

Although I am against lavish spending in hotels talking about issues

that many people already know, I am convinced that a women's Aids

conference could not have come at a better time. In any case it is

coming about 15 years late.

The argument that we no longer need any more awareness as 90 per cent

of Kenyans are already aware of Aids is contestable. How many men and

women have ever seen a male condom leave alone a female one? Who has

control over the use of that condom? Who suggests its use? What are

the implications, for example, if a girl suggests the use of a condom

to her boyfriend? How many married women can never even imagine

asking their husbands to use a condom even when they are 100 per cent

sure of their unfaithfulness?

The time is ripe to stop using simple statistics to cover up

underlying problems. When it comes to women, talking of 90 per cent

of them being aware about the issues about the pandemic is not

correct. Even if they were aware about the scourge, they are not

conversant with means of coping and managing it. Few really know

about the availability of the antiretrovirals that can prolong lives

of those infected.

So, if the conference was the beginning of changing the approach for

Aids education on prevention and care, then it could not have come at

a better time.

For those questioning the rationale of the conference, they need to

be reminded of some facts and realities thousands of women go through

daily.

A woman dies alone in a crowded rural hospital, abandoned by her

husband and family because she is infected with HIV.

A mother goes through agonising moments when she waits to hear the

results of a test that will tell her whether she has passed the Aids

virus to her newborn child. A grandmother struggles to feed her five

grandchildren, who have already lost their mother to Aids, while

caring for their bedridden father.

Aids is fuelled by ignorance, economic and political

disenfranchisement and sexual powerlessness. It cuts across common

issues facing all women: domestic violence, economic dependence,

illiteracy, poor access to health care, discriminatory laws, among

others.

One of the ways of fighting this scourge is to incorporate gender in

all programmes and particularly include women's needs. The following

suggestions should be considered:

Listening to the women's experiences and factoring them in all

programmes.

Empowering women in the fight against Aids through education. This is

where conferences, workshops and seminars come in. Meaningful

prevention programme for women requires a different kind of strategy,

one that helps women to gain control over their economic, social and

sexual lives.

Research more on prevention methods that women can control like

female condom and vaginal microbicides.

All Aids campaign messages must be gender sensitive. Messages

like " use a condom every time you have sex " or " stick to one

partner " – do not mean much to women because they do not have control

over what their husbands do.

Provide funding for the education of women and for programmes that

integrate gender in all aspects.

The objective should be to have approaches that are gender sensitive

and transformative. Gender sensitive approaches alone cannot change

the gender based realities that fuel the pandemic and make men and

women vulnerable.

So instead of politicising the conference, leaders should address the

fundamental issues that have a bearing on the spread of the pandemic.

The writer is a doctoral student at the University of London.

http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/Today/Comment/Comment28022

0043.html

http://www./group/

http://www./group/aids-africa (a group made up of Africans worldwide)

Join Digital Africa- an information technology group that discusses IT in Africa at http://www./group/digafrica

[Guest guest]

Re: The pending Sh30m HIV/Aids question>Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 00:29:51 -0000>_________________________________________________________________Hot chart ringtones and polyphonics. Go to http://ninemsn.com.au/mobilemania/default.asphttp://www./group/http://www./group/aids-africa (a group made up of Africans worldwide)Join Digital Africa- an information technology group that discusses IT in Africa at http://www./group/digafrica