THE VICTIMS OF POVERTY

Today I am going to do my part and bring to light some of the injustices imposed upon the already suffering victims of poverty.

Is it not enough just to be poor, not knowing when you are going to eat? when your child is going to die so that the suffering can stop as there is no money for medicines?

Is it not enough that one has to sell a daughter to the highest bidder so that the bride price can save the remaining family from social indignity?

Is it not enough knowing if the children live, they will lead the same life since as poor parents there are no means to support the children's education and ensure a better life?

Is it not enough seeing the leaders getting richer and richer, while the families suffering remains the same and gets worse everyday?

Is it not enough .....????
This is the questioned asked by many people experiencing extreme poverty.

Well ... apparently it seems, this is not enough, because there are others who take advantage of these suffering poor to make a living in a way that can only be described as extremely evil.

However, the question to ask ourselves here is, who else are the victims?

By reading this short article published by http://www.underthesamesun.com/ I see more than one category of victims.....

Persons with albinism in Tanzania face several major challenges:
1. The horror of a rapidly growing industry in the sale of albino body parts.
''This unimaginable evil is driven by the belief (in some areas of the country) that the bodyparts of people with albinism possess magical powers capable of bringing riches if used in potions produced by local witchdoctors. During the last year, official reports indicate that 43 people with albinism have been brutally murdered and their bodyparts hacked off and sold to witchdoctors. However, leaders in the albinism community believe the number of deaths to be between 60 and 70. Reports also indicate that albino bodyparts are being exported outside of Tanzania. In one instance, a Tanzanian trader was caught travelling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the head of an albino baby in his possession. He told police that a businessman there was going to pay him for the head by its weight.''

In my opinion, the real crime is being committed by those who are supposed to guide and protect the poor people from being in such a desperate situation, that they actually fall victim to the evil plan of the witch doctors.
The governments are prosecuting the witch doctors (BIG DEAL!) Who is prosecuting the governemnt for failing in their duties? What kind of justice is this? Is the government really committed to alleviate this situation? Is there a real plan that is being followed?

This worries me, I am a Tanzanian afterall.
I have the right to know that my government values the lives of the people regardless of colour, handicaps, religion or tribe.

Believe Begin Become 2008/2009

I am aware that there are many motivated Tanzanians who want to make a difference in their country especially within their regional communities.
But I wasn't aware of the many challenges they have to face only to be disappointed over and over again.

This is quite difficult, because sometimes people in the rural areas have a practical plan, but just because BBB is focusing on the ''academic'' side of the plan, the rural people don't stand a chance.
I hereby present to you the list of participants for the BBB competition 2008/2009
http://www.believe-begin-become.com/Tanzania/BBB_Finalists_and_Voucher_Winners_jan_30_2009.pdf

Looking at the headings, I see some very good agricultural and food processing plans. Therefore I wonder .... what went wrong? Do we really value IT projects in Dar es salaam than food processing projects in Villages? Is it that we don't understand the value of such a project in a community and how much the livelihoods of the people are linked to a project such as food processing?

This BBB project is creating uneven development and I'd go as far as saying if this continues, there will be an expansion of the gap between those who have and those who have not.

I'd call it RRR - Re-think, Re-evaluate, Re-structure.

''LOVE AS FLOWERS''

I thought I'd spend some leisurely time reviewing some of my old poetry.

Before I knew it, I was busy scribbling on my writting pad and just couldn't stop. It seem like so many things have happened since my last encounter with my inner voice.

It has always been my habit to write down how I feel, not all the time (that will be way too much) but those rare moments in life when the heart and the mind connects and words struggle to come out.

My first poetry collection ''love as flowers'' , mainly consists of my romance journey for the last 20 years. Many women can relate to some of the experiences, I hope you will enjoy reading.

You can order a copy now at http://www.lulu.com/content/7503789 the first publication by Demer Press will be out on January 2010.