Tag Archives: my 500 words

Botswana: The Jewel In The Crown Of Africa, Part 2

21 Tuesday Jan 2014

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These stories are not uncommon. Just over 10 years ago Botswana faced an epidemic of catastrophic proportion.  The response, from the beginning of the epidemic, both by the Botswana government and international donors and research institutions, has been unprecedented.

Besides investing hugely by its own government, Botswana has received aid from international donors and research institutions. The U.S. government was involved through the CDC and PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was launched by President George W. Bush. The Bill and Melinda Gates & Merck Foundations have also been a vital part of seeing these statistics improve. 

Today, the plight of a Zimbabwean is close to what it was over 15 years ago. It was too late for the teacher mentioned in my previous post. But for the young woman, a citizen of Botswana, who got help almost immediately once the free program was rolled out in the country, it meant life for her. The Southern African nation of Botswana has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. Nearly 25 percent of all adults in the country are infected with the virus, with the Kingdom of Swaziland ranking number one.

But Botswana is also remarkable for its response to the epidemic. It has one of the most comprehensive and effective HIV treatment programs in Africa. Transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their fetuses and newborn babies went from 40% has now been brought down to just 4%.  A decade ago, Botswana was facing a national crisis as AIDS appeared on the verge of decimating the country’s adult population. Now, Botswana provides free, life-saving ARV drugs to citizens who need them.

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“From the beginning of the epidemic, there’s been tremendous leadership on the part of the government of Botswana to address the epidemic head on.” – Kathleen Toomey, head of the CDC’s office in Botswana

In 2002, Botswana became the first nation in Africa to launch a program to try to provide access to HIV drug treatment nationwide. Now, roughly 95 percent of Botswana citizens who need the medications are on them and living healthy, productive lives.  Botswana has had advantages in addressing HIV that many other countries do not have even though through ongoing infection rates it comes in at the second most affected country from HIV in the world.  Through education, both Moral and academically, the statistics are slowly improving. Though as large as the State of Texas or the country of France, its small population of only 2 million people, the effects on such a small population are substantial. The Botswana government now spends more on health care per capita than any other country in Africa.

Having lived in the country for more than 25 years, we have seen a turnaround in the effects of HIV/AIDS on our everyday lives. Funerals were continual, hospital beds were not enough, there was not one area of life here that was not affected by the scourge. Today, things are shaping up. With services offered by Government, with partnerships with NGO’s, with a society that wants to see change, hope is becoming a reality. I for one am grateful for all the efforts made, international and local, to see what was a death sentence for a nation, turn into a thriving nation that is headed towards Vision 2016 and continue to be a Model for all of Africa to see.

Photo: Bing.com

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Stats taken from: http://www.npr.org/2012/07/09/156375781/botswanas-stunning-achievement-against-aids

My 500 Words Post 21

The Lipstick Dare

18 Saturday Jan 2014

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Just a quick disclaimer before I start off: The is really a chic-blog but guys, you can use some of it for your takeaway.

 Every woman in Texas knows that a girl doesn’t go anywhere without her lipstick. My mama told me that even if I find myself in a hospital bed, no matter how bad I feel, or how hard life gets, always put on your lipstick! Well, I guess it stuck because I can be in the middle of the Kalahari Desert in a tent. I can be in a hospital, birthing or helping someone who is. I can be crying in my Earl Grey tea, but you will be hard pressed to fin me without my lipstick on!

 When I was little, I had a babysitter from across the street that I thought was so great. Until she decided one day that I had a mouth that needed to be washed out with soap! I thought she was joking, but I found out pretty quick that she wasn’t. Child abuse, plain and simple, but I never cussed around her again!

 I don’t know about you but my mouth can sure get me in a lot of trouble. The Apostle Paul compares the tongue to a bit in a horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship and a spark in a forest. Here it is broken down:

James 3:3-11

“3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?”

So, the conclusion is this:  Eph. 4:29 29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

I looked in the mirror and gave myself a personal challenge, a dare. How about every time I put on my lipstick, I make a commitment to myself to try and let good stuff come out of my mouth; words that will lift and help others. Words that will speak life and not death. Words that will empower not destroy. With just a little effort, I can start to change my reality. Not all at once, but maybe, as much as I put on my lipstick every day, I can be reminded a lot! Girls, will you join me in my dare? We can cheer one another on!

If you are a guy and you made it to the end of this post-I admit, us gals needed this post more than the guys because we like to talk! But I dare you, too. You don’t have to put lipstick on, please don’t! But think about how your life would be different if your words were used more carefully.

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Let me know Let if you are “in” by liking this post.

Day 18! My 500 Word challenge

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Aside

Hippo Attack (Part 2)

17 Friday Jan 2014

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See part 1 here

My terror of hippos had subsided and the nightmares stopped. I heard stories of people who had fatal or near fatal encounters. I even knew a well-known lady in Maun who nearly lost her life and managed to save her leg over a surprise encounter with a hippo.

Several years went by and I went in a boat or Mokoro (small dugout canoe) and still had no nightmares. But one day I was with Rebecca, a friend of mine from Spain. I had been to that site many times before and there were always lots of hippo around. This time, as we started out with our guide, who guided us through the flood plains in the mokoro. We were peacefully gliding along the edge of the large pool of water. It was so pristine, and tranquil as the sound of the water gently brushed our ears. I was glad my friend could see the beauty of the Okavango Delta. The place I had spent over half my life. There were elephants and different species of antelope in the distance. The fish eagles were calling out with their magical sounds.Image

All at once, the grunting of the hippos in the middle of the pool interrupted the tranquility. They began a chorus that sent terror down my spine! I became paralyzed by fear. When we started out, it didn’t seem like there were very many of them. But I started counting and before I knew it I had counted nearly 80 of them! My mind got a little carried away and I started imagining hundreds of them and could almost see them chasing after us in our vulnerable little Makoro.Image

Rebecca noticed that the guide wasn’t a bit concerned about all the commotion. She looked at me, sitting behind her and she could see I was not doing well! I was frozen, white faced (even more white than my already white face!) and couldn’t do anything but pray. Later Rebecca told me that as long as the guide was fine, she was fine. She was a bit surprised at this veteran missionary carrying on like a scared cat in water.

Here’s the deal, nothing happened except a raging headache from getting so worked up! The truth is, these guides are brilliant in their knowledge and experience in the Delta. It is RARE for anything to go wrong. And it usually isn’t even tourists that are involved. (Generally speaking) So don’t let this stop you from coming to one of the most incredible places on earth!

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Why all of the sudden, after several years of being over my fear of hippos did it come back like this? Often in our lives, we grow in areas where there are weaknesses only to find we are dealing with the very same thing again and again. I had to go back in remember that it was facing my fear that finally stopped the nightmares and near heart attacks when I got close to a hippo.  Life will bring many opportunities to shrink back just enough to keep you from being all you can be, just enough to stop you from making a difference with your life. There will always be opportunities to give up, to freeze up, to become paralyzed by fear.

I want to encourage you to stay in the boat! Steady the course and let God help you overcome those fears that hold you back in life.

Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 12:9-13 The Message (MSG)

7-10 “Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, ‘My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”Image

I was able to send that fear out the door by remembering how God helped me overcome it. Simple trust and faith in Him to protect me. Maybe you are in a situation where you need to get back in the boat and by remembering how you came this far might just help you carry on. Can you share a time when you were held you back by fear and how you conquered it? You might just post it here so you can help someone else!ImagePhotos from Bing.com

Day 17 of My 500 Words

Alligator Gars and Tiger Fishing

16 Thursday Jan 2014

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I have always loved fishing. Growing up I often went fishing with my grandfather on “Chocolate Bayou” near Galveston, Texas.  Alligator Garfish was a great game fish. I can’t say that I ever caught one though. I was pretty young but it was fun to watch him and the other guys hook some!Image

When my husband, Jerry and I went on our first trip to Southern Africa we were able to go Tiger Fishing at Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. We had been married just over a year and had not really had a proper honeymoon and a Pastor from a church in Zim did a trade out for us. We got him some fishing gear in exchange for a weekend at a nice Hotel with mosquito netting over the bed and a great view of Lake Kariba. The Elephants would come and drink water from the swimming pool and the monkeys were making themselves at home around our room.Image

The cheapest way to Tiger fish there was to go out at night on a big Kapenta Rig, especially for us newlyweds on a shoestring budget. These rigs use mercury lights connected to portable generators to attract the fish to the rig. A dip net around 6 metres in diameter and around 8-10 metres in length is used to bring the fish up from as deep as 40 metres, (130 feet) Kapenta is similar to a sardine.  Local people dry them and eat them with their great taste and protein.

The predator Tiger Fish are clever. They know when and where to find a great meal. When the Kapenta rig shows up, they drop the net and the Kapenta’s race for the light. That’s where the lucky tag-along’s come in. This particular rig went out at night. When we got there, it was just before dark and getting colder as the sun went down. Yes, It really does get cold in Africa! It is an all night exercise.  We packed up with the bedrolls, food and got on the rig. The guys looked really surprised when I boarded. Shocked is a better word! She white lady going out on this rig for the whole night? It was a first for them.  We had to take turns sleeping and then it was a long wait to be able to fish around the guys working. I am happy to report that I got the first hit from the tiger! All hands on board that night jumped up from their dead sleep and work to watch this crazy lady from Texas try and bring one of the worlds best game fish in all by myself.

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(yes, that’s me in the photo, recently catching the first tiger between me and Jerry)

I actually have a lot of pity for the men, including my husband, that night. You see, I got the biggest one of the night! I really should try and be more humble about my fishing skills, but I just can’t help myself. We had a blast that night and the men probably never forgot the whole experience. I know I haven’t!

Let me give you just a small takeaway from this true story and address some peer pressure issues. The most obvious thing is not always the best thing. If you go along with what everyone else is doing, just because that is what everyone else is doing, you better watch out for some predators out there. I think about the nightlife scene in our village of Maun. People jam-pack the bars inside and out. Those Kapenta fish went for the light and got caught in the net. The ones who didn’t get caught in the net were vulnerable to the mighty Tiger Fish. Either way, those little fish likely had their last day!

Here is what the bible has to say:

1 Peter 5:8-11 (MSG)  “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.”

 

My 500 words day 15

No Trespassing!

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Where I grew up in Texas, there was a huge sand quarry that we called “The Sand Pits” right next to our house. Dump trucks would come and go from there all the time.  It was a mysterious place that teased with intrigue! There were mountains of sand, places with quicksand and swamp like areas with Cattails. The place was a kids paradise. One day it was quiet and my brother, his friend and I found our way in through the fence that was meant to keep people out. There were “No Trespassing” signs all around.

ImageWe found ourselves at the bottom of a cliff-like wall. Boys being boys, they excitedly decided that they would dig a tunnel all the way to our house, which was just over the top of the wall. Of course, being the only girl, and the little sister, I got the grunge work! My brother Lee and his buddy Stephen got the front line work while I hauled the sand off that they dug through with their hands. After a few hours, it started looking like a cave and we were really making headway! Maybe we would manage to come out on the other side by the end of the day. Even our German Shepherd dog, Toro, was digging.

It happened so fast that we didn’t have time to react.  Out of nowhere, the entire wall, at least 10 stories high came crashing down on all of us. I was at the back so I was just waist deep in the sand. My brother and Stephen disappeared under the fall! Pretty soon, my brothers’ head popped out of the sand and he gasped for air.  We both checked each other to see if we were okay and only then did we realize that Stephen was nowhere to be found! We looked for the spot that we thought he was at and couldn’t see anything but a massive amount of beige colored fine sand. We panicked. Lee started digging like crazy and screaming, Stephen! Stephen! Where are you? Toro sniffed out where Stephen was and started digging too. Lee shouted at me to go get help. I ran as fast as my little 9 year old legs could carry me and I went to the house across the street from the quarry and asked for help since it was the closest from the gate. The lady wasn’t the friendliest person in the world and as neighborhood kids, we got on her nerves a lot.Image

She said in a cold voice, “Go home and tell your parents”.  I couldn’t believe she would send me away with something this urgent. I went home and they were both there, along with my baby sister. My mom said for me to stay with the baby while they went to help. They called the police before they left and then ran frantically out the door.  It seemed like an eternity by the time they returned. As I looked out the door and out onto the shell road we lived on, there was Stephen all covered in sand, a bit short of breath and coughing but he was fine! Whew! If it hadn’t been for the sand being very fine, like beach sand, he would not have made it.

Do you ever feel like you are on an adventure, you are “digging in” to your dream, only to have the whole thing come crashing down on you? Maybe you don’t feel like you can even breathe?  Maybe life gets too hard and you just can’t cope?  You are not alone. David had this to say when he faced unbelievable opposition and betrayal:

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Ps. 61:1-5 (The Message Bible)

3-5 You’ve always given me breathing room,1-2 “God, listen to me shout,
bend an ear to my prayer.
When I’m far from anywhere,
down to my last gasp,
I call out, “Guide me
up High Rock Mountain!”

a place to get away from it all,
A lifetime pass to your safe-house,
an open invitation as your guest…”

When you feel paralyzed, like Stephen in my story did, and you can’t even move because of the heaviness, cry out to God. He will send help. He will lead you out of it and onto a high place, once again. What was once a deep sand pit, has now, years later, become a beautiful lake that is enjoyed by many. God can turn something that was once a pit in your life, and fill It with his purpose and destiny!

My 500 Words- day 14

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