World AIDS day

Some of you may be aware that yesterday, December 1, was World AIDS Day. I was considering a special post, but a storm knocked out the power and made that decision for me. But today, I think it's fitting to note it.

Swaziland is certainly a country torn by AIDS. It's sometimes hard to figure out which problems are the result of AIDS and which are just the problems of a developing country, but I think many problems in Swaziland do boil down to an AIDS problem.

In 2004, 56% of pregnant women aged 25-29 were HIV+. Even though HIV is not automatically transmitted to a fetus (and techniques have been developed to combat transmission to infants), this is a serious problem. In the past 10 years, Swaziland's life expectancy has fallen from 61 years to 32 years, almost exclusively as a result of AIDS. About 60% of the children who live in the communities that we're working in have lost one or both parents (this is lower higher than the national average).

The UN and the WHO (World Health Organization) are gravely concerned about the situation and fear for the continued existence of the country, simply because the population will die off at such a rate that only children are left.

A large part of this is sadly due to Swazi culture. Reproduction is seen as a major duty of everyone, and not limited to monogamous, marriage relationships. Polygamy (or simple male promiscuity) is another major factor, with 23% of men involved with multiple partners. Combined with sexual violence (1/3 of girls are subjects of sexual violence before reaching 18), this has resulted in 50% more women than men being infected.

If reading about this situation has made you depressed, I know what you're feeling. In fact, I get sick when I learn too much (today I read a news story about a couple who sold their daughter for E350, about $40). But as easy as it would be, I don't think I could live with myself if I stopped caring. I don't know how to fix things here, but I don't think we can stop trying.

I'm going to suggest two possible actions.
1) Prayer. Although we are all facing our own challenges and our own lives, I think this matter needs to be prayed about. Pray for a change in the culture and the situation. Many pastors and elders claim HIV is a demon or an ancestral curse and the medications are either against God or poison. Pray for real truth and wisdom for this nation.
2) Foreign aid/assistance. I'm not saying we should airlift condoms, pamphlets, and ARVs. That's the wrong answer. But the Swazi government is in turmoil, can't pay its workers, and its law enforcement is atrocious. I think it would be amazing if a Western government provided training and funding for a law enforcement group targeted at prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence. And actually made it happen (the anti-corruption commission has existed since I've been here, but isn't actually doing anything yet; these are things Swaziland needs NOW).

There are no easy or simple solutions to this problem, and I recognize that. But I thought I should expound on the situation and maybe someone else will have some wisdom that I don't have.

-Ben