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Leaders steering people in wrong directions
2006-10-27 08:55:28
By Richard Chilima
A joke with graphic image of a man in the shower scrubbing himself like there was no tomorrow say; There are four ways of preventing HIV: Abstinence, Being Faithful to one uninfected partner, correct and consistent use of condoms as well as of course the SHOWER.
There are so many myths and misconceptions surrounding HIV / Aids issues today even with all the education on HIV/ Aids and people are eager to latch onto any new myth.
It would not be surprising to see some people start having unprotected sex believing that they can always shower afterwards.
People may say one thing but deep down they believe another and when it comes to the way they act - it would be something totally different.
While some of you might think in this day and age everybody would know that if you have unprotected sex with a person whose status you don’t know you increase the chances of being infected, there are many who still think AIDS is just not for them.
”For others yes, but not me” they go around thinking. Why they think this way, I don’t know. There are some men who look at a girl and think ”aah this botro!” (beauty) she cannot possibly have AIDS. My foot! Do you know her status?
Then there are others who assume that ”this girl or man looks so fit, he or she cannot possibly have anything. In this day and age?
How else would you explain Zuma’s actions; he even knew the woman was sero-positive but I am sure somewhere at the back of his mind he thought.
”I definitely cannot catch anything, AIDS cannot touch me” or he even thought ”this girl is so fit, there has to be a mistake, she does not have AIDS.”
How else would you explain the actions of those men who rape old grannies or babies because someone has told them that is the only way they can be cured of AIDS.
Despite their education, their standing in society, what they say and do in public and otherwise, people have so many misconceptions about AIDS.
They believe in all sorts of myths, with the deadliest being thinking that they can have multiple sexual partners as long as they only do it with botros (beauties or innocent looking young girls).
I say men, not because they are the only culprits but they are the worst. It is time people woke up and smelt the coffee.
Seriously, it becomes frustrating even for us scribes that while we keep on writing while radios and televisions keep screaming about HIV and AIDS, our friends, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, pastors, bosses and even leaders in Government keep doing the opposite of what we should be doing if we want to beat this scourge.
If we care about our tomorrow, our children’s tomorrow and our nation and continent’s tomorrow, surely by now some things would be changing starting from the top coming down to the bottom since those at the top should lead by example.
A man in the United Kingdom said that after the Zuma incident people now see Africans differently to an extend that his friend was dumped by his British girlfriend whom he loved to bits. She thinks African men are not responsible.
Another was asked to take an HIV test first otherwise no sex.
This is despite the fact that they have been sleeping together for the past one year.
An analyst had this to say, ”All leaders are just human as all of us and this gentleman was unfortunate he had a rape charge against which brought out all this otherwise we would not have known.
How many of us in leadership positions in society preach what we think is right and go on to practice what we denounce publicly?
Church leaders who go against biblical teachings, political and business leaders who do shady deals be it in forex and others.
Let us continue to encourage our youths to behave with dignity and create values that will save all youths of this world. Media, like you have done should remind the world of risky behaviour.”
Do not look upon some of these leaders to steer you in the right direction. First and foremost steer yourself as an individual and then try your best to teach those around you to do the same. That way we might live longer lives and see our children grow.
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