The Attack

After doing a survey in my classes I found out that 38% of my students who range from the age of 13 to 16 have already had sex. Some saying that they had started having sex at the age of 12. The depressing fact is that about 25% of Botswana is HIV infected and even these statistics aren’t totally correct because they are only done on women who have come into the hospital to have babies. They are automatically tested before giving birth and that is how the information is collected to come up with the 25%. It would be nearly impossible to go around to all of the villages and get a true statistic. No one here in Botswana dies of AIDS. If anyone dies it is always because of something else and infection or something but not of AIDS. They are not even truthful with each other about how devastating AIDS is. Botswana has the second highest rate of AIDS in the world only Swaziland is higher. Despite all of the countries efforts to give out treatment and provide care it will not stop until there is a behavior change among the people here.

I was surprised to hear my students tell me that the most common places to have sex is in the toilet, the bush, or even under a bus shelter. After discussing with them the consequences of their actions and the rate at which people are dying they seemed to be indifferent. This term in school I will be talking about sex, STDs, HIV, AIDS, and abstinence but Satan is alive and well. I need all of your prayers for these next couple of months that the students will see the truth and grab a hold of it.

September 5th .......24th Birthday

Another birthday… not quit the same as if I were at home. The Batswana do not consider birthdays a very big deal and some parents don’t even remember their children’s birthdays at all. So I am thankful to have two roommates that care about me enough to through me a pirate themed dinner party. You have to get creative here you just can't go to dinner and movie because there is no where to go.

Then there was a party at the church. I think the children enjoyed it more than I did because they very rarely get cake. It was nice to enjoy the day with my new friends but I did miss the ones at home. Thank you for your e-mails, cards and words or encouragement it made my day very special.