Children in charge

Child-headed households have become a growing problem in South Africa and throughout the rest of Africa. Due to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, children are expected to raise their siblings and run the household, when their parents die. Other causes that have led to child-headed households include natural disasters, war, and civil strife. This of course happens mostly in rural areas. Worry and responsibility for providing food is the most basic problem these children face among many. 

The issue here is now that these children might fall into similar patterns most of their parents followed. When they stay home caring for their siblings, they drop out of school. Without any education and struggling to provide for the family, these girls and often boys, might engage in risky behaviour that might result in them contracting HIV/AIDS themselves. This then starts the cycle all over again. 

Afripads

As a woman, ever thought what you'd do without sanitary products? In a country like Uganda, with limited resources, millions of teenage girls skip up to 20% of the school year. 

Why? 

Because they struggle to afford mainstream sanitary products, such as pads and tampons,  when they menstruate. They are said to use newspaper, toilet paper and old clothing as a substitute. Their absenteeism from school has majorly affected the girls' studies and has hampered their academic potential. The solution? AFRIpads. This is a cheap, washable, environmentally-freindly, cloth pad. The pads have not only ensured that the girls attend school, but it's also empowering local women who manufacture these pads and at the same time boosts the local economy. These pads have also helped to enhance their health, since its much more sanitary than using other materials such as newspaper. 

AFRIpads: when you educate a woman you educate a nation from dirk verhoeven on Vimeo.

This really puts in perspective the kind of things we take for granted. Also think about local and how buying local can help benefit poor local communities. When you pick up a can of whole peeled tomatoes at the supermarket, there might be one for R6, 50 and one for R7, 98. The cheaper one is most likely from China and the more expensive one made locally. Think before you buy.

For more, visit: http://www.afripads.com/

Gangster living

In South Africa gangsterism is extremely rife and problematic, particularly in the Western Cape. It affects families as well as whole communities. Men, women and children have – knowingly and unknowingly – become entangled with gangsters. It has caused both physical and mental scars. Countless others have lost their lives, usually in a brutal manner. It's never easy to leave a gang, many who have tried to get out, have either been hunted and killed, or are now fugitives. They live in fear, since for many gangs staying true to your gang members is most important. South African prisons are full of men, women and youths who have committed severe crimes as part of a gang.

Lost boyz - USA  (Photos by Stuart Isett) is a reportage on Cambodian refugees living in the USA. Stuart Isett has documented the lives of young Cambodian men in the United States for 15 years.

For more visit: Lost Boyz

This is something which many of us have accepted as just something that happens. Gangs will always be there, right? It all starts with poverty and boredom, in my opinion.  Next is a look at some of the choices teenagers, who live in some of the toughest neigbourhoods in Trinidad & Tobago, make while growing up. I love the way this last video shows us how we can find solutions to problems like gangsterism, for example through sport.

Streets & Sports: A Trinidad Teen from Glen Milner on Vimeo.

Andrej Pejic: Gender bender

True gender bender, Andrej Pejic, made quite a splash when 'he' walked in Jean Paul Gaultier's autumn/winter 2011 show in Paris earlier this year. This model has confused many people, mainly because people can't figure him out. Is he a boy or a girl? Pejic told a Telegraph reporter that he "didn't plan any of this but if that's what it takes for me to have a career in this industry, then why not?" When asked if he'd consider getting a sex change, Pejic said, "Yes, if I was offered a Victoria's Secret contract. You'd have to, wouldn't you. I can't imagine doing it any other way. But, at this point I'm comfortable with who I am now." 

Most of the world of course thinks in this binary way. There is always a need to define someone, man or women? black or white? attractive or ugly? There are such narrow definitions of what a man or a woman is. These stereotypes make it very difficult for those trying to break down this order.

Watch this video on Andrej's journey:

Riots not Diets

Ok, so no one is saying that being thin and healthy is a bad thing. But how often do people negatively comment on an overweight person's figure? How often do you think about your own body's extra flab? Fat politics is a recent field of interest, and is even taught at several U.S. universities. Fat activists are trying to convice people that any prejudice against overweight individuals need to be stopped. This means focussing on the media and beauty industry to combat the perpetuation of the idea of an ideal body. Let people be thin, let them or yourself be full figured, as long as your health isn't compromised, say by getting anorexia.  

In an earlier post: Is the fat body ever invisible? I talked about Margitte Kristjansson's blog: RIOTS NOT DIETS. (Also on my 'Blogs I love' list.) She doesn't advocate that everyone should be 'fat' or overweight, but that people need to riot against the ill treatment of  yourself and other people who are considered to have a less-than-ideal body. She made a little documentary on this issue:

the fat body (in)visible from Margitte Kristjansson on Vimeo.

Also check out: http://www.fatshionista.com/cms/

Corrective Rape

Most South Africans have heard of corrective rape, where lesbian women are raped by men who want to 'correct' their seemingly 'abnormal' lesbian behaviour. This is a widespread practice all over South Africa, and for the women being raped, few have seen their rapist prosecuted. But what about those who want to 'correct' lesbian women, but don't rape them? There are so many people who believe that gay and lesbian individuals should not be. That they are evil, promiscuous, unnatural beings. How do we start to change the minds of people who have such ingrained thinking?

Are women more trustworthy than men?

Some say, 'Never trust a woman,' but who can be trusted more? Is there even any kind of natural or biological way in which this can be measured? Why are women considered to be more trustworthy than men? Because they are stereotypically seen to be more caring, nurturing, motherly? Or are women naturally more trustworthy than men? Who cheats the most, who tells more lies? This is a very difficult question, especially when you consider that something like gender can be very fluid. However, for some organizations, like the The World Food Programme (WFP) (wfp.org/​women), the answer is pretty clear-cut.

Women and children are usually those who suffer the most in countries where food is scarce and poverty is rife. WFP is  now trying to empower women in these countries by distributing food solely to women, as it's thought to be the best way a whole family gets fed. By providing women with food, the WFP believes that hunger and poverty can be sufficiently alleviated. What do you think of this?

Women from Heather Marie Miller on Vimeo.

Love is Love

Love is Love is a short film made during Proposition 8. It brilliantly shows a world where it's 'normal' to be homosexual and abnormal to be 'heterosexual'. Love is love for everyone. It means the same for all those who love and cannot be contained or explained.

Children see, Children do

Body obsession

Isabelle Caro, a French model and actress, became the international face of anorexia when she allowed her ravaged body to be photographed nude for an Italian advertising campaign to raise awareness about the disease, died on Nov. 17. She was 28. The ads were eventually banned by an Italian advertising watchdog agency, which determined that they exploited the illness. I think this was extremely brave of her to do. It shows the diseased side of it, that its really not something glamorous or pretty. But that it really affects women and men, where it breaks down the body, bit by bit. I think this campaign really shows what body obsession can do to a person. What do you think?

Here is a video of the film shoot. Warning: This is very graphic and will shock you.

ANOREXIA from beatriz galindo on Vimeo.