Gardasil- Take it or leave it

Once again, Zambia is injecting its children with a new vaccine - Gardasil, its an HPV vaccine, we're supposed to take our daughters to get it...NOT!. Thing is we have alot of distrust of these Western powers and how they view Africa and Africans. Remember how they say that HIV was created in a lab and given to us? Remember the Tuskegee Syphillis trials?....look at how America interferes in everything, Africa has so many resources - untapped too, they have none. Alot of voices, and we have heard. Now we have concerns about these vaccine drives -Child Health Week every year? Why should my kids get a vaccine every year? I was born in the 80's, I got my one set and I'm fine....why every year for my kids?

Well when, me Ms. Colloquial says anything about my misgivings, Im basically told I'm ignorant...especially by my medical friends, so does my government. Why cant they just respectfully address my concerns? Why cant they reassure me that they- my government and my people, have assured themselves that it would be safe for THEIR children. Thats all I ask. Sorry, yes I may have fallen victim to anti-West propaganda but they still have to communicate with me, they my people, still have to tell me stuff, give me information. Thats all I ask. Dont talk to me like I'm an imbecile, I spell better than most, and I even started a blog (see!)

I need information, I need to have my questions answered, dont tell me bout some trials in the US! How far is the US from here? Do the docs and other medical professionals who conducted the trials even know where Zambia is? Does Merck, the pharmaceutical company have any knowledge of my country and my people? What interest do they have besides numbers? Numbers with a dollar sign in front of them. 

I'm not stupid. And I'm not going to go with the crowd just because I'm told to! Not bloody likely! They can shove it!...Give me what I want, till then I'll keep saying no, and I'll say it loud and proud, and so will others.

RB Vaccine- A case for his immunity.

Politics seems to be the name of the game.....sigh...how can so many adults be so dumb???? What about me, what about my garbage collection service? My water supply? My job? Doesnt that count with government anymore?....You know Zambians are good at spouting quotes and catch phrases without actually thinking about the meaning of them, one of their favourites is - The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result (I've never agreed with this particular definition of insanity really), well in my opinion...this whole immunity thing is insanity. Did 'we' not lift FTJ's immunity? What do we have to show for it? Stronger and more robust financial managment systems? Are we more ethical in the way we lead? Did we get a single ngwee from all the crap that we had to go through in court dragging FTJ (MHSRIP) and all his associates to the nether regions of hell and back....did we gain anything? We didnt, I dont care if all of that was funded by donors and we didnt pay a single ngwee, but that process cost us some of our soul...and we got nothing back. I dread the trial and prosecution (persecution?) of RB thats going to follow this, I'm tired of the struggle, I'm sick and tired and I dont want to be used as a pawn anymore.......truly government is human farming.

British hangovers??

Marching, marching, marching - thats all we seem to do here in Zambia. Has anyone ever asked why? Why should a bunch of grown ass people wake up at 6 am on the morning of a public holiday to walk because its Womens' Day? Apparently, this is a hangover from our British masters which we have eagerly and religiously continued to perpetuate year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation. Is it a show of power and strength? Are the ranks of citizens meant to exhibit our nations capabilities to muster able bodied forces if we were called to war? Meanwhile, oftentimes the demographic group being celebrated still suffer many social injustices such as sexual based violence, unemployment, poor education (Youth Day) and poor representation. We walk/march maybe so that just for one day, we can forget some of the realities of our lives in Zambia, for one day we can feel special.

I'll give it this, since we started commemorating Womens' Day, it has been nice to get sms', phone calls and the occasional gift or newspaper ad telling me how appreciated I'am just for being a woman....the sore legs and skin darkened a tone or two deeper remain the whispers of what it was like to be special.The shirt is packed away, the jeans and sneakers folded and dusted.....but what have we really achieved? How has the gender agenda gained momentum as the theme was this year (why even have themes???). Do you listen to what we have to say? Or are our voices still being drowned out by the sounds of stomping marching feet on the next commemoration of another groups day.....