The Kibera Slum

Christof -

Wonderful pod. Keep up the good work.

-Ando

Thanks for the great pod, Christof

Believe me when I say that I want to help the african people, but the more I watch the documentaries about all the social problems that are taken place in Africa, the more I begin to believe that africans are the cause of their own misery.

If they refuse to accept the fact the HIV is a deadly virus and carry on having unprotected sex, then it only serves them right that they contract the virus and die eventually. It's only unfortunate that the virus doesn't kill them fast enough and allow them time to spread the virus to other women. AIDS is still an incurable disease, so by providing them life-prolonging medical treatment, you actually contribute in helping them spread the disease to the rest of Africa. I seriously doubt you can prevent african people from having sex...

I don't want to come of as being an insensitive prick and I agree that we should help people in need especially those who are struck by natural disaster or other problems that they have not induced and have no control of.
But if people, regardless of their race, lack the intelligence and survival skills nessesary to lead and live a proper life, then they shouldn't be allowed to passing on their genes either. The poor african kids that you are helping now, most of them will remain poor and unproductive when they become adults. They will engage in careless and promiscuous sex which will result more poor children that need even more resources from other developed countries.

i've watched a few of your pods. Amazing work, man.

Un buon documento. Un approccio corretto e una giusta distanza hanno evitato pericolosi patetismi.

Christof,
I purchased your film long ago and have shown it dozens of times to groups I address. It has helped raise awareness of HIV, Africa, and the social determinants of health. There are those who say "Let Africa die!" I challenge them to travel to sub-Saharan Africa and witness life there; they may come to a compassionate understanding that the problems are neither simple nor easily solved. With luck, they will put their money where their mouths are and do something more positive than condemn. African I work with every day are smart & ambitious--they will do anything to feed and care for their children. Let's help give them a better option than prostitution and crime!

I caught the end of this pod, and was brought to this conclusion: the problem of AIDS in Africa is never going to stop until there is a cure. Until then, people will continue to have sex, as they should, for it is the only pleasure they have. And in turn we should not damn them for this.

this is very complex...this is about so much more than AIDS prevention...

Watching this, I was once again reminded of the Hierarchy of needs, Maslow talks about.

The imminent need of getting your children through, is more important than whether you're gonna infect yourself with the virus or not. As contradictory as it is, the need for survival seems to narrow down your view on things.

It might be hard to understand...but I ask myself...how can I as an outsider judge this? I have never had to struggle for survival nor live in a slum...

And yet...where does one begin? Where does the problem begin? What was there first? The hen or the egg? Poverty as a consequence of AIDS or vice versa?

What could a self-sufficient and sustainable support from the outside look like?