As a follow-up to yesterday’s introduction to the United Nations’ set of Millennium Development Goals, I would like to share more exciting Jolkona projects that tie in with the remaining missions. Remember, United Nations Week runs through this Friday, October 26th!

Millennium Development Goals by 2015

Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health

1. Target 5A:Reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters
2. Target 5B: Achieve universal access to reproductive healthcare

Provide Maternal and Child Healthcare in Guatemala through Jolkona by making a donation toward pre and post-delivery care. Project Concern International, a trusted partner of ours since April 2010, envisions a world devoid of preventable birth complications and health problems. To realize this dream, they have designed their Mother’s House program to ensure mothers and newborns in Guatemala receive excellent care.

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDs, Malaria, and Other Diseases

1.  Target 6A: Have HIV/AIDS halted and begin to reverse the spread
2.  Target 6B: Achieve universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for who need it
3.  Target 6C: Have incidences of malaria and other major disease halted

Give Care to HIV-Infected Cambodian Children by aligning yourself with New Hope for Cambodian Children. Their services are in extremely high demand; tens of thousands of children and their families are suffering from HIV/AIDs. The group’s ambitious project is the creation of “Our Village,” a miraculous 18 acre hub where orphaned or otherwise abandoned children may live, learn and receive desperately needed health services.

Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Plant Trees in Senegal in no time with the assistance of Trees for the Future. The benefits of planting new trees cannot be overstated. They are not only important for our future; they are part and parcel of any sustainable future – period. For about the cost of a latte you can get a whopping 50 trees planted. Trees for the Future’s agroforestry specimens grow quickly and live out long lives. Reduce your carbon footprint, contribute to land restoration in the region, and provide a struggling individual with an opportunity for income.

Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Sponsor Your Fellows to Help Earthquake Victims and contribute to a new generation of Japanese entrepreneurs and philanthropists. iLEAP/ETIC’s Disaster Recovery Leadership Program is an awe-inspiring 3-12 month commitment for determined individuals in their 20‘s and 30‘s. Myriad disaster relief and community development projects in Japan are in need of immediate, passionate leadership. Sponsor a young adult in their effort to cultivate their own social consciousness and work out tangible, positive changes in their community.

Do (UN)to Others as You Would Have Done Unto You

The UN is a leading light in the international community for good will and stewardship. Jolkona is proud to stand behind their Millennium Development Goals as defining characteristics for the partners and projects we connect with. By learning about the crux of the UN’s mission and Jolkona’s related ambitions, philanthropists can become informed about the present and optimistic about the future.

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AIDS doesn’t need much of an introduction. Its statistics are numerous as they are harrowing. But there is one statistic more conspicuous, more worrying, more jolting to the mind than perhaps any other, and this statistic is unchanging: there is no vaccine for AIDS; there is no cure.

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day, one of the year’s most recognized international health days. Its goals are threefold: increase awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. Go the World AIDS Campaign page for a whole trove of information. Educate yourself.

Getting to Zero

Crucial to the battle against AIDS is the Joint United Nations Programme, UNAIDS, who are behind the push for a new global response to AIDS. Key to their phraseology is Getting to Zero. This sets our three main goals for 2015:

Zero new infections

Zero AIDS-related deaths

Zero discrimination

Such goals are equally ambitious, urgent, and inspiring. To learn more, go the UNAIDS strategy webpage here.

Jolkona AIDS projects: NHCC and the Slum Doctor Programme

At Jolkona, we are partnered with two projects in areas of the world where AIDS is most prevalent: Africa and East Asia. Cambodia has the highest AIDS incidences in the whole of Asia. The identified infected population is somewhere near 65,000. Over 3000 are children under the age of fifteen. Most of those children are orphaned. They are left for nothing. New Hope for Cambodian Children (NHCC) provides full range housing, nutritional, health and educational needs for these children. They are a small beacon of light within a maelstrom of darkness. One donation of $75 supports the medical needs of one child infected with AIDS for six months. That’s $12.50 a month – what, a little more than your monthly subscription to Netflix? Go to the Jolkona campaign page, give, and help alleviate the suffering of these children today.

Tumaini is a community based organization in Nairobi, Kenya, partnered with the Slum Doctor Programme. Tumaini’s main objective is raising funds to provide HIV medication. While the Kenyan government and major grants, such as PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief), pay for a substantial amount of this medication, the funds fail to cover the need to its full extent. Tumaini works tirelessly to bridge that gap and to fill that need. One donation of $30 provides full HIV treatment for one patient for two weeks in Nairobi. That’s about a third of your average monthly cell phone bill. Cut the chit chat and let your money do the talking. Give to the Slum Doctor Programme here.

Zero new infections. Zero AIDS-related deaths. Zero discrimination. Be a part of Getting to Zero.

Combat HIV/AIDs, Malaria and other diseases

Continuing our series on how the United Nations Millennium Development Goals relate to Jolkona, we look today at Goal 6.

One of the biggest challenges in development remains combatting the effects of pandemic, preventable disease. One UN report estimates that malaria alone saps up to 1.3% of the yearly economic growth of some African countries. That 1% might not sound like a lot, but when spread across an entire economy over several years, it could mean tens or hundreds of millions of dollars of lost economic productivity.

In part for this reason, the United Nations Millennium Development Goal #6 is fighting the effects of HIV/AIDs, Malaria and other diseases.

Target metrics

The UN identifies three target metrics for fighting communicable disease.

1. Have halted and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDs by 2015
2. Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDs
3. Have halted and begun to reverse the incidence of Malaria and other major diseases by 2015

The fight against HIV/AIDs

Currently there are some 34 million people living in the world with HIV. While there is no cure, in the developed world HIV/AIDs rates among the general population remain low and there are treatment options available for managing the disease. In many developing countries however, rates of infection run much higher and few, if any, treatment options are available. Recognizing the role pandemic disease plays in slowing economic development the United Nations Development Programme is one of the agencies at the front of helping countries deal with HIV/AIDs.

Successes

While HIV/AIDs and Malaria continue to be huge problems in public health worldwide, it is important to remember that there have been successes in eradicating pandemic diseases before. Smallpox, which killed an estimated 300-500 million people during the 20th century was completely eradicated by 1979 thanks in part to efforts spearheaded by the World Health Organization. And while the fight against Malaria and HIV/AIDs can seem daunting, some hopeful estimates put Polio–another once pandemic disease–near eradication in the near future.

How you can help

Here are some current Jolkona projects working toward Goal 6.

1. Supply medicine to children in Sierra Leone
2. Give care to HIV-infected children in Cambodia
3. Help build latrines in Haiti

Photo Credit: Drew Olanoff

In the early 1980s, doctors noticed an emerging threat to public health. Patients would arrive with severely compromised immune systems and become deathly ill from common infections. Thus, the HIV/AIDS pandemic was born and is now one of the biggest threats to human health.

Despite the progress made over the last thirty years in both treatment and prevention, HIV/AIDS continues to affect millions around the world. According to UNAIDS 2008 data, 33.4 million people worldwide currently live with HIV/AIDS. In addition, 2.7 million were newly infected that year. Combating HIV/AIDS is so important that one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), developed by the UN to produce better health outcomes worldwide focuses specifically on this disease.

At Jolkona, there are plenty of ways to fulfill this MDG goal. You can Give Care to HIV-Infected Cambodian Children, providing treatment and education to the 3,350 kids struggling with the disease. So far, through the efforts of donors like you, 6 children have had their nutritional needs met.

Another way you can help is by Giving Doctor Visits to Bangladesh’s Underprivileged, who will provide medical screening and healthcare for impoverished slum dwellers. One doctor has provided one week of health screenings for these people because of generous donations from the Jolkona community.

Children of Uganda is a great partner that provides support for youth affected by AIDS. For only $5 per child, you can Provide Healthy Meals to Ugandan Children, many who have been orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic. You can also Give Education to Ugandan Children and empower them to improve their lives and become future leaders.

HIV/AIDS is a global problem, impacting people from both developed and developing countries. It orphans children worldwide and decreases the quality of life for millions. The MDGs attempt to address these staggering statistics by focusing attention on the most crucial public health issues. By supporting these projects, you can ensure that we reach the MDGs by 2015 and put a stop to the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS.

“You are either affected or infected with HIV/AIDS” photo courtesy of Flickr User JonRawlinson under a Creative Commons License

I try not to contemplate over how I got here and who I’ve become. I am who I am, and there’s nothing I can do. Sometimes, when I have courage to reflect, I feel utter shame and revulsion for my existence and for the things I do…and regretfully did. I’m alone, I have no one, no family, no community to seek acceptance. Occasionally, I do find comfort in knowing that my circumstances leave me no choice. But please, Allah, I ask you to not remind me of the past, my foolish youth, my simple, more pleasant life. I know…I know my wrongdoings. Yet all I did was love- too much love I suppose. So much that was blind to the deception that came forth and stripped me of my dignity…disowned from my identity. Oh Allah, I ask you to give me the strength to abandon these harsh memories, for they are unbearable…

I’m sitting in the showroom right now, 10 pm, and business is just about to boom. The room is enclosed with mirrors and pearly white tiles. Girls are teeming in, some young, some old, some fair, some tall, a whole variety. The fluorescent lights are beaming, brightening all our faces in an eerie glow. The room is almost too white to bear, but critical for our appearance. I chose to wear my black skirt and shirt ornamented with crystals.  My hair is pulled back to reveal my silver hoop earrings. I made sure to wear my bright red lipstick glazed with a bit of gloss-it’s my secret charm to so many clients. I hear the jingling of a nupur (anklet)-oh, it’s Shahida walking in! She looks flushed, ah, must’ve been with a persistent client. She gives me a grin, and gently flips out a hefty 500 taka bill and says,“It’s from Bilal. He’s been coming for me every week. The black garment market pays him well…” I playfully kick her in the shin, but it’s true, Bilal has been keen on spending  his nights with her…

I notice a man walking by. Young man, no older than 25 wearing a red shirt and black pants, cigarette in his right hand. Judging from his looks, must be a local cab driver. He’s speaking with the hotel manager…obviously negotiating prices. He doesn’t seem pleased…but now he’s nodding in agreement. I see him drawing bills from his pocket… 100 taka…200 taka…300 taka…400 taka…oh my! The hotel manager gestures him to the glass window of our room. He peers inside, examining each and every one of us…I suppose imagining the possibilities. One by one…one by one. His gaze pauses at the girl next to me-a skinny, flat-chested 13 year-old. He couldn’t possibly want that unattractive rat! But wait-his eyes are now on me! I adjust my posture so he can perceive a clearer view. He stares. Keeps staring…is he alright? His eyes haven’t faltered! Seconds pass, and I notice an ever so slight nod towards to hotel manager, but his eyes remain fixed. The manager wastes no time in his response. He opens the door, looks at me, and points his thumb out the door. “Room 23!”, he shouts. I hastily snatch a few condoms and a packet of lubricant I picked up from the local health center earlier this morning. I’m out the door.

He’s following me down the hall, I can hear his breath and virtually feel his eyes following my spine. Our room is down the hall to the left, just a few meters to go. I quietly slip a condom in his hand. He has 10 minutes with me, and I know he won’t want to waste a moment. A couple more feet to go…I see a cleaner picking up loose condom and lubricant packets from room 20…

We’ve arrived at room 23. A standard room: one bed, one bathroom, and one light bulb illuminating the stained brown walls. Our shadows slip in, silently shifting in the flickering pale yellow gloom. He shuts the door and I feel his hand slip up my neck.

And for the next 10 minutes, I am all his.

 

I started with this monologue because I felt it was critical background in understanding the female hotel sex worker in Bangladesh. Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit an Integrated Health Center (IHC) sponsored by Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition (BWHC) and Family Health International (FHI). This establishment provides sexually transmitted infection treatment, general healthcare, and HIV testing for women in this profession. I’ll be going back tomorrow and next week to observe more of the healthcare aspect of the institution. My first day was primarily catered to listening to these women’s stories and visiting an actual hotel involved with this business. I sort of culminated this story based upon the stories and attitudes I heard-and also after seeing actual hotel rooms, clients, and sex workers at a nearby hotel. It was nauseating, but an incredibly valuable experience as a young Bangaldeshi woman. The first response the general Bangladeshi population has for this marginalized community is, “I never knew.” I know this for a fact because that is exactly how my greater family responded. Regardless, I hope to gain more information about this phenomenal community and how HIV/AIDS is being combated within its context. I intend to post this blog as a prelude of what more is to come.

I’m looking forward to revisiting these sites in the next few days. Due to tensions with the government (afterall, sex trade is illegal in Bangladesh), I may have difficulty in taking pictures of the actual hotels. But I’ll do my best to negotiate and bring more stories.

A BWHC peer educator-a former sex worker-now spends her time at the fields to find and inform other sex workers of safe sex practices. Pictorials are one of the many ways they initiate their outreach sessions.