Listed below are numerous sights in Ghana that are popular places of interest:
• Akosmobo & Volta Lake
• Beaches
• Castles and Forts
• Wildlife protected Areas & national Parks
• National Museum
Greater Accra
• Makola Market: (The Kojo Thompson Roa). One of the continent’s most colourful. The most interesting and picturesque modern open market, where the visitor will admire the business acumen of the Ghanaian women traders.
• The Du Bois Centre (House No. 22, 1st Circular Road, Cantonment) an important venue for all people of the Pan African World.
• The University of Ghana, Legon: (14 Kilometers North of Accra). A showpiece of Japanese architecture in a tropical setting.
• The National Museum: (Barnes Road), here you will find the History of Ghana told in a collection of ancient relics, documents and pictures.
• Accra Handicraft Market
Ashanti Region
• Lake Bosomtwi
• Army & Prempeh II Museum: (in pic Kumasi)
• National culture Centre: (Kumasi)
Brong Ahafo Region
• Fuller waterfalls: A fierce and magnificent plunge on a two-tier rock pile to give a perfect whirl at the bottom.
• Ancient City of Begro-Excavations of various pieces confirm the claim that centuries back people led a civilized life here. It is thought that between the 14th and 18th centuries Begro had contacts with the Arabs and other Southern sudan Empires.
• The Yeji Port-Situated on the Volta Lake offers industrial as well as leisure facilities.
• The Bui National Park- Home to the largest population of hippopotamus in Ghana.
• Friday Market at Techiman-This is the largest and oldest weekly market in Ghana, which is still visited by traders from Mali, Niger and other West African countries.
Central Region
• Former government centre of the Gold Coast, Cape Coast was the seat of the British Colonial administration up until 1877 when it was moved to Accra.
Along the coastline of this region are ancient forts and castles built by the European traders. Three of these: Elmina castle, St Jago castle and Cape coast castle have been designated as World Heritage Monuments by the World Heritage Foundation (UNESCO). These are well preserved and must be seen by anyone visiting this region.
• Kakum National Park: This is set within a 357 sq km natural park and gives a taste of undisturbed virgin rainforest. It has excellent walk tours through the forest providing visitors the opportunity of Ghana's indigenous plant life. Other high lights include treetop canopy walkway and bird watching.
• Beaches; this region has excellent palm-fringed beaches. Popular spots include Brewa Beach, Sir Charles beach (Winneba), Elmina beach (near the castle) and Gomoa Fetteh beach that is popular with picnickers.
• Fishing villages; busy fishing villages and traditional market towns abound along the whole coastline of this region.
• Must see places are:- Winneba fishing fleets and local ceramics Mankessim Posuban shrine and busy market.� Kromantse/Abandze Twin fishing village and important trading centre
Eastern Region
• Boti falls
• Cruise Along the East
Northern Region
• Larabanga Mosque
• Mole National Park
• Paga Crocodile Ponds (Bolgatanga)
Volta Region
• Chances Are... You'll Enjoy The Volta
• Wli waterfalls and Mount Afadjato in the Volta region
Western Region
• Southernmost Tip: The colourful communities of Dixcove and Busua have been 'in' spots for beach lovers and budget travelers for years. Busua is tiny, with only one hotel and no restaurant, but a 25 minute walk west brings you to Dixcove, with a vibrant port and a renovated fort. Swimmers prefer Busua, with its long white-sand beach, while surfers enjoy some of the coast's best waves on the beaches of Dixcove.
• Fort Metal Cross (1691) is another fortress-turned-slave storage barn, which - while not as haunting as some others - has its fair share of horror stories to pass on.
• The two towns are widely renowned for their lobsters, and you can find out why down by the waterfront and at the local markets. Local villagers are your best bet for finding a meal - especially cooked lobster - usually at a very reasonable cost. Dixcove, the southernmost town in Ghana, is about� 200km (125mi) west of Accra and can be reached by a combination of tro-tro or taxi and walking or
hitching.
Other Attractions
• Cave exploration
• Bird Watching
Getting Around Accra
Accra is the capital of Ghana and is located on the coast of western region of Africa. With the population of almost 2 million it’s the most populous city in the country. Ga is the widely spoken language in the city but you can also see many people speaking Hausa, Twi and Ewe. However, English is also spoken in urban area. Accra is the most famous city in Ghana because of its rich history and tourists’ attractions.
Get in
Kotoka International Airport is the main gateways to get in the country and is located in the capital city, Accra. It operates with all international airlines which provide cheap Accra flights from America, Middle East, Africa and Europe. You can also use the same airport to get domestic flights to Kumasi and Tamale.
Must See
Accra is filled with museums, parks, shopping markets, library, beaches and castle etc. National Museum is the perfect place to understand the rich history of Ghana and its past trends. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park offers you mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, the great leader of Ghana, who led the country towards independence. In addition to this, The national Archives of Ghana, The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Ghana’s Central Library and Chirsitanborg Castle are must visit places.
Labadi beach is the most famous tourists spot in Accra. It’s warm but fresh water makes it the perfect place for swimming but strolling is another must do activity at Labadi beach.
Shopping
Shopping is the most exciting experience in the country. Makola market is the busiest market in the city that is full of fabric shops. Kaneshie market is another worth seeing market that offer a wide variety of traditional goods. National Cultural Center, Accra Mall, A&C Shopping Mall, Palace shopping Mall and Shaaba Shopping Mall are worth to be not missed.
Accra offers a lot of dining and drinking options as world class restaurants are located in the city. Similarly, several world class hotels welcome you with their best services. You can stay in any hotel for as many days as you need to explore Accra.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Ghana 's Currency
Currency
The cedi (currency sign: ₵; currency code: GHS) is the unit of currency of Ghana. One cedi is divided into one hundred pesewas. The present cedi was introduced on July 3, 2007, and was equal to 10,000 old cedi when redenomination saw four zeros lopped off the value. It was the highest-valued currency unit issued by sovereign countries in Africa in 2007.
The word "cedi" is derived from the Akan word for cowry shell. Cowry shells were once used in Ghana as a form of currency.
A number of Ghanaian coins have also been issued in Sika denominations. These are probably best considered as "medallic" coinage, and may have no legal tender status. The word sika means "money".
For up-to-date exchanges rates, please access www.xe.com
Most hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and the bigger shops will take credit /debit cards. Most of the bigger banks will advance local currency against a credit card.
Standard Chartered, Ecobank, Zenith, Stanbic and Barclays Banks have ATMs which accept Visa cards for cash. The most common international currencies are USD, British Pounds and Euro.
The cedi (currency sign: ₵; currency code: GHS) is the unit of currency of Ghana. One cedi is divided into one hundred pesewas. The present cedi was introduced on July 3, 2007, and was equal to 10,000 old cedi when redenomination saw four zeros lopped off the value. It was the highest-valued currency unit issued by sovereign countries in Africa in 2007.
The word "cedi" is derived from the Akan word for cowry shell. Cowry shells were once used in Ghana as a form of currency.
A number of Ghanaian coins have also been issued in Sika denominations. These are probably best considered as "medallic" coinage, and may have no legal tender status. The word sika means "money".
For up-to-date exchanges rates, please access www.xe.com
Most hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and the bigger shops will take credit /debit cards. Most of the bigger banks will advance local currency against a credit card.
Standard Chartered, Ecobank, Zenith, Stanbic and Barclays Banks have ATMs which accept Visa cards for cash. The most common international currencies are USD, British Pounds and Euro.
Information about Ghana visa
http://www.ghc-ca.com/Animation/GHANA%20VISA%20SCHEDULE%20AND%20FEES-june2008.pdf
http://www.traveldocs.com/gh/
http://www.traveldocs.com/gh/
Information about Ghana Embassies abroad
http://ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/foreign_affairs/abroad.php
Child abuse
There are several kinds of abuse which lead to emotional abuse in children.
Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Economic and social abuse, Emotional, verbal or psychological abuse, Spiritual abuse and Cultural abuse.
Child abuse is a pattern of behaviour that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth. Child abuse includes excessive, aggressive/ unreasonable demands that place expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity. Constant criticizing, belittling, insulting, rejecting and teasing are some of the forms these verbal attacks take. Child abuse also includes failure to provide the psychological nurturing necessary for a child's psychological growth and development, providing no love, support or guidance.
FORMS OF CHILD ABUSE
Physical Abuse
Bullying, kicking, slapping, pushing and punching
Bullying can take many forms: It may involve one child bullying another, a group of children against a single child or groups against other groups (gangs).
Sexual Abuse
Rape, sexual contact following the use of verbal power, subtle touches, oral and anal sex, gay/lesbianism.
Actions of a sexual nature that is forced, uncomfortable and unwelcome. Leering (suggestive looks) /necking. Misuse of authority.
Psychological/Emotional Abuse/Child Abuse
Teasing, isolation, criticizing, neglect, abandonment, putting down, verbal, not providing basic needs (food, clothing, health care)
Spiritual Abuse
Pastor’s sexual exploitation
Cultural Abuse
Widowhood rites
WHO ARE THE VICTIMS
(Who is abused?)
Not all children are equally likely to be abused. Children who are more prone to be picked upon tend to have the following characteristics:
• Low self-esteem
• Insecure
• Lack of social skills,
• don't pick up on social cues
• cry or become emotionally distraught easily
• Unable to defend or stand up for their rites.
Children who are not bullied tend to have better social skills and conflict management skills. They are more willing to assert themselves about differences without being aggressive or confronting. They tend to be more aware of people's feelings and are the children who can be most helpful in resolving disputes and assisting other children to get help.
EFFECTS
Child abuse effects are directly connected to the relationship between the victim and abuser. The closer the relationship, the more devastating the effects on the child or youth.
Low self-worth, irritability, sleep disorders, inability to trust others, depression, inappropriate behavior for age (risky behaviors), withdrawal, profound sadness ,habit disorders - sucking, biting, rocking ,aggression ,stealing , lying, self-harm ,prostitution, attempts at or completed suicide, and questioning of religious beliefs.
THE WAY FORWARD
The Role of the Parents (Prov.22:6)
Parents must
Create a loving home
Seek good advice on parenting roles
Exercise authority
Define family rules and enforce them promptly
Establish and maintain routines
Acknowledge your child’s feeling
Be impartial to all the children when resolving issues( Prov. 31:8-9)
Teach by example.
The Role of Victims
Victims need to
Talk
Have a sense of identity
Have reliable supportive friends
Develop positive self image
Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Economic and social abuse, Emotional, verbal or psychological abuse, Spiritual abuse and Cultural abuse.
Child abuse is a pattern of behaviour that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth. Child abuse includes excessive, aggressive/ unreasonable demands that place expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity. Constant criticizing, belittling, insulting, rejecting and teasing are some of the forms these verbal attacks take. Child abuse also includes failure to provide the psychological nurturing necessary for a child's psychological growth and development, providing no love, support or guidance.
FORMS OF CHILD ABUSE
Physical Abuse
Bullying, kicking, slapping, pushing and punching
Bullying can take many forms: It may involve one child bullying another, a group of children against a single child or groups against other groups (gangs).
Sexual Abuse
Rape, sexual contact following the use of verbal power, subtle touches, oral and anal sex, gay/lesbianism.
Actions of a sexual nature that is forced, uncomfortable and unwelcome. Leering (suggestive looks) /necking. Misuse of authority.
Psychological/Emotional Abuse/Child Abuse
Teasing, isolation, criticizing, neglect, abandonment, putting down, verbal, not providing basic needs (food, clothing, health care)
Spiritual Abuse
Pastor’s sexual exploitation
Cultural Abuse
Widowhood rites
WHO ARE THE VICTIMS
(Who is abused?)
Not all children are equally likely to be abused. Children who are more prone to be picked upon tend to have the following characteristics:
• Low self-esteem
• Insecure
• Lack of social skills,
• don't pick up on social cues
• cry or become emotionally distraught easily
• Unable to defend or stand up for their rites.
Children who are not bullied tend to have better social skills and conflict management skills. They are more willing to assert themselves about differences without being aggressive or confronting. They tend to be more aware of people's feelings and are the children who can be most helpful in resolving disputes and assisting other children to get help.
EFFECTS
Child abuse effects are directly connected to the relationship between the victim and abuser. The closer the relationship, the more devastating the effects on the child or youth.
Low self-worth, irritability, sleep disorders, inability to trust others, depression, inappropriate behavior for age (risky behaviors), withdrawal, profound sadness ,habit disorders - sucking, biting, rocking ,aggression ,stealing , lying, self-harm ,prostitution, attempts at or completed suicide, and questioning of religious beliefs.
THE WAY FORWARD
The Role of the Parents (Prov.22:6)
Parents must
Create a loving home
Seek good advice on parenting roles
Exercise authority
Define family rules and enforce them promptly
Establish and maintain routines
Acknowledge your child’s feeling
Be impartial to all the children when resolving issues( Prov. 31:8-9)
Teach by example.
The Role of Victims
Victims need to
Talk
Have a sense of identity
Have reliable supportive friends
Develop positive self image
Adolescent Sexuality and the HIV Epidemic
It is estimated that approximately one-third of the world's population is between 10-24 years of age, and four out of five young people live in developing countries, a figure which is expected to increase to 87% by the year 2020 (Friedman, 1993; Ainsworth and Over, 1997). In many countries the majority of young people are sexually experienced by the age of 20 and premarital sex is common among 15-19 year-olds. For example in recent surveys it was found that 73% of young men and 28% of young women in this age group in Rio de Janeiro reported having had premarital sex, compared with 59% and 12% respectively in Quito, and 31% and 47% respectively in Ghana (Population Council, 1996)
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV are most common among young people aged 15-24 and it has been estimated that half of all HIV infections worldwide have occurred among people aged less than 25 years (World Health Organization, 1995). In some developing countries, up to 60% of all new HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds. Yet, vulnerability to STIs including HIV is systematically patterned so as to render some young people more likely to become infected than others. Gender, socio-economic status, sexuality and age are important factors structuring such vulnerability. Unequal power relations between women and men, for example, may render young women especially vulnerable to coerced or unwanted sex, and can also influence the capacity of young women to influence when, where and how sexual relations occur (Rivers & Aggleton, 1998).
The consequences of HIV/AIDS can be far-reaching for young people. Not only does HIV have terrible consequences for the individual, causing serious illness and eventual death, it has the potential to trigger negative social reactions. Across the world, people with HIV/AIDS routinely experience discrimination, stigmatization and ostracization.
Evidence from a variety of countries suggests that the age at which young people become sexually active may be falling (Fee & Yousef, 1993). Certainly young people become sexually active at an early age in many countries. In Uganda, for example, almost 50 per cent of young men and nearly 40 per cent of young women recently surveyed reported having had sex by the age of fifteen years (Konde-Lule et al, 1997). In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 60 per cent of 14 year-old boys and 35 per cent of girls have reported that they are sexually active (Fuglesang, 1997). In a recent Brazilian school-based study, 36% of females reported having had intercourse by the age of 13 (Weiss, Whelan & Gupta, 1996). In parts of the world such as India where there is sparse evidence about sexual activity among young people and it is widely assumed that sexual initiation takes place within the context of marriage, recent studies show that approximately one in four unmarried adolescent boys report that they are sexually experienced (Jejeebhoy, 1998).
In both developed and developing countries, there are a number of obstacles which makes it difficult for young people to protect their sexual and reproductive health.
Young people often have less access to information, services and resources than those who are older (Friedman, 1993; Aggleton and Rivers, 1999). Health services are rarely designed specifically to meet their needs, and health workers only occasionally receive specialist training in issues pertinent to adolescent sexual health (Friedman, 1993; Zelaya et al, 1997, World Health Organization, 1998). It is perhaps not surprising therefore that there are particularly low levels of health seeking behavior among young people. For example, even where they are able to recognize signs and symptoms of STDs, young people recently interviewed in Tanzania indicated that they were hesitant to go to public clinics or hospitals, but were more likely to treat themselves with over-the counter medicines (Fuglesang, 1997). Similarly, young people in a variety of contexts have reported that access to contraception and condoms is difficult (e.g. Zelaya et al, 1997). Most importantly, legislation and policies which prevent sex education taking place, or which restrict its contents, prevent many young women and men from maximizing their sexual and reproductive health.
One of the most important reasons why young people are denied adequate access to information, sexual health services and protective resources such as condoms, derives from the stereotypical and often contradictory ways in which they are viewed. It is popularly believed that all young people are risk-taking pleasure seekers who live only for the present. Such views tend to be reinforced by the uncritical use of the term adolescent (with its connotations of "storm and stress") in the specialist psychological and public health literatures. This term tends not only to homogenise and pathologise our understanding of young people and their needs, it encourages us to view young people as possessing a series of "deficits" (in knowledge, attitudes and skills) which need to be remedied by adults and the interventions they make (Aggleton & Warwick, 1997).
These powerful images and assumptions influence policy and practice in relation to young people and their sexual health. Some adults believe that young people are of their nature sexually promiscuous and that giving them information about sex will make young people more sexually active (Friedman, 1993). As a result, sex education in schools either does not take place or promotes only certain risk reduction measures (most usually abstinence). Yet there is now clear evidence that well-designed programs of sex education, which include messages about safer sex as well as those about abstinence, may delay the onset of sexual activity, and reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase contraceptive use among those who are already sexually active (Grunseit et al, 1997; Grunseit 1997).
However, evidence suggests that young people who openly communicate about sexual matters with their parents, especially mothers, are less likely to be sexually active or (if girls) become pregnant before marriage (Gupta, Weiss and Mane, 1996). While young people have been commonly stereotyped as uniformly hedonistic and irresponsible, they are in fact a remarkably heterogeneous group. Their experiences vary widely according to cultural background, gender, sexuality and socio-economic status among other variables. While some young people may take risks, the majority are at least as responsible as their parents, and some may be even more so. Moreover, it is important to recognise that in many developing countries, the onset of puberty signals greater economic and family responsibility rather than increased pleasure-seeking and
risk taking (Aggleton & Rivers, 1998). That said, there are a number of structural as well
as individual factors which may heighten young people's vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
While developing countries in Asia, Africa and Southern and Central America vary in terms of culture, religion and socio-economic factors, young people living in them share a number of experiences which render them particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Access to education and information is often limited, levels of literacy lower, and poverty is more prevalent. Young people living in poverty, or facing the threat of poverty, may be particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation through the need to trade or sell sex in order to survive (World Health Organization, 1998). Estimates suggest that as many as 100 million young people under the age of 18 live or work on the streets of urban areas throughout the world (Connolly & Franchet, 1993). Many are at heightened risk of acquiring STIs including HIV. More than half of 141 street children recently interviewed in South Africa, for example, reported having exchanged sex for money, goods or protection, and several indicated that they had been raped (Swart-Kruger & Richter, 1997). Street children in Jakarta, Indonesia, have reported that being forced to have sex is one of the greatest problems that they faced living on the streets (Black and Farrington, 1997). In Brazil, where it is estimated that 7 million young people live on the streets, between 1.5 to 7.5% of those tested for HIV are infected (Filgueiras, 1993). In addition to risk from unprotected sexual activity, rape and coercion, the high prevalence of injecting drug use on the streets in Brazil and some other countries may heighten young people's vulnerability to HIV (Filgueiras, 1993). It is important to recognise, however, that children and young people who live and work on the streets of urban areas, do not commonly list HIV/AIDS as an over-riding concern. Instead, the day-to-day need for shelter, food and clothes take higher priority (Swart- Kruger & Richter, 1997). For young people struggling for daily survival, a disease like AIDS, which may or may not kill them in years to come, can seem unimportant (Finger,1993). It is not only the most socio-economically deprived children and young people in developing countries who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Other young people living in precarious economic circumstances report having been forced to exchange sex for material benefit. Two thirds of 168 sexually active young women recently interviewed in Malawi, for example, reported having exchanged sex for money or gifts (Helitzer-Allen, 1994), and eighteen per cent of 274 sexually active female Nigerian University students reported that they have exchanged sex for favours, money or gifts (Uwakwe et al, 1994).
References:
Adolescent Sexuality, Gender and the HIVEpidemic
By
Kim Rivers and Peter Aggleton
Thomas Coram Research Unit
Institute of Education, University of London.
World Health Organisation (1995). Women and AIDS: an agenda for action.
World Health Organisation (1998). Coming of Age: from facts to action for adolescent
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV are most common among young people aged 15-24 and it has been estimated that half of all HIV infections worldwide have occurred among people aged less than 25 years (World Health Organization, 1995). In some developing countries, up to 60% of all new HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds. Yet, vulnerability to STIs including HIV is systematically patterned so as to render some young people more likely to become infected than others. Gender, socio-economic status, sexuality and age are important factors structuring such vulnerability. Unequal power relations between women and men, for example, may render young women especially vulnerable to coerced or unwanted sex, and can also influence the capacity of young women to influence when, where and how sexual relations occur (Rivers & Aggleton, 1998).
The consequences of HIV/AIDS can be far-reaching for young people. Not only does HIV have terrible consequences for the individual, causing serious illness and eventual death, it has the potential to trigger negative social reactions. Across the world, people with HIV/AIDS routinely experience discrimination, stigmatization and ostracization.
Evidence from a variety of countries suggests that the age at which young people become sexually active may be falling (Fee & Yousef, 1993). Certainly young people become sexually active at an early age in many countries. In Uganda, for example, almost 50 per cent of young men and nearly 40 per cent of young women recently surveyed reported having had sex by the age of fifteen years (Konde-Lule et al, 1997). In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 60 per cent of 14 year-old boys and 35 per cent of girls have reported that they are sexually active (Fuglesang, 1997). In a recent Brazilian school-based study, 36% of females reported having had intercourse by the age of 13 (Weiss, Whelan & Gupta, 1996). In parts of the world such as India where there is sparse evidence about sexual activity among young people and it is widely assumed that sexual initiation takes place within the context of marriage, recent studies show that approximately one in four unmarried adolescent boys report that they are sexually experienced (Jejeebhoy, 1998).
In both developed and developing countries, there are a number of obstacles which makes it difficult for young people to protect their sexual and reproductive health.
Young people often have less access to information, services and resources than those who are older (Friedman, 1993; Aggleton and Rivers, 1999). Health services are rarely designed specifically to meet their needs, and health workers only occasionally receive specialist training in issues pertinent to adolescent sexual health (Friedman, 1993; Zelaya et al, 1997, World Health Organization, 1998). It is perhaps not surprising therefore that there are particularly low levels of health seeking behavior among young people. For example, even where they are able to recognize signs and symptoms of STDs, young people recently interviewed in Tanzania indicated that they were hesitant to go to public clinics or hospitals, but were more likely to treat themselves with over-the counter medicines (Fuglesang, 1997). Similarly, young people in a variety of contexts have reported that access to contraception and condoms is difficult (e.g. Zelaya et al, 1997). Most importantly, legislation and policies which prevent sex education taking place, or which restrict its contents, prevent many young women and men from maximizing their sexual and reproductive health.
One of the most important reasons why young people are denied adequate access to information, sexual health services and protective resources such as condoms, derives from the stereotypical and often contradictory ways in which they are viewed. It is popularly believed that all young people are risk-taking pleasure seekers who live only for the present. Such views tend to be reinforced by the uncritical use of the term adolescent (with its connotations of "storm and stress") in the specialist psychological and public health literatures. This term tends not only to homogenise and pathologise our understanding of young people and their needs, it encourages us to view young people as possessing a series of "deficits" (in knowledge, attitudes and skills) which need to be remedied by adults and the interventions they make (Aggleton & Warwick, 1997).
These powerful images and assumptions influence policy and practice in relation to young people and their sexual health. Some adults believe that young people are of their nature sexually promiscuous and that giving them information about sex will make young people more sexually active (Friedman, 1993). As a result, sex education in schools either does not take place or promotes only certain risk reduction measures (most usually abstinence). Yet there is now clear evidence that well-designed programs of sex education, which include messages about safer sex as well as those about abstinence, may delay the onset of sexual activity, and reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase contraceptive use among those who are already sexually active (Grunseit et al, 1997; Grunseit 1997).
However, evidence suggests that young people who openly communicate about sexual matters with their parents, especially mothers, are less likely to be sexually active or (if girls) become pregnant before marriage (Gupta, Weiss and Mane, 1996). While young people have been commonly stereotyped as uniformly hedonistic and irresponsible, they are in fact a remarkably heterogeneous group. Their experiences vary widely according to cultural background, gender, sexuality and socio-economic status among other variables. While some young people may take risks, the majority are at least as responsible as their parents, and some may be even more so. Moreover, it is important to recognise that in many developing countries, the onset of puberty signals greater economic and family responsibility rather than increased pleasure-seeking and
risk taking (Aggleton & Rivers, 1998). That said, there are a number of structural as well
as individual factors which may heighten young people's vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
While developing countries in Asia, Africa and Southern and Central America vary in terms of culture, religion and socio-economic factors, young people living in them share a number of experiences which render them particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Access to education and information is often limited, levels of literacy lower, and poverty is more prevalent. Young people living in poverty, or facing the threat of poverty, may be particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation through the need to trade or sell sex in order to survive (World Health Organization, 1998). Estimates suggest that as many as 100 million young people under the age of 18 live or work on the streets of urban areas throughout the world (Connolly & Franchet, 1993). Many are at heightened risk of acquiring STIs including HIV. More than half of 141 street children recently interviewed in South Africa, for example, reported having exchanged sex for money, goods or protection, and several indicated that they had been raped (Swart-Kruger & Richter, 1997). Street children in Jakarta, Indonesia, have reported that being forced to have sex is one of the greatest problems that they faced living on the streets (Black and Farrington, 1997). In Brazil, where it is estimated that 7 million young people live on the streets, between 1.5 to 7.5% of those tested for HIV are infected (Filgueiras, 1993). In addition to risk from unprotected sexual activity, rape and coercion, the high prevalence of injecting drug use on the streets in Brazil and some other countries may heighten young people's vulnerability to HIV (Filgueiras, 1993). It is important to recognise, however, that children and young people who live and work on the streets of urban areas, do not commonly list HIV/AIDS as an over-riding concern. Instead, the day-to-day need for shelter, food and clothes take higher priority (Swart- Kruger & Richter, 1997). For young people struggling for daily survival, a disease like AIDS, which may or may not kill them in years to come, can seem unimportant (Finger,1993). It is not only the most socio-economically deprived children and young people in developing countries who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Other young people living in precarious economic circumstances report having been forced to exchange sex for material benefit. Two thirds of 168 sexually active young women recently interviewed in Malawi, for example, reported having exchanged sex for money or gifts (Helitzer-Allen, 1994), and eighteen per cent of 274 sexually active female Nigerian University students reported that they have exchanged sex for favours, money or gifts (Uwakwe et al, 1994).
References:
Adolescent Sexuality, Gender and the HIVEpidemic
By
Kim Rivers and Peter Aggleton
Thomas Coram Research Unit
Institute of Education, University of London.
World Health Organisation (1995). Women and AIDS: an agenda for action.
World Health Organisation (1998). Coming of Age: from facts to action for adolescent
DATING
DATING
To date someone means to go out with that person to study that person with or without the intension of staying with that person for live.
People dating must never engage in sexual intercourse as this may bring a lot of problems for both parties. You have no business sleeping together. Sex is meant for married couples and not teenagers.
DATE SEVERAL PEOPLE
It is perfectly normal for a girl or boy to go on a date with several people. In fact it is in your best interest as a young boy/girl to go out with several people of the opposite sex so that you study them before you decide to permanently get involved with them.
FORMS
You can go on a date as a couple( just the two of you, “not married couple”) or in a group. Group dating is the most exciting and safest way of going out with someone especially if you don’t really know the person well.
Group dating can take many forms
Picnics
Birthday parties as well as other parties
Barbeques
Family programmes ( weddings / engagement/ out-doorings etc)
Dinner/ Lunch
Window shopping at super malls
Church activities( inter church sports) as well as other social events
Movies/ theatre
Advantages of group dating
Security/ safety if you go with friends.
Its fun
You study your partner’s behavior with other people
WHAT TO DO BEFORE GOING ON A DATE
Guide for girls
Tell your parents about your date.
Let your date pick you up from your house and introduce him to your family
Wear descent and comfortable clothes
Find out where he is taking you and let someone know at home.
Make sure you know the person you are going out with, don’t go out with strangers.
Have money on you so that if your date misbehaves, you take a taxi home.
Don’t go on a date with the intension to have sex.
When on a date, stay clear off alcohol and drugs.
To date someone means to go out with that person to study that person with or without the intension of staying with that person for live.
People dating must never engage in sexual intercourse as this may bring a lot of problems for both parties. You have no business sleeping together. Sex is meant for married couples and not teenagers.
DATE SEVERAL PEOPLE
It is perfectly normal for a girl or boy to go on a date with several people. In fact it is in your best interest as a young boy/girl to go out with several people of the opposite sex so that you study them before you decide to permanently get involved with them.
FORMS
You can go on a date as a couple( just the two of you, “not married couple”) or in a group. Group dating is the most exciting and safest way of going out with someone especially if you don’t really know the person well.
Group dating can take many forms
Picnics
Birthday parties as well as other parties
Barbeques
Family programmes ( weddings / engagement/ out-doorings etc)
Dinner/ Lunch
Window shopping at super malls
Church activities( inter church sports) as well as other social events
Movies/ theatre
Advantages of group dating
Security/ safety if you go with friends.
Its fun
You study your partner’s behavior with other people
WHAT TO DO BEFORE GOING ON A DATE
Guide for girls
Tell your parents about your date.
Let your date pick you up from your house and introduce him to your family
Wear descent and comfortable clothes
Find out where he is taking you and let someone know at home.
Make sure you know the person you are going out with, don’t go out with strangers.
Have money on you so that if your date misbehaves, you take a taxi home.
Don’t go on a date with the intension to have sex.
When on a date, stay clear off alcohol and drugs.
HEALING THAT EMPOWERS
Without education, HIV/AIDS will continue to spread. For too long, HIV/AIDS have been confined to the realms of clinics and hospitals but the epidemic does not respect these sectored boundaries.
We need a more holistic approach which will involve all everyone as healing community.
A true healing community is not a closed one.
It cuts across social class, status and power structures.
The members of a true healing community must move out to identify with people who are on its fringes, inviting the marginalized and oppressed in, enabling them to join their communities with restored relationships.
Often people working in the field of HIV/AIDS get discouraged, especially when they see the brokenness of life all around;
the work is big, the task ahead far greater than anyone can imagine, the results so seemingly few and with different strands of the virus emerging every day.
Working in this field takes up a lot of physical and emotional energy. We might want to give up sometime.
HEALING THAT EMPOWERS
God’s power proclaimed by Jesus Christ is the rejection of powers of this world and the manifestation of His Grace and love in powerlessness.
God’s healing action in Christ empowers the powerless, it liberates, humanizes and transforms lives.
We can empower by
Healing experiences whether it is our own or that of someone close to us and
Allowing our healing to embrace those closest to us
We need a more holistic approach which will involve all everyone as healing community.
A true healing community is not a closed one.
It cuts across social class, status and power structures.
The members of a true healing community must move out to identify with people who are on its fringes, inviting the marginalized and oppressed in, enabling them to join their communities with restored relationships.
Often people working in the field of HIV/AIDS get discouraged, especially when they see the brokenness of life all around;
the work is big, the task ahead far greater than anyone can imagine, the results so seemingly few and with different strands of the virus emerging every day.
Working in this field takes up a lot of physical and emotional energy. We might want to give up sometime.
HEALING THAT EMPOWERS
God’s power proclaimed by Jesus Christ is the rejection of powers of this world and the manifestation of His Grace and love in powerlessness.
God’s healing action in Christ empowers the powerless, it liberates, humanizes and transforms lives.
We can empower by
Healing experiences whether it is our own or that of someone close to us and
Allowing our healing to embrace those closest to us
NUTRITIONAL CARE AND SUPPORT FOR PLWHA’S
BASIC NUTRITION
Healthy eating steps…
it is essential for all people to know how to make up a nutritionally adequate diet, particularly if they are living with HIV/AIDS
Starchy food at every meal
Legumes (cow pea,agushie, groundnut) every day
Vegetables and fruits everyday
Meat, animal products, fish and poultry regularly
Fats and oils as well as sugar
Drink lots of clean and safe water everyday
THE THREE FOOD STEPS…
STEP 3
FATS AND OILS
All types of cooking oil, margarine, meat fat, egg yolk, salad cream, avocado pear e.t.c
FORMS LIMITED PART OF THE MEAL
STEP 2
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PROTEIN
All types of meat and fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, milk and milk products.
All types of nuts, beans and plant seeds.
FORMS MODERATE PART OF THE MEAL
STEP 1
STARCHES
Cereals( rice, maize, millet, sorghum, wheat)
Roots and tubers(yam, cassava, cocoyam, potatoes)
Plantains
VEGETABLES
Okro (okra), garden eggs, tomatoes, cassava leaves, sweet potato leaves, onions, pepper, green beans, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, bitter leaves, aleefi, ayoyo, kontomire e.t.c
FRUITS
Orange, pawpaw, mango, water melon, pineapple, sweet apple, grape fruits e.t.c
FORMS THE BULK OF THE MEAL
FOOD SAFETY…
PLWHA’s have lower ability to fight infection and so food-borne infections pose an increased risk and must be prevented.
Symptoms of such infections include
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and abdominal pains
FOOD HANDLING…
Always wash hands with soap and clean water before food preparation, eating and after visiting the toilet.
Keep nails short and clean.
Keep all food preparation surfaces and utensils clean.
Cook all raw animal products well.
Use separate boards for cutting animal products and vegetables.
Use clean cups for feeding babies
Healthy eating steps…
it is essential for all people to know how to make up a nutritionally adequate diet, particularly if they are living with HIV/AIDS
Starchy food at every meal
Legumes (cow pea,agushie, groundnut) every day
Vegetables and fruits everyday
Meat, animal products, fish and poultry regularly
Fats and oils as well as sugar
Drink lots of clean and safe water everyday
THE THREE FOOD STEPS…
STEP 3
FATS AND OILS
All types of cooking oil, margarine, meat fat, egg yolk, salad cream, avocado pear e.t.c
FORMS LIMITED PART OF THE MEAL
STEP 2
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PROTEIN
All types of meat and fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, milk and milk products.
All types of nuts, beans and plant seeds.
FORMS MODERATE PART OF THE MEAL
STEP 1
STARCHES
Cereals( rice, maize, millet, sorghum, wheat)
Roots and tubers(yam, cassava, cocoyam, potatoes)
Plantains
VEGETABLES
Okro (okra), garden eggs, tomatoes, cassava leaves, sweet potato leaves, onions, pepper, green beans, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, bitter leaves, aleefi, ayoyo, kontomire e.t.c
FRUITS
Orange, pawpaw, mango, water melon, pineapple, sweet apple, grape fruits e.t.c
FORMS THE BULK OF THE MEAL
FOOD SAFETY…
PLWHA’s have lower ability to fight infection and so food-borne infections pose an increased risk and must be prevented.
Symptoms of such infections include
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and abdominal pains
FOOD HANDLING…
Always wash hands with soap and clean water before food preparation, eating and after visiting the toilet.
Keep nails short and clean.
Keep all food preparation surfaces and utensils clean.
Cook all raw animal products well.
Use separate boards for cutting animal products and vegetables.
Use clean cups for feeding babies
Friday, January 7, 2011
ARE YOU SLEEPING AROUND?
Some good reasons not to be a teenager and pregnant
Advice from other teens who got pregnant:
“Wait until you are older!”
Here are 7 top reasons.
1. Your parents won’t be mad
How would your parents feel if they found out you were pregnant?
Will your parents be happy, mad or disappointed?
Would you want them to?
2. You can finish school
If you get pregnant now, you may drop out of school and may never finish schooling.
Only few teen parents are able to finish school.
3. You will have choices about your future.
Do you want to be a doctor, lawyer, and teacher or set up your own business?
It will be easier to make those choices if you don’t get pregnant and drop out of school.
You will have time to go travel, go to college and decide who you want to be.
4. You will have money
Teenagers who get pregnant often drop out of school, have no certificate, do menial jobs and thus earn less.
Only 32% of guys age 16 to 25 earn enough to take care of a family of three.
These facts mean that you have a very high chance of living in poverty.
5. You can have your dream house, car or career
If you get pregnant and have a child, he/she will have to come first in every decision.
If you don’t get pregnant, you may finish college and be able to buy your dream car or house or even build a mansion.
6. You will be sure that your partner is who you really want.
Teenagers who wait till they are older are likely to have happy marriages.
7. You will have time to be a teen.
Are you ready to be a teen parent and encounter problems or you will wait till you grow up? We hope you make the right choice.
Advice from other teens who got pregnant:
“Wait until you are older!”
Here are 7 top reasons.
1. Your parents won’t be mad
How would your parents feel if they found out you were pregnant?
Will your parents be happy, mad or disappointed?
Would you want them to?
2. You can finish school
If you get pregnant now, you may drop out of school and may never finish schooling.
Only few teen parents are able to finish school.
3. You will have choices about your future.
Do you want to be a doctor, lawyer, and teacher or set up your own business?
It will be easier to make those choices if you don’t get pregnant and drop out of school.
You will have time to go travel, go to college and decide who you want to be.
4. You will have money
Teenagers who get pregnant often drop out of school, have no certificate, do menial jobs and thus earn less.
Only 32% of guys age 16 to 25 earn enough to take care of a family of three.
These facts mean that you have a very high chance of living in poverty.
5. You can have your dream house, car or career
If you get pregnant and have a child, he/she will have to come first in every decision.
If you don’t get pregnant, you may finish college and be able to buy your dream car or house or even build a mansion.
6. You will be sure that your partner is who you really want.
Teenagers who wait till they are older are likely to have happy marriages.
7. You will have time to be a teen.
Are you ready to be a teen parent and encounter problems or you will wait till you grow up? We hope you make the right choice.
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