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HIV/AIDS Terror Awakens the Voiceless Orphan

by Dr. Mercy S. Tsiwo-Chigubu

545 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); includes charts and black and white illustrations; catalogue #05-1807; ISBN 1-4120-6896-7; US$34.00, C$39.10, EUR26.51, £17.57

To President George W. Bush, PM Tony Blair, and the European Union: "lift Zimbabwe's sanctions!"

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About the Book

About the Author

Excerpts

About the Book

The book's title HIV/AIDS Terror Awakens the Voiceless Orphan speaks volumes. Allow me to take an optimistic premise of dissecting the title piece by piece. Why HIV/AIDS? It is a global atrocity that has allowed itself to manifest as a massive epidemic in the Sub-Saharan Africa, and ruthlessly in the sanctions-ridden Zimbabwe! "Who is the voiceless? It is the traumatized "orphaned Negro child" at the mercy of sanctions from the industrialized world. HIV/AIDS is a death sentence for Africa while in the industrialized world it is not! Medicines are available, unlike in Africa where the price to obtain them is extremely expensive and prohibitive.

The case of Zimbabwe's man-made abject poverty through sanctions needs immediate attention. Orphans need food as they grieve their dead parent(s). How can they eat when economic sanctions cripple Zimbabwe's infrastructure in every which way but loose? The recipe of HIV/AIDS plus sanctions is demonic. It deprives children's brain development across the life-span? Everything that young children hear, see, feel, and smell contributes to healthy brain growth and development. Today, all they feel is pain, isolation, helplessness, despair, hopelessness, and that nobody cares! All what they smell is the endless "staple sadza smell" from neighbors' homes cooking in volumes for funeral attendees day in and day out! There is every reason for Africa to mourn. HIV/AIDS "terror" is on Mother Africa's doorstep! Think of it, 70% of Africa is facing the wrath of AIDS.

As for Zimbabwe and its burdensome economic sanctions, what a heart-wrecking cocktail that destroys humanity! The HIV/AIDS menace devours Africa's offspring minute by minute. Yes, 1 person in every 5 people in Africa will die of HIV/AIDS.

This book discusses global HIV/AIDS stigma, Africa's predicament, Zimbabwe's orphans' plight, and the pain of the underclass in both Africa and USA.

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About the Author

In Zimbabwe, 1992, Pastor Nick gloried making three consecutive announcements: "Banns of Marriage... anyone with reason against Archie Chigubu and Mercy Tsiwo marrying in Harare Baptist Church, and building a covenant before God, say it now or forever hold your peace!" Soon, "I do" vows followed! Did I know that in 1999, I would gullibly drive him to Lansing airport for Zimbabwe, believing he would return? Upon leaving, one child was 6 years, and the other was 5 months old. I was a doctoral student with no scholarship, no relatives, no upkeep money, no child-minder, and no support system. Raising children within "fatherhood deficit" is a "journey from my head to my heart. God empowered us to say the Lord's Prayer daily, imprinting the term "Father" in our everyday vocabulary!

What strengthens me? I'm grounded on Bill Cosby's school of thinking: "God is A Single Parent". How condescending! To be a single mum with children, and a foreign female doctoral student without financial aid, educated me about the plight of US' low income single parents working tirelessly on two to three jobs, and still failing to make ends meet. I am that living example! Besides scanty graduate assistantships, I still worked in fast food restaurants washing dishes, as a hotel or store janitor, waitress, housekeeper, store salesperson, independent beauty consultant, cutlery salesperson, home agency cleaner, day care center laboratory assistant and the list is endless! Yet unfortunately; to this day, I fail to raise money to return to Zimbabwe, even for funerals!

Nonetheless, life is about service. "We are all God's flowers!" The voracious pain of orphans and under-class families haunts me. On 12 May 2006, CNN News announced that Zimbabwe hit the world's highest record of 1000% inflation rate. My response: "USA, UK, & EU: lift those satanic sanctions!"

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Excerpts

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