28 Stories of Aids in Africa Reflection

To reflect on something is to understand it and I cannot truly say that I completely understand this book. I have seen death before and a lot of people I care about have died yet I cannot understand. Death is not always around me as it is with the people in this book. I never raised a family was I was ten years old like Tigist was forced to. At ten years old the worst thing that happened to me was my parents got divorced. When Tigist was ten years old her mother, father, and stepfather had all died. I cannot begin to understand any of that. I can read the book but I cannot understand it. I cannot imagine it either. Little children being left in the world with no parents or anyone to help them. To think I get nervous and barely survive when my mother goes away for a weekend. I cannot understand that world.

Life is not valued in Africa like it is in America which is one of the sadder things in this book. Not only knowing that your mother/father/brother/sister is going to die but they know it also. They know that they are going to die and just waiting to die. Waiting to die, something that as a kid growing up in Boston I could never imagine anyone doing. Every single time I read something in this book I tried to put myself in their shoes and think what I would do. I’d say if that was me I’d start by rushing to the hospital and... Then it would hit me they cannot go to a hospital. In Boston you can barely travel for an hour and not pass a hospital. So I cannot put myself in that situation because I do not understand.

To sit there and die when I first began reading this book I thought was a form of defeat and a sign that they had gave up. But as I began to think more and more about it I realized that to be defeated there had to be a chance of winning in the beginning. Every single odd is against them at all times. It is 2013 and yet we discuss that so many people have little to no chance of surviving. In America we discuss that people have little to no chance of becoming a millionaire. Clearly something is wrong.

I thought that as a writing tactic that the earlier stories would be the most tragic and as I got deeper into the stories it would become easier to read two pages without stopping and thinking how the world is so messed up. I was so wrong. Each story was unique and tragic. Each story left me thinking about everything in life.

There have only been a select few books that I have ever wanted to keep reading. This book was not one of them however I could not put this book down. I did not enjoy reading about death and sadness but I had to read to realize why Stephanie Nolen wrote the book in the first place. Not for profit but so that people could have insight. I can say that I have insight on Africa now having read this book but I do not think I can ever understand it. These stories seem like they are from a different planet and it is so disappointing to think that this is happening everyday to so many people yet nobody does anything.

We believe that the United States of America is so great helping other nations yet we are not. “Evil is when good men stand by and do nothing.” Does that mean the United States is evil? No, but pretty close.

I do not know of any concrete ways to prevent or cure the spread of AIDS because if I did then I would hope a person in more of a powerful position would and would then help the people of Africa. There are ways of preventing the spread but if nobody is using any of those ways then it clearly is not working. There has to be an easier way like a shot or something since the current ways are not working as planned. Because of the growing interest in helping out in Africa I believe that there are positive things to come. Hopefully all African countries can grow and their economies can also grow and can function properly. I got a little off topic but I believe this book is meant for you to think about life and everything around you. This book caused me to reflect on my own life and on The USA. In my reflection I was disappointed on what we have done compared to what we could do if the government really wanted to help out.