Hi Mansour,

I share the same views with Mr Sambou. Aficans seem to lack confidence in
themselves in anything they want to do, even the so-called intellectuals.Any
time they want to initiate new idea or invention they have to turn to
someone for approval. Once these people
frown at the idea everthing is abandoned.

There was sometimes I heard that some African hebalists claimed to have
aknowledge of curing HIV/AIDS;but nothing is heard about them now. Why? Is
it that it has been proven that these personalities are incapable of doing
what they claimed or they are sidelined because they do not meet the
conventional medical set requirements? I think it is important for us to
encourage collaboration with our traditional(African) physicians in search
for the cure for dreadful monster before it devours us all. Inasmuch as we
intensify the awareness of the disease through information communication and
education(ICE) we should also join the bandwagon in search for a cure. I may
be wrong, I have never heard any African institution or foundation so much
vigarously investing resources in search of drug for AIDS.

Africans still remain in thier traditional habits of being passive partners
in initiations and inventions. We seem to be good at being recipients of
outputs of others and not ours. This is terrible!

It is high we learnt how to tackle our own problems.Look, civil conflicts
and wars are tearing the whole continent into rags but we are not seeing the
problem within but blaming outsiders. Until we accept the problem is within
us we can never solve them. It should have been cleared to us now that every
continent or more specific,country, is defending her position and
interest.This shouldn't be strange to Africans.As it was in the beginning
ever still be. How we were maltreated in the era of slavery and colonisation
is the same way we are relating with them, although in a masked form.

Therefore the solutions to AIDS and other problems should be our great
concerns. We need to invest our energy and resources to overcome these
menances or we face degeneration. We can accept and appreciate assistance
from them but our own initiatives count alot.Lets throw the concepts of
anything African initiated is bad. We all know many successful works started
in crude and vague form then later underwent refinery stages before getting
shapes.

AFRICA IS OURS AND WE AFRICANS WHO CAN PUSH IT FORWARD.

PAUL T


>From: Mansour Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: HIV/AIDS
>Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 10:20:44 +0100
>
>On Thu, 20 Jul 2000 20:45:36 GMT joe sambou
><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > We as Africans need to find solutions for our problems.  We don't have
>to
> > lash or stone anyone to combat this disease.  We are always quick to
>rely on
> > foreign religions as a cure-all for our problems.  Unless we stop
>looking to
> > Mecca or Rome, we will always find our selves scratching our heads for
>the
> > obvious.  We cured ourselves of various diseases before Mecca or Rome
>was
> > around, what makes us think that we should stop today?
>
>Thanks Mr Sambou,
>
>I do not consider Islam as a foreign religion.  I know my
>people have been Muslims for over 500 years!  It is the
>prescribed religion for all mankind.  Naturally it has
>start somewhere.  We may have cured many diseases before
>the advent of AIDS our 'African' way which is less than can
>be said of pseudo claims by traditional healers of all kinds.
>My prescribed solutions call for reorientation of our
>priorities in combating AIDS, i.e. , more emphasis on
>prevention in the way of behavioral modification rather
>than hoping for a quick fix in the way of treatment.
>
>
> > Finally, like most things in life, money is not everything but it's part
>of
> > everything.  In addition to educating each other and looking into our
>roots,
> > we need medications for those who already have the disease, and that
>costs
> > money.
>
>Well Mr. Sambou I can assure you no African government has
>enough resources to deal with this.  The per capita spent
>on health makes an abysmal reading.
>
> > My humble opinion.
>
>Respected
>
>Asalamu Alaikum
>
>MMC
>----------------------
>Dr M Mansour Ceesay
>[log in to unmask]
>
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