How to perform adult CPR and Save a life

Source: British Red Cross

CPR IN THREE SIMPLE STEPS

Source: University of Washington School of Medicine.

Click here to download a PDF of this Guide! 

ETHIOPIA: Rising food prices hit HIV-positive people

Source: IRIN PlusNews

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

"I get angry because every time I go food prices are higher," said the 38-year old mother of three. "Because food prices are increasing, we are eating less."

Many Ethiopians are skipping meals and cutting out "luxuries" like vegetables and eggs as the combination of drought and rising food prices squeezes already tight budgets. But for Bakane that's particularly dangerous; two-years ago she tested positive for HIV and began taking life-prolonging antiretrovirals.

If her diet is too poor, her health could soon deteriorate. "ART [antiretroviral treatment] can't work if people aren't eating enough; this is where food prices impact more strongly on them," 

Poor nutrition weakens the body's defences against the virus, hastens the development of HIV into AIDS, and makes it difficult to take ARVs. ART can also increase appetite and it is possible to reduce some side effects and promote adherence to ARV regimens if the medicines are taken with food, according to health officials.

As food prices continue to soar, Ethiopians with HIV are especially hard hit; they may be weak and unable to work, they often have less savings, and they may also have been shunned by the community.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

NIGERIA: Trafficking of girls, abuse worsening

Source: IRINnews

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

The trafficking of girls from villages to cities in Nigeria is increasing and the state is powerless to stop the trade, officials told IRIN. “The business of recruiting teenage girls as domestic help in rich and middle-class homes is booming despite our efforts to put a stop to it”

Girls aged 12-17 are regularly trafficked from villages and brought to the city to work as maids for an average monthly wage of 1,500 naira (US$13) which they usually send back to their parents who are caring for several of their siblings..

“Apart from being denied access to education, these girls are in many cases raped and beaten by their employers...

As well as poverty, trafficking in girls and women is driven by the extreme income inequality which exists in Nigeria, and gender inequality

Saudatu Halilu, a 16 year-old girl who moved to Kano from a rural village to work as a maid, has been a victim of the trade’s dangers...her master forced her into sleeping with him and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

“I was too scared to tell my mistress or anyone what happened for fear of what my master would do to me and I did not realise I was pregnant until a medical check after I began to show some signs which attracted the attention of my mistress”, Halilu told AFP.

Poverty drives parents into steering their teenage daughters into work as domestic helps, believing the menial jobs would secure better living conditions for their daughters, Ahmed said.

“I had no option but to send Hindu, who is my eldest daughter, to work in the city because we are poor and need money to feed”, said Aisha, a mother of six, who sent her eldest child, 14 year-old Hindu Nasidi, to Kano to earn money. The girl upset her keepers by not washing plates properly and they ground chilli pepper into her vagina as a punishment.

“The money she was paid from the job was very helpful in taking care of her six siblings until the unfortunate incident”, Nasidi said, blaming rising food prices for her decision to send the young girl out to work in the first place.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

YEMEN: New study highlights plight of street children

Source: IRINnews

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Ahmed (not his real name) has been sleeping near a secondary school in the centre of Sanaa city, Yemen's capital, for almost a year. He said he had come from the northern governorate of Amran to work and support his family back home.

The 14-year-old sells cigarettes and sweets in the city. "My father went to Saudi Arabia three years ago to find a job but didn't come back. I have three brothers and one sister and my mother asked me to find any job here in Sanaa to sustain them," he said.

The boy makes 400-800 Yemeni riyals (about US$2-4) a day and did not want to rent a room, in order to save money.

Ahmed is among an estimated 30,000 street children in Yemen, of whom 60 percent work and sleep on the streets and tend to be separated from their families, according to a new study. The remaining 40 percent work the streets but return to some kind of makeshift home at night.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Reflection of the Day: Your Life's Work

The following is a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. regarding one's life's work:

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man must do his job so well that the dead, the living, and the unborn could do it no better." 

Reflection of the Day: "Servant of your Inward Heart"

"There is nothing closer to you then yourself. If you don't know yourself, how will you know others? You might say, "I know myself", but you are mistaken....The only thing you know about yourself is your physical appearance. The only thing you know about your inside [batin, your unconscious] is that when you are hungry you eat, when you are angry, you fight, and when you are consumed by passion, you make love. In this regard you are equal to any animal. You have to seek the reality within yourself....What are you? Where have you come from and where are you going? What is your role in the world? Why have you been created? Where does your happiness lie? If you would like to know yourself....the reality of your existence is in your inwardness. Everything is a servant of your inward heart."

(Al-Ghazali, The Alchemy of Happiness)

Sex trade thrives in Afghanistan

Source: MSNBC/Associated Press
Photo: Farzana Wahidy / AP

Article: Sex trade thrives in Afghanistan

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

The girl was 11 when she was molested by a man with no legs. He paid her $5. And that was how she started selling sex.

Afghanistan is one of the world's most conservative countries, yet its sex trade appears to be thriving. Sex is sold most obviously at brothels full of women from China who serve both Afghans and foreigners. Far more controversial are Afghan prostitutes, who stay underground in a society that pretends they don't exist.

Customs meant to keep women "pure" have not stopped prostitution. Girls are expected to remain virgins until their wedding nights, so some prostitutes have only anal sex.

They are often the casualties of nearly three decades of brutal war and a grinding poverty that forces most Afghans to live on less than $1 a day.

Some prostitutes are forced into the sex trade by their families. The Ora report said 39 percent of the sex workers interviewed found clients through their relatives — including 17 percent through their mothers and 15 percent through their husbands.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Video-Survival: Renting home to Sex Workers (Ethiopia)

Source: Vlogit

Emishaw lives in a crowded area of Ethiopia. His mother has to rent out their home to sex workers in order to make money for the family...

ZIMBABWE: From school teacher to Sex Worker

Source: IRIN

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Surviving the world’s highest inflation rate is resulting in people ditching their professions and embarking on work, which they had never previously considered. Mavis, a qualified nursery teacher, has swapped her life as an educator for that of a sexworker and now cruises for clients in the upmarket hotels of the capital Harare.

"I am a professionally trained infant teacher, but last year I decided to quit the profession as the money that I was earning was not adequate to sustain myself,” she told IRIN.

"If I was still working as a school teacher, I would be earning just over Z$300,000 (US$7.5 at the parallel exchange rate of Z$40,000 to US$1) a month, but now, I can charge as much as Z$500,000 (US$12.5) per night regardless of whether the client wants my services for a short while or for the whole night."

Mavis said that the majority of her clients were married men, who had to get home to their wives. "When clients cannot be with me for a long time, I can double my earnings in a single night,” she said.

There are some clients who demand to have unsafe sex and even offer to pay more but I insist on the use of condoms or cancel the transaction," Mavis said. More than 5,000 teachers failed to report for duty when schools opened for the new term two weeks ago.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

“My mother said I could help the family more if I left school to be a sex worker”

Source: IRIN

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Janet Camara (not her real name) told IRIN her mother urged her to leave school and become a sex worker in early 2008 when it became clear that food and fuel prices meant her mother could not support the family on her own. Janet agreed to do it, becoming one of an estimated 250,000 sex workers in Guinea, according to a local non-governmental organisation.

“My father left a few years ago and my mother supported us by selling odds and ends in the market. I have three brothers and three sisters, and until the end of last year we were all in school. But as food prices rose my mother had more and more difficulty buying enough food for us to eat.”

“I was in my final year– my exams would have been this year - and one day my mother said I could help the family more if I left school to be a sex worker. I didn’t want to leave my friends behind but I thought I might earn enough to buy myself some nice clothes or a phone, and bring money home to my family, so I agreed to do it.”

“I bring home rice, bread and plantains – I help my mother a lot - but I can’t buy anything more because life has changed here - prices are rising so high my earnings only cover the basics.”

“Now I regret leaving school because I miss my friends, and I didn’t know this would be so hard. I suffer a lot. I take an HIV test every six months – organisations come around and offer them to us. I try to always insist clients use a condom but sometimes it means I have to charge them lower prices, and I end up losing clients that way.”

“We get a lot of military men here, but they often round us up in their trucks and take us out to the fields to rape us – and they end up paying nothing at all.”

“On a good day I’ll make US$33 but there are many days when I don’t make anything. The amount that a client will pay varies between US$3.30 and US$20, but that’s unusual. During religious festivals I may make nothing at all for weeks - Ramadan is the worst time.”

“Since I’ve been on the streets over the last year I’ve seen more and more young girls doing this work. I imagine most of them are leaving school like me, but I’ve also heard of some students continuing their studies during the day. I’ve also seen young boys working on the streets – they are more hidden but they exist.”

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

THE LIVELIHOODS OF COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN BINGA

Source:Eldis
Authors: M. O'Donnell; M. Khozombah; S. Mudenda
Publisher: Save the Children Fund, 2002

Article: THE LIVELIHOODS OF COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN BINGA

*The following is a direct quote of the summary provided by Eldis:

This report, from Save the Children (SC), explores the links between commercial sex work and food security in a fishing community in northern Zimbabwe. The authors found that one of the coping strategies for women during periods when they had little or no income or food would be to engage in commercial sex work (CSW). The authors argue that sex work needs be viewed form a livelihoods perspective if the underlying factors of sex work are to be addressed. Existing SC programming focuses more on the provision of information, education and condoms in order to reduce the risk of HIV transmission through commercial sex, rather than on livelihoods-related aspects.

The authors suggest two basic ways in which livelihoods programming could influence CSW. In order to prevent women from entering CSW, large-scale interventions such as SC food aid programmes could potentially have a role in supporting livelihoods and therefore help to reduce the need for women to engage in sex work. For those already engaged in CSW, but seeking a way out, income-generating projects should be considered. The authors also argue that promoting ‘safe sex’ to those engaged in CSW does not work because women are not in a position to negotiate condom use and, indeed, can make more money by not using condoms. The authors suggest that SC review its delivery channels for condom delivery and use and take these livelihood factors into consideration.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Women...Turning to Sex Work to Escape Poverty

Under wraps, prostitution rife in Afghanistan
More women in north appear to be turning to sex work to escape poverty
Source(s):MSNBC/Reuters

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan - When 19-year-old Fatima returned to her home in northern Afghanistan after years as a refugee in Iran, she struggled desperately to earn a living.

She briefly found work with an NGO, before being let go, and then spent two months learning how to weave carpets, before the factory shut down and she was again out on the streets of Mazar-i-Sharif.

Determined to support her mother, two sisters and young brother, she turned to a profession that has long been practiced the world over but remains deeply suppressed in conservative Afghanistan -- prostitution.

"I had no other way but prostitution," says the pretty teenager, dressed in tight blue jeans with a black veil pulled loosely over her head.

"I get up early in the morning and wander around the city," she said, at first reluctant to discuss her work. "My customers stop me and give me a lift and then we talk about the price," she explains, her face coated in make-up.

Sometimes charging $50 a time, her work is illegal and would bring shame on her family if discovered, but it provides a lifeline she otherwise could not have imagined.

And there is anecdotal evidence, supported by doctors concerned about the potential for the spread of HIV and AIDS, that more and more young women across northern regions of Afghanistan are turning to sex work to escape grinding poverty.

"Because of poverty, women are doing this," she said. "It is all because of poverty."

Please take a moment to read the rest of this article: Click here!

TEXT: Poverty And The Social Context Of Sex Workers In Addis Ababa (Book Review)

Source:Forum For Social Studies (FSS)
Author: Bethlehem Tekola

*The following is the Book Review provided by FSS:

Unlike the situation a few decades ago, commercial sex in Addis Ababa has increasingly become an occupation of women born and brought up in the city, a study reveals. The new study, “Poverty and the Social Context of Sex Work in Addis Ababa’, by Bethelehem Tekola*, indicates that more than 50% of the women who are engaged in the commercial sex are born and grew up in the city.

The expansion of urban poverty over the last three decades and the further socio-economic complications are the main reasons that the majority of the sex workers are indigenous to the city, says the author in her monograph published by the Forum for Social Studies (FSS). The study conducted in the city’s major sex trade centers of Mercato, Piazza, Arat Kilo, Kasanchis, Cherkos, Meshualekia and Kolfe involved a sample of 100 sex workers. It has revealed that the majority, 73%, of the women started commercial sex as teenagers. Even though the women cited various push factors that contributed to engage to commercial sex, the major factor that forced 63% of them was escaping economic hardship.

The study criticises the very common castigation attached to sex workers as being social misfits who pose dangers to society. The study proposes a humane approach towards them and their dependents. This should begin by making a clear distinction between the institution of commercial sex and women who practice it, the author suggests. Almost all of the participants covered in the study maintain social ties and carry obligations as heads of families or bread winners and other tasks that society values.

The study has identified seven distinct types of sex work practiced in the city based on venues and conditions of work; Street or Asphalt, Small drinking houses, Bar, Hotel/Club, Yetewosene Akafay - those who work on the bed owned by others who work for fixed payment to the owner, Ikul Akafay- Equal Share, those who give 50% - and on the Bed- Be-alga. Women in all the various forms of sex work are exposed to greater exploitation by those who have direct or indirect control over residential or venue space, the study reveals.

According to the researcher this implies that strategies for dealing with sex trade should focus more on curbing the many problems associated with it. Though the degree as well as the forms of vulnerability of the sex workers to HIV depends, among other things on the type of sex work that the women involve in, the author argues that they become more vulnerable in their non-paying relation with the men which they call ‘lovers’, ‘husbands’, or, ‘friends’ than their paying or commercial customers. The women reported that they are engaged in unrestricted and almost unprotected sexual relationships with these partners.

The study suggests that affirmative action should focus more on poor women who suffer from severe economic and social marginalization rather than on understanding its general sense of expanding opportunities for women in general.

Click here to read this review!

TEXT: Poverty And The Social Context Of Sex Workers In Addis Ababa

Source:Forum For Social Studies (FSS)
Author: Bethlehem Tekola

*The following is the Abstract provided by FSS:

Abstract
This book explores the social context of sex work in the city of Addis Ababa. It focuses on the social ties between sex workers and a variety of other categories of people, from their family members to their relatives, from their roommates to their neighbors, from their coworkers to their clients. It explores which of these social ties are affirmed and reinforced, which come under strain and which are cultivated and built by the women as a result of their engagement in sex work. It argues that these things depend on the women’s background, on the conditions under which they turn to sex work, on the specific types and conditions of sex work that they do and on the places and conditions of their residence. The main thesis of the work is that sex workers share the same social milieu and value system with non-sex workers and that, despite severe constraints put on them by poverty and very difficult working conditions, they struggle on a daily basis to have social life and social relevance. The work critiques the very common castigation of sex workers as social misfits who pose dangers to society and proposes a humane approach towards them and their dependents, an approach that should begin by making a clear distinction between the institution of commercial sex and the women who practice it.

The work employs both qualitative and quantitative methodology. It combines detailed one-to-one interviewing with focus group discussions and personal observation to bring out the perspectives of the women themselves. The quantitative data is composed of responses to a structured questionnaire by 100 sex workers.

The book begins with a critical review of existing literature on commercial sex work. The review establishes that in the West, in Africa, as well as in Ethiopia, sex workers have often been conflated with sex work itself; that they have been described either as sick and immoral people or as victims of male domination and abuse; and that they are described as such in categorical terms, without any attempt at internally differentiating among them.

The book then suggests a scheme for a classification of the sex workers of Addis Ababa. The scheme is based on those variables that determine the terms and conditions of social interaction between the women and wider society. They include the women’s backgrounds, the circumstances of their entry into sex work, the terms and conditions of work, the terms and conditions of residence and the degree and forms of dependent relationships in which they are involved. The analysis of sex work in Addis Ababa on the basis of these variables suggests significant shifts in the social background of the women who engage in it as well as in the organization of the work. The fourth chapter of the book employs this scheme and works out a classification of the sex worker population in the city. Seven distinct types of sex work are identified. The organization of work and residence in each of the types is discussed, followed by descriptions of the general profile of the women who operate in each type. Finally, the implication of this classification for the social behavior of the women is discussed.

Click here to read more about this text!

SEX-WORKERS AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF SEX WORK IN ADDIS ABABA

NEGOTIATING SOCIAL SPACE: SEX-WORKERS AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF SEX WORK IN ADDIS ABABA
Source: Bethlehem Tekola
Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Addis Ababa University

ABSTRACT This paper explores the social life of sex workers in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. It focuses on the social ties between sex workers and a variety of other people, such as their family members, relatives, roommates, neighbors, coworkers, and clients. It explores these social ties in terms of the way they are (1) affirmed and reinforced, (2) strained and broken, and (3) initiated and cultivated by the women as a result of their engagement in sex work. The main thesis of the work is that sex workers share the same social milieu and value system with non-sex workers and that, despite severe constraints put on them by poverty and very difficult working conditions, they struggle on a daily basis to have a social life and social relevance. The work critiques the very common castigation of sex workers as social misfits who pose dangers to society and proposes a humane approach towards them and their dependents, an approach that should begin by making a clear distinction between the institu-
tion of commercial sex and the women who practice it.

Click here to read this article!

AFGHANISTAN: Children work in brick factories to pay off family debts

Source: IRIN
Photo: Gulam Rasol Hasas/IRIN
ARTICLE: AFGHANISTAN: Children work in brick factories to pay off family debts

*The following is an excerpt from the aformentioned article:

More than 2,200 children are working for long hours in dozens of brick-making factories in Nangarhar Province, in eastern Afghanistan, to pay-off their families’ debts, a survey of Child Action Protection Network (CAPN) has found. Up to 90 percent of 2,298 children – boys and girls – who work in 38 brick-making factories in Sorkhrod District of Nangarhar Province do not go to school and are deprived from other means of education, said the survey which was conducted by a local non-government organisation (NGO), Wadan Afghanistan. IRIN’s Ghulam Rasool Hasas has prepared this report which starts some child workers voices…

Click here to listen to the audio reports from these children!

AFRICA: Soaring food and fuel prices may hurt growth

Source:IRINews
Photo: Tesfalem Waldyes/IRIN
Article: AFRICA: Soaring food and fuel prices may hurt growth

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

~"I cannot afford to buy wheat from the market," Tayech, a single mother of five, told IRIN. "It is too expensive."

~Ethiopian officials say the grain-subsidy programme was a response to the hardships faced by low-income urban dwellers because of escalating inflation rates - which they blame on the rising costs of oil and other commodities, including grain.

~Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: "While our current economic development is encouraging, worsening inflation has created a difficult situation for the low-income urban dwellers."

~The number of food-insecure people, it noted, could rise worldwide by more than 16 million for every percentage increase in the real prices of staple foods, meaning 1.2billion people could be chronically hungry by 2050. That is 600 million more than previously predicted.

~Market-related factors and decreased production would render an estimated eight million Ethiopians food-insecure this year, while 2.4 million acutely food-insecure people would require food and cash assistance.

~Of these, 825,000 Ethiopian urban dwellers, including Tayech, already rely on wheat supplied through the government's distribution centres.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Event: Cookies For Consciousness

BAKING FOR CHANGE:

Amber
"The Red Velvet Revolutionary"

VS.

Nasir
"The Best Cookie Maker on both sides of the Atlantic"

The aim of this event is to raise awareness and funds for ALIF's work with orphans and vulnerable children, as well commercial sex workers.

The details:
- RSVP is a must - seating is limited!!!!
Email your Name, # of guests, phone # to: hampton29@gmail.com to reserve your spot

- The cost is $5 (minimum - this is a fundraiser remember!)

- We invite you to name our competing cookie (Send suggestions for Nasir or myself to hampton29@gmail.com)

- Desserts, Teas, Coffee, Water will be served

- The prize for the best cookie - ...bragging rights! The REAL prize- Raising money and taking ACTION to make positive change in the lives of orphans and vulnerable children!

- As an attendee, YOU will get to taste test and vote for the winning cookie!

-If you can not make the event and would like to contribute click the following link: EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN!

Presentation at the Ethiopian Cultural Night

On Thursday, April 10th the ESA of CCNY hosted an Ethiopian Culture Night that highlighted the beauty of Ethiopia both past and present, which included traditional dances, a fashion show, guest performers, and traditional Ethiopian dishes. Additionally, I was honored to present on the progress of the Hiwot (Life) Campaign--an initiative to provide orphans and vulnerable children with the opportunity to actualize their right to education. Last year I spoke at the ESA's Ethiopian Culture Night after the recent launching of the Hiwot Campaign, thus I was pleased to announce that the campaign was successful in meeting our stated objective:

(1) Send 50 orphans and vulnerable children to school in Ethiopia:
Currently, 58 orphans and vulnerable children are enrolled in school through the Hiwot (Life) Campaign!

On behalf of ALIF and the women and children we serve, thank you!

Nasir Al-Amin

To learn more about ALIF visit: www.ALIF.us

Event: AMAL for ALIF

L'Altruist Noir Presents: AMAL

The Event: Amal for ALIF
On Friday, April 4th, L'Altruist Noir hosted an evening of chic altruism: AMAL. Amal, meaning 'hope', was held at France Origine (FR.OG). ALIF aids orphans and children of sex workers in Ethiopia by providing them with the opportunity access education. At present, ALIF provides approximately 58 orphans and children of sex workers with the following services:
~educational assistance and sponsorship,
~uniforms & school supplies,
~rent stipends for homeless orphans and mothers with children,

A special thank you to L' Altruist Noir and the following host:
Michael S. Hailu - Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Aja Byrd - MTV Networks
Felipe Tewes - FocusFeatures
Kai Livramento - The Fortune Society
Melanie Kannokada - PulseTV
David Bruhowski - Roque & Dalton Group
Kwame Owusu-Kesse - Triumph
Juan Fortuno - JI Group
Henock Wolde-Semait, MD - Mt. Sinai Medical Community

To learn more about L'Altruist Noir visit: http://laltruist.blogspot.com/

I thank all of the hosts as well as L'Altruist Noir for taking the initiative to put this event together in order to affect change in the lives of the women and children we serve!

Thank you,
Nasir Al-Amin

ESAi 8th Annual Summit

Photo: ESAi
Ethiopian Students Association International (ESAi) 8th Annual Summit

On Saturday, March 29th, I was honored to facilitate workshops on ALIF's work with orphans and children of sex workers in Ethiopia at the 2008 ESAi summit hosted by the ESA of George Mason University and ESAi. The theme of the three-day summit was "Looking Back-Leaping Foward." Additionally, the ESAi is the sponsor of one of ALIF beautiful children sponsored in Ethiopia. On behalf of our sponsored children and ALIF, I thank ESAi for their continued support!

In solidarity,
Nasir Al-Amin

(Columbia University) Presentation: Hearing their Voice

I would like to thank Prof. Marion Riedel of Columbia University and the AGPP Student Caucus of Columbia's School of Social Work for the invitation to present on my work with orphans and commercial sex workers in Ethiopia through ALIF.  One of my aims behind establishing ALIF was to create a medium and/or platform that would amplify the voice of the poor and underserved.  In order to amplify their voice, it first has to be heard and noted, and the accumulation of their voice is identified as a Needs Assessment. While studying at Columbia, one of the courses I took while pursing my Masters was Program Development and Evaluation, with Prof. Riedel.  One of the many skills that Prof. Riedel emphasized was beginning an initiative with a Needs Assessment, essentially their voice.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to walk alongside the poor and in some cases, I've been able to serve them as well--and at the core of that service is hearing their voice--performing a Needs Assessment. 

Again, I'm deeply in debt to Prof. Riedel, Prof. Robertson and other faculty members at Columbia for accentuating the value of their voice.

Thank you,

Nasir Al-Amin

Post Event: Thank You

Serving Humanity: “The best of mankind are those most beneficial to mankind.”

I would first like to convey a sincere appreciation to all of you for attending the fundraising and awareness-raising event hosted by Rodney and Lava Gina on behalf of ALIF. Your attendance and contribution are vital to ALIF’s aim to amplify the voice of orphans and vulnerable children, as well as the clarion call of sex workers for a better life.

In an effort to amplify their voice, the following are short videos that illustrate the plight of orphans and commercial sex workers in Ethiopia:

Title: A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video Part 1}  

Title: A Father's Struggle: "I just want to be able to send her to school." {Video Part 2}

Title: One Woman’s Story

Title: “I don’t want this life for her”

Title: Sex Work for HIV/AIDS Treatment {Video Part 1} (English Subtitles)

Again, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Rodney and Lava Gina for hosting this fundraising and awareness-raising event.

One Life at a Time,
Nasir

*If you would like to contribute to the education of orphans and vulnerable children visit the following link: 

Donate!

EVENT: For The Love of Ethiopia

A life is not important except in the impact it has on the lives of others" (Jackie Robinson)

Event: For the Love of Ethiopia
Host: Amir Rodney Smith
Location: Lava Gina
116 Avenue C, between 7th and 8th St.
Time:7:00PM-10:00PM
Donation: $10

Discription: Ethiopia is a country of distinguished history and presence. We come together in this particular time to remember the historic victory at the Battle of Adwa (March 2, 1896) and to commemorate that victory by supporting Ethiopia's children!

Each of us can change the lives of others today. Guided by a vision and by true faith in the power of one, Nasir Al-Amin established ALIF as a means to support the Ethiopian community one child at a time. ALIF provides scholarships and school supplies for orphaned and vulnerable children within Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Through ALIF, his efforts have created a platform for us to support the change that we want and need to see in humanity.

At the core of this event is the belief that people have the power to change humanity. Therefore, our aim is to remind people of their own power to affect change and assist them with moving beyond issue awareness to actualize social change. We will show video interviews and photo journals of commercial sex workers and orphans, as well as facilitate a brief talk on ALIF’s work with this population in Ethiopia. Join us in our aim to network for social change!

Funds will go to support school fees, uniforms and supplies. Student updates will be provided for those who contribute and who sign our guest list at the event so that each of you can see the benefit of your contribution and become family to a child in need.

*For those who cannot attend but would like to purchase a uniform, school supplies or both, you can make a secure Paypal contribution online by clicking on this link:
BACKPACKS & UNIFORMS

To learn more about ALIF visit:
www.ALIF.us

Contact Information:
Rodney Amir Smith
Phone: 212.477.9319
Email: rodney.l.smith@gmail.com

Thank you for supporting change, action, and unity.

EGYPT: Girls forced to sleep rough in Cairo (video)

Source:IRIN/Youtube

Article: EGYPT: Girls forced to sleep rough in Cairo (video)

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:
There are an estimated half a million street children in Egypt. Many of them are in precarious situation and face violence on the streets. This video short looks at the lives of 10-year-old Sayyida, who’s been living rough in Cairo for at least two years, and single mother Fatma. While they can go to a drop-in centre to get food in the daytime, they face an array of hazards at night in an increasingly hostile environment on the streets.

This video short highlights the dangers faced by people living on Cairo’s streets in a country of some 80 million people bursting at the seams.

Click here to read the full article.

Child labour in Yemen

Source: IRIN FILMS/ Youtube

Yemen's Al Mehwar slum

Source: IRINFILMS/Youtube

Sudanese struggle in the streets of Cairo

Source: Sudanese struggle in the streets of Cairo

Uncomfortable Truths...

By: Nasir Al-Amin

At 8 pm a woman in Ethiopia will prepare her daughter for bed, as she prepares herself for work. Although she works more than a 7 hour shift, on average 10 hours a night, she will only earn around $2.50-$3.50 a night. Beyond preparing herself outwardly, she prepares herself mentally for what the night might bring: physical and sexual assault (slapped, punched, and forced to perform sexual acts), mental abuse, theft, ridicule (from authorities and street gangs) as well as the pain and fear of leaving her daughter alone at home.

Everyday in Ethiopia, thousands of young girls and women (some as young as 15) are in the throes of commercial sex work. Poverty has exploited their orphanhood and/or destitute state. This is an uncomfortable truth, but it is their truth, and thus our truth!

"I believed the lies of a trafficker"

Source: BBC, Addis Ababa

By: Mohammed Adow

Article: Ethiopian tells of migrant ordeal

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article: 

An Ethiopian woman has gone public with her harrowing story about being trafficked to work in Bahrain, hoping this will serve as a warning to others. "I believed the lies of a trafficker and a family friend whom I thought I could trust," says Alem Teklu, 29.

"I ended up being abused, exploited, and held against my will. "My employer refused to pay my salary of more than six months and wanted me to forcefully marry her brother." Ethiopia has for a long time been a source of men, women, and children trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation. Every year thousands of young Ethiopians are trafficked for involuntary domestic labour to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. "Sexual harassment by male members of the family I worked for were a commonplace.  They can endure severe hardship and even death on their arduous journeys to the Middle East. Many believe that trafficking is being fuelled by the abject poverty facing many Ethiopians.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Another Ethiopian maid is found hanged

Source: Gulf Daily News

Bahrain - AN Ethiopian maid hanged herself at her Bahraini sponsor's house in Barbar at around 1pm yesterday.  The victim, who was in her 20s, was found hanging from a shower curtain rail by her sponsor, Chief Public Prosecutor Ahmed Bucheeri said yesterday. "The sponsor suspected that something was wrong with the housemaid so he broke into the bathroom to find her hanging from the rail," said Mr Bucheeri.

"She had hung herself using her scarf."

Mr Bucheeri went down to the scene and examined the body, along with a medical examiner, who found no signs of foul play.  The sponsor tried to save her by cutting down the scarf but it was too late, said Mr Bucheeri.  "Apparently the housemaid suffered from emotional problems and wanted to go back to her country, but her family insisted she stay in Bahrain," he said.  The sponsor said they had tried to get her medical help before.  "We took her to see a psychiatrist several times to help her get through her problems, but it was no use," he said.  Investigations are continuing.

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopian maid jumped from the second floor of a flat

Source: Gulf Daily News
By: Begena George 

An Ethiopian woman is recovering in a hospital after she jumped from the second floor of a building in an attempt to escape alleged physical abuse by a manpower agency. Serawit Gebre Medhen, 29, is being treated for head and leg injuries at the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC). She has worked in Bahrain for over a year as a housemaid, but had asked the Maliki Manpower Agency in Isa Town to be sent back to her country, saying that dust and heavy work were bad for her health.

"I first worked with an Iraqi family but they did not treat me well, so I told my agency, which sent me to work with a Bahraini family," said Ms Medhen.

"They were very good to me and treated me well - gave me the same good food that they ate. "But the house had too many dusty carpets and I am allergic to it so I requested to be sent back to my country as my health had failed me and I knew I wouldn't be any good to them. "My 'madam' took me to the agency and the manager got very angry with me when he heard my request and slapped me right across my face.

"This came as a shock to me but my madam too did not protest, maybe because she was scared. "When I tried to explain myself, he ordered me to shut my mouth and if I didn't he would burn my face with a lit cigarette that he was holding." She also claims that a female staff member at the agency hit her many times, once with a hardbound book on her head. "My madam went home and I was asked to stay the night at the office at Jid Ali, where I was locked in.

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopian maid in UAE commits suicide

Source: Gulf News
By: Nasouh Nazzal

(Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates) - An Ethiopian maid committed suicide on Tuesday in Al Rams area leaving a note addressed to her mother asking for her prayers. The 26-year-old Ethiopian maid identified as A.S. hanged herself to death with a rope fixed to the ceiling of a toilet at the house of her Emirati sponsor. Police have started an investigation into the case. Captain Ahmad Abdullah, Acting Head of Al Rams Police Station said they received a report from the sponsor who was shocked to find her maid hanging.

Police found a letter written by the maid herself. She did not mention a reason for committing suicide.

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

ALIF-One Woman's Story

This is one woman's account of the poverty-induced decision to engaged in commercial sex work.

Together we can create viable alternatives to commercial sex work!

Join ALIF in this mission:
www.ALIF.us

Ethiopia is a Source Country for Human Trafficking and Sex Exploitation

Source: Department of State

Report: State Department Trafficking in Persons Report June 2006

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article: 

Ethiopia is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Children and adults are trafficked within the country for domestic servitude and, to a lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation and labor, such as street vending. Small numbers of men are trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States for low-skilled forced labor. Ethiopian women are trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, for domestic servitude; other destinations include Egypt, South Africa, Sudan, and Djibouti. Small percentages of these women are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Transit countries for trafficked Ethiopians reportedly include Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. The Government of Ethiopia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. While Ethiopia's ongoing efforts to educate migrating workers about the dangers of trafficking and detect cases of child trafficking within the country are notable, its small number of prosecutions compared to the large number of investigations is a continued cause for concern. To further its anti-trafficking efforts, the government should improve the investigative capacity of police and enhance judicial understanding of trafficking to enable a greater number of successful prosecutions, and launch a broad anti-trafficking public awareness and education campaign.

Prosecution
The Ethiopian Government's law enforcement response to trafficking improved in 2005. In May, the government enacted a new penal code with improved anti-trafficking language that criminalizes most forms of human trafficking. Working with a local NGO, police monitored five key towns for possible trafficking. At security checkpoints throughout the country, the Immigration Authority verified the legality of migrants' travel documents. Border guards on the Bossasso route reported mass movements toward Somalia; the guards stopped travelers without proper documentation and issued warnings about the dangers of irregular migration. In 2005, 520 cases of child trafficking were reported, eight of which remained under investigation at year's end. Police referred 38 cases to the prosecutor's office: by the close of the reporting period, two resulted in conviction, 18 were pending prosecution, and 18 were closed for lack of evidence or because the defendant absconded. The low conviction rate for trafficking cases serves as a poor deterrent to traffickers, who can operate with relative impunity. In late 2005, police officers assigned to anti-child trafficking units in Addis Ababa were transferred from those duties to deal with recurring street disturbances. The Ministry of Labor (MOLSA), in cooperation with the Airport Immigration Authority, prevented an unspecified number of labor migrants without valid employment contracts from departing for the Middle East.

Protection
The government provided limited assistance to trafficking victims over the last year. The child protection unit in each Addis Ababa police station collected information on rescued trafficked children to facilitate their return to their families; it also referred 262 girls to an NGO for care pending transport home. The Ethiopian consulates in Beirut and Dubai dispensed limited legal advice to trafficking victims and provided temporary shelter for victims awaiting funds to pay off abusive employers for their freedom. In 2005, MOSLA investigated 52 complaints filed by returnees and families of aggrieved employees by verifying employment agencies' reporting through the Ethiopian missions abroad: 45 complaints were determined to be unfounded, four were amicably resolved, and legal proceedings for contract violations began against labor migration agencies in three cases. Government authorities made no effort to interview returned victims about their experiences in the Middle East.

Prevention
Ethiopia's efforts to prevent international trafficking increased, but measures to increase awareness of internal trafficking were lacking. During the past year, the government tightened its implementation of foreign employment regulations, resulting in a trafficking route shift; more Ethiopian victims are reportedly transiting neighboring countries rather than flying directly out of the main airport. The Immigration Authority continued to provide printed information on trafficking to those applying for passports and required applicants to view a video on the dangers of human trafficking. MOLSA supervised the work of legal labor migration agencies through surprise inspections and required biweekly reports. In 2005, the number of registered agencies rose from five to 17, facilitating the travel of 6,200 workers to six countries. MOSLA, in conjunction with Ethiopian consulates in the Middle East, approved foreign labor contracts for an additional 1,345 workers; many Ethiopians still continue to seek international employment through black market channels. The inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee convened regularly, but its activities were not disclosed. The counter-trafficking task force, chaired by the

Click here to read the full report!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Understanding Sex Work in Ethiopia{Part 1}

This brief clip is one of a 6 part series entitled, "Understanding Sex Work in Ethiopia," which is a part of a larger documentary ALIF is working on about the plight of orphans and commercial sex workers in Ethiopia.

For more information about the documentary contact Nasir at Nasir@ALIF.us.

The small hands of slavery: modern day child slavery

Source: Eldis
Authors: Save the Children UK
Publisher: Child Rights Information Network , 2007

Article: The small hands of slavery: modern day child slavery

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

Across the world, millions of children are currently being subjected to slavery. This report provides an introduction to the circumstances and abuses of children in the eight most prevalent forms of child slavery:
~child trafficking
~child prostitution
~bonded labour
~mining work
~agricultural labour
~child soldiers
~forced child marriage
~domestic slavery

Photographs, case study examples and direct quotes illustrate the experiences of enslaved children.
The report presents recommendations for governments and international organisations on actions to combat child slavery through:
~interventions to rescue and protect enslaved children
~legislation to criminalize child slavery
~the reduction of the supply of children for slavery, through measures such as working with communities and families to ~address poverty, provide them with access to credit, and offer education

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Maid Abuse Under Scrutiny in Lebanon

Source: ABC News

By: Zeina Karam (Associated Press Writer)

Photo: AP Photo/Grace Kassab

"An Ethiopian maid hangs washed clothes as she stands on a balcony in Beirut, Lebanon Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007. Thousands of foreign domestic workers in Lebanon and the Arab world face abuse at the hands of their employers. Some of these workers-estimated at up to 150,000 in Lebanon-come from as far as Madagascar and Nepal, but the majority are from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Eritrea."

Click here to read this article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopian girl on death row in Bahrain

Source: BBC News

Article: Ethiopian girl on death row in Bahrain

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

The Ethiopian authorities are appealing to Bahrain to lift a death sentence against a 20-year-old Ethiopian maid accused of murdering her employer. Yeshiwork Zewdu is accused of killing her employer using a meat cleaver. 

The housemaid's case has heightened existing concern about the predicament of nearly 25,000 Ethiopian women working as maids throughout the Middle East.

"It's a total shock for us. For a young woman to reach such a position, there must be something wrong going on," said Haile Mikael. The minister said Yeshiwork's colleagues had spoken of how the girl had been subjected to physical and psychological torture for the past two years.

"She was badly treated for about two years. She was not paid a single coin," said Haile Mikael.


Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Ethiopia - Maid 'found hanging' in sponsor's villa

Source: Khaleej Times
By: Afkar Abdullah

SHARJAH — A 19-year-old Ethiopian maid was found hanging from a tree in the compound of her UAE national sponsor’s villa in Al Turrfa area here. R. A. the maid, had been working in the house of her sponsor, M.S, for nearly three months now.

Her residency visa is valid and she was working with the family legally, the police said. The police have questioned the members of the family in the suspected suicide case. The police have sent the body of the maid to the forensic laboratory for further investigations.

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Jailed Ethiopian woman found six mths pregnant

Source: Arab Times
By: Mezyed Al-Saeedi

Kuwait Crime News

Kuwait: A police officer assigned in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Police Station has discovered that an Ethiopian woman detained in the station is six months pregnant. She was referred to Ghloum Habib, the Security Department Head in the area, reports Alam Al-Yawm.

Security sources said the woman left her sponsor in Khaitan in search of a better job. She then met an Egyptian woman who immediately hired her as a domestic helper. However, her new sponsor's husband threatened to inform her former sponsor of her whereabouts if she did not agree to have sex with him. After having sex with her for several times, the man fired her. Later the securitymen from the Absconding Committee arrested her. She was referred to the Offenses Department in Dasma.

Police later summoned the man, who allegedly impregnated the Ethiopian woman, for questioning.

Eating well: a guide for children affected by AIDS

Source: Eldis
Authors: Children in Distress Network
Publisher: Children in Distress Network, 2004

Article: Eating well: a guide for children affected by AIDS

*The following are excerpts from the aforementioned article:

A healthy diet helps children affected by HIV and AIDS. This illustrated and accessible manual addresses several nutritional concerns that may affect children infected with AIDS. These include:

~the effects of eating badly
~what happens to your body when you get sick
~how can we eat well to live well
~advice on eating well when you are sick
~good foods to keep you healthy
~eating well for energy, gain weight and increased appetite
~foods that prevent infections, improve digestion and ease mouth problems

Click here to read the full article!

*Note the abovementioned excerpts are direct quotes from the article and thus all credit and references should be afforded to the authors/sources.

Thank You!

ALIF and the children we serve are grateful to all of you that have supported our efforts with vulnerable women and children in Ethiopia.

Sincerely,

Nasir Al-Amin