It’s that time of year when many people believe they are making a difference in the world by posting a pretty red ribbon next to their oh-so-perfect DSLR-camera-captured profile picture on Facebook/Twitter/whatever other mumbo jumbo social media profile. I hate to break it to ya, you are NOT making a difference. If you are one of them, you can disagree with me, stop reading and go on feeling good about the huge difference you have just made or continue reading to know why I just burst your guilt-curbing bubble.
What?
1st of December was declared as World AIDS Day by the WHO to enable interested parties to create awareness to the general public about AIDS, unite their efforts and generally bring about a change to the lives of those who may be exposed to the threats of AIDS due to ignorance, by educating them.
Well, guess what? Today is 1st of December and there is going to be many a song and a dance about how AIDS is really bad and how it must stop spreading and how one must use protection and how one must donate a condom and what not – and all that is well and good. But sadly, today, the well-meaning, well-to-do general public who have access to the internet and who have knowledge of this topic think the only means of spreading awareness to the ignorant not-so-well-to-do masses is via social media, i.e. Facebook & Twitter mainly. A wall post here, a retweet there and they pat themselves on their back for a job well-done in making a change, then go about their lives like AIDS didn’t even exist anymore. B*tch, please!
How?
If I have successfully pissed you off, not to mention bursting the aforementioned bubble, and you still want to keep reading, we may be onto something here innit? You may argue “but no, wall posts and retweets create awareness, people get to know shit and then people start doing shit.” – My point exactly, they do shit!!! (At least majority of them). Then you may further argue “but no, the few who actually do do something real will make a difference noh?” – Yes, the few who actually do do something real have the desire to do so, and will continue with or without your wall post or retweet.
I am not going to just keep cussing those who belong to the “create awareness on timelines” bandwagon, but let me try and explain how you can turn that awareness into something a little more real (i.e. if your lazy ass still wants to do bugger all and have no intentions of moving out of your armchair – like me). Post on walls you may, send out tweets you may, but just don’t make them some lame shit like “Happy AIDS Day” – seriously, that’s what pissed me off and made me write this blog post in the first place (ok, the secret’s out, I am venting…nah, but really, happy AIDS day? Are you kidding me?!).
You want to create REAL awareness? Maybe start by finding out what REAL activities are going on the streets to create REAL awareness, then maybe spread the word to make people move onto the REAL streets out of their cozy bedrooms. Now THERE you can help by using wall posts and retweets to get the people with the knowledge and desire to help, to get onto to REAL streets, take part in REAL activities, join REAL efforts and create REAL awareness to those who need it for REAL. (See how I am trying hard to keep it REAL? :P) That’s when you are keeping the REAL spirits of World AIDS Day alive and helping make a REAL change. “Happy AIDS Day” my ass. Pssh.
Why?
Do you know where the nearest AIDS clinic is? Do you know what goes on in there? Did you know, majority of those who have AIDS and are responsible for spreading it are the innocent ignorant lot who have almost zero knowledge on this topic. To narrow it down further, they are the ones who move into the big corrupted city from their cushy un-spoilt villages and fall prey simply due to their ignorance. Also, did you know, most of these so-called “sex workers” (trying to be a little dignified here because people get all sensitive and shit when I called them prostitutes – ok, there goes the dignity out the window…moving on) are the one who have the best knowledge on the topic, and are the most regular visitors to the AIDS clinics for regular checkups and are usually clean? Yeah, I was surprised too. My point here is, we know, the sex workers know, but what about those who don’t know? They are not browsing the internet and looking for wall posts and retweets, they go on with their lives, ignorant as ever, perhaps contracting the disease, spreading it to the equally ignorant, and the vicious cycle goes on. That is why. (I am not sure what the question was anymore, but yeah, go figure)
I am nearly at the end of my rant. Nearly. If my rant has pissed you off, but made no real difference in your head, joy, go on, back to your wall posts and retweets. But if the humanitarian fire in you just got rekindled, a good place to start would be the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP). Oops, did I just drop a bomb? Why you running away? No, come back!!!
Ah well, I tried. Happy AIDS Day everyone!!!
Shit.
I mean, keep it REAL everyone!!!
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