With Love from Mad-Bob-Land

Lets Talk About Sex

2011-02-14T06:09:00.001-08:00

Companies in Zimbabwe are scaling up their response to HIV and AIDS by developing workplace policies and programmes that mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their businesses, employees and their families. Male and female workers, however, face different social and biological vulnerabilities to HIV and AIDS, and workplace environments can exacerbate their risks if companies do not take measures to mitigate them. It is increasingly recognised that addressing the gender dimensions of HIV and AIDS is crucial in any effort to halt the spread of infection.
Yet, although many companies in Zimbabwe now have HIV and AIDS programmes in place a gender perspective remains lacking. Most programmes appear to treat HIV and AIDS as a generic disease that affects women and men in the same way. In companies where considerations are given to women and men’s different interests and needs, these are generally made after all important decisions on goals and budgeting have been made. As a result most attention given to women has been in the form of components and add-ons, which has little influence on implementation of HIV and AIDS policies and programmes in the long term. In interventions that have successfully integrated gender in one aspect, discriminatory distinctions between men and women are made in another.

In order for programmes to be gender sensitive HIV interventions in the workplace must offer different services for women and men when their needs are different, but must also ensure that services do not treat women and men differently when their needs are the same. Mainstreaming gender into current HIV policies and programmes is therefore essential for increasing the coverage, effectiveness and efficiency of interventions.

In the next few weeks I will participate in conducting a baseline survey aimed towards identifying what the gender-differentiated vulnerabilities and risks are within six HIV and AIDS workplace programmes in Zimbabwe. Findings of the survey will inform future HIV and AIDS workplace programmes.

Be My Valentine

2011-02-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

It is Valentine's Day in Harare. It is a fact which is hard not to notice. Shops, stores and restaurants are decorated with red hearts and fluffy animals. The celebrations started already last week. One would think that in a place such as Zimbabwe commercial traditions would not be as prevalent. It is surprising to see how American influences remain strong in spite of the last years economic and political turmoil. The stores do not even have a very wide selection and most items are sold at a high market price. One could wonder how Zimbabweans can afford it. A Zimbabwean friend said that most did it for show. To uphold an image of an ideal life style in front of others remains important. It was especially true for those that once lead a wealthy life that is before Zimbabwean dollars in the bank became useless. Perhaps the mentality of buying for the sake of buying becomes more of an obsession when means are limited.

The Undeniable Reality

2011-02-06T08:03:00.002-08:00

Samas, a colleague of mine, is sick again. Last time he was not feeling well he was too weak to work for weeks. Samas is HIV positive. Although the signs have been there for some time I didn’t want to make assumptions. It is scary how common HIV is, so common that it has grown a natural part of the daily life of most. Sama’s wife is negative. For a long time Samas refused to admit that he had the virus. It was not until recently that he started the treatment. His chances of surviving are lower as a result. Even though HIV and AIDS is a reality that most people know of, the stigma surrounding the disease is difficult to overcome. It is evident that there are many obstacles that remain before the battle against HIV and AIDS can be won.

Soliciting

2011-02-06T08:03:00.001-08:00

A woman was arrested for soliciting when walking down the street to meet her boyfriend waiting for her in a car outside the club. ”You cannot walk around on the streets dressed like that…” they said and stopped her from walking any further. They insisted that she had to come with them to the police station for further interrogation. A similar incident happened to a colleague of mine a few weeks ago. She had been shopping groceries on her way back home after work. Dressed in long sleeves and a long shirt she walked with her groceries in a plastic bag in her hand. Two policemen stopped in a car. ”Why are you walking here alone in the dark?...you must be soliciting!” She denied and explained that she was walking towards the bus stop. The policemen were not convinced. The matter had to be investigated. My colleague refused to accomany them to the police station without first making a phone call. They reluctanty agreed to let her go with a warning. In Zimbabwe policemen are not allowed to arrest women after dark. It appears that the rule remains a theory rather than practice. Few women are aware of their rights leaving them vulnerable to abuse and harassment.

Doing Good

2011-02-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

When first arriving to Zimbabwe and being introduced to the world of development workers it appeared almost as if ones worth was defined by the number of hardship postings one had been to. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and DRC gave the highest scores. If you had not experienced Zimbabwe during its hardship years then you really hadn’t experienced Zimbabwe at all. It seemed as if one was not able to understand the difficulties they had been through in order to be were they were at. In reality however, foriegners were the ones that suffered the least during the worst of times in the country. Foreigners had access to foreign currency and were able to stock up with supplies from Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa whereas most Zimbabweans did not have the means to do so. Most positions in places considered as hardship destinations often offers additional benefits such as secuity assurances and travels holidays of the country. Surely, one must be able to lead a decent life also when working in the development and humanitarian field. My argument is that aid still manages to uphold an image of doing good in a harsh environment whilst the reality is that aid lead quite a good life. Yes, some-a few- have been in situations where their life is at risk, but it is a life which is chosen. Most Zimbabweans never had that choice.

Etcetera...

2011-02-06T08:00:00.001-08:00

Most Zimbabweans have two names: a Shona/Ndebele name and an English name. The English name often describes the situation when the child was born. Constitution, Accident, Jealousy, Happiness, or Mistake are rather common. Other names describes the child or the relation between the parents: Gift, Delight, Fortune, Love nest or Passion. At other times it appears as if parents have been unispired naming their children: Doesn’t matter, No matter and Etcetera.

The Hard Life of an Aid Worker

2011-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

”How will you survive without Placedes?” Placedes a sturdy woman in her fourties gives me a concerned look. She closes her eyes, as she usually does whenever she speaks, and I watch the two hairs on her adam’s apple move up and down, up and down. I try to explain why I would consider myself perfectly capable of taking care of the house in her absence. My Swedish up bringing has taught me everything there is to know about housekeeping. She does not look very convinced. It is surprising how quickly one adapts to the comfortable life style of a so called ”expat”. It often includes living a life style one could never afford to have in Europe or America. Most development workers seem to have their own maid and gardener. Houses are spacious and often include swiming pool or a tennis court. The bad conscious for leading a life in luxury in the face of extreme poverty is justified by the fact that one is far from family and friends and forced to work in a so called ”hardship” environment. Whilst aid interventions creates business opportunities for the local population the question remains whether it is always justifiable or even necessary.

Do You Speak NGOish?

2011-02-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

An article in the Economist, ”Anyone here speak NGOish?”, describes how the population in Sudan has grown so used to NGOs and UN agencies that they are accustomed to the culture. The people of Sudan has quickly learnt the fashionable terms to use within the development sector. As one woman explained in the article using terms such as ”stakeholder”, ”sustainability” and ”accountability” is the secret to a successful project proposal. The situation is similar in Zimbabwe where the population is well familiar with development acronyms. NGO workers with shiny, white Toyota land cruisers and spacious houses with tennis courts and swimming pools sends a message of future prosperity. Perhaps it is not surprising that most youth in Zimbabwe would rather work for an NGO than become a lawayer or a doctor.

"Please Do not Flush Zimbabwean Dollars in the Toilet..."

2011-02-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

In the toilet at the border post I found a note on the wall: ”Please do not flush Zim dollars…” After years of hyperinflation, Zimbabwe abandoded its own currency and adapted a system of multicurrencies. Payment is now made in either American dollar or South African rand. Although the economic situation in the country has stabilised since the new currency was adopted prices have also risen substantially. As a friend said: ”We have American money now, but we use them as Zimbabwean dollars.” Zimbabwean dollar notes has ironically regained their value as tourist souvenirs since the introduction of the new currencies. You can buy a 10 000 000 000 Zimbabwean dollar note for ten dollars and bring with you home.

Make a Plan

2011-02-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

The outbreak of protests in Tunisia and Egypt provides evidence of the power of the people in bringing a change to take place. It serves as a reminder that leaders are forced to listen to the demands of the people when they speak up with one voice. Zimbabweans as the people of Egypt have been forced to live under oppression. Surely the events of the least few weeks in Egypt and Tunisia must inspire others to follow suit. For what is the reason why Zimbabweans have not rioted against Mugabe’s rule. What is that enables a ruler to be able to mismanage resources and oppress his opponents for over thirty years without being held accountable for his crimes? ”Zimbabweans are not like the people in South Africa who protest on the streets whenever they disapprove of government actions…” my colleague said. ”As Zimbabweans, we are persistent. We sit down and make a plan.” Perhaps Zimbabweans ability to adapt to difficult situations that have contributed to the countries quick recovery after the economic and political chaos of the past. In the same time one cannot help but wonder what would had happened if Zimbabweans had followed the example of their South African neighbours and openly held the government accountable for their actions.

Election Time

2011-02-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

There are rumours that a new election will be held this year. As with most news in Zimbabwe one has to rely on rumours for information. These rumours are on the other hand often subject to change. Decisions change from one day to another. According to the latest rumour elections are planned to be held this year following signs that the health of the President is deteriorating. ZANU-PF, who are also the first to deny rumours that the President is ailing, wish to see an election in the near future. Amongst most Zimbabweans on the other hand another election is far from desirable and a cause of fear and anxiety. The memories from the 2008 election remain fresh in mind and serve as a reminder of what another election might mean. The recent political and economic stability following the establishment of the transitional Government of National Unity and the introduction of multicurrencies has bought some continuity and hope for the future. Another election may on the other hand lead to increased violence and could potentially mean a return to the political and economic turmoil of the past. Zimbabwean, however, seem more interested in moving on with their lives than engaging in another election.

This is Zimbabwe

2011-02-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

I've been working hard to organise a launch for the organisation I am working for. 200 people were invited to the event. Finger food, drinks and a band was organised. An hour before the event will take place we are informed that we can no longer have the event as planned. The police demanded to see our invitation list and did not approve of the organisation having so many NGOs attending. Ended up having to call everyone we invited and tell them that we could no longer have the event. I spent the rest of the evening eating cocktail food at my boss house having regular visits from the police and CIO (secret service) who wanted to check that we really were following orders. My boss did not seem surprised. He laughed, shaked his head and said: "Marta, this is Zimbabwe!"

Allegations

2010-10-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Liu Xiabo was awarded the Nobel Peace price his struggle for human rights in China this year. Liu Xiabo is currently a political prisoner for "counter revolutionary behaviour" after calling for political reform and the end of Communist one party rule in China. China has also strongly reacted to the announcement of of the award to Xiabo.

In Harare, media remains silent on the issue. It appears as if events taking place beyond the Zimbabwean borders are not as important as the the country's own problems. Yet, there are many similarities between the situation for members of the opposition in China and the treatment of political opponents in Zimbabwe. Though it is true that media is far from free in Zimbabwe one would expect the discussion to take place on the streets. The fact remains that most Zimbabweans have stopped following the news. As a Zimbabwean friend of mine once said, news are "allegations". It is unfoortunately quite a good description of the media available to describing real or fictional stories about the offences committed by individuals.

Those that dare to contradit the powerful remains to be silenced by government actors in China as in Zimbabwe. Members of the opposition are still imprisoned without a trial. Fear amongst the peeople is widespread. Most Zimbabweans chose to remain silent. On the other hand there are also brave people such as Liu Xiabo risking their life for the rights that every human being are entitled to. People that after spending over 20 years in prison are still able to say "I have no enemies."

The Voice of Bob

2010-10-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

The diplomatic community were invited to an inauguration ceremony at President Mugabe’s residence. Most of the diplomats were represented and on time. Yet, they were left waiting to shake the President’s hand for seven hours. No refreshments were provided.

The following day the Herald, a newspaper also known as ”the voice of Mugabe”, published a picture of President Mugabe and the new head of the European Commission on the front page. The headline read ”EU: Zimbabwe press is free”. The picture showed Mugabe shaking hands with the European Commission head. The picture had, however, been manipulated to depict Mugabe, who’s a sort man in reality, stretching high above the head of the European Commission delegate bowing down before him. This must had been quite embarassing for the European delegation in the country. The head of the European commission later apologised to the whole diplomatic community for the unfortunate misquotations in the article.

I find it interesting to discover just how far the diplomatic community can stretch for the purpose of maintaining diplomatic ties. At president Mugabe’s sister’s funeral a couple of weeks ago the diplomatic community were also represented. It gave the President the perfect opportunity to tell all diplomats present to ”go to hell!”. And he did. Several times.

Akon Madness

2010-09-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Akon was in Harare recently. The event of the year in a town where not that much usually happens. So half of Harare showed up to see Akon perform. Akon gave a teary speech about how he had spent a miserable childhood in the slums and now wanted to give something back to Africa (by selling expensive tickets to his concert). The real highlight of the concert was, however, seeing Akon crowd surfing in a huge plastic ball. As you may already have guessed the attempt failed miserably. The problem was that the audience was so excited of having Akon in a plastic ball in their very own hands that they refused to pass it on to others. At one point the plastic ball with Akon inside disappeared into the crowds. Everything went silent until Akon irritatingly screamed from inside the ball ”Get off of me! Get me out of here!” In the end thirty body guards were needed to drag the plastic ball with Akon inside from the hands of the enthusiastic crowds back unto stage. If that wasn’t bad enough, Akon decided to do the exercise one more time. He slowly explained the intention of the exercise as if describing a game to a five year old. The same thing happened again.

Akon's visit raises questions about the importance of good will ambassadors and other celebrities who strive to contribute to development efforts. Are they really promoting change or simply easing their own bad conscience about the state of the world?

Red Light

2010-09-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

To be stopped by the police is something that may happen on a daily basis in Zimbabwe. The police may stop you for real or fictional reasons. The other day a friend of mine was stopped for allegedly having driven against a red light. There were no red lights to be seen, which my friend pointed out to the police officer. The police man responded, "Well, surely you must have driven against a red traffic light sometime in your life. See you in court on Monday." This example serves to highlight how engrained corruption becomes in a society where salaries of civil servants is not sufficient to meet their basic needs. The same is true for the judicial system where a lawyer may earn 140 USD per month, which is not much considering the living costs in the country. Still it is easier for the individual to support the system rather than work against it. After all a change must start with the political leaders in society.

A Zimbabwean Tiger Woods Story

2010-09-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods affairs and recent divorce from his Swedish wife, Elin, cannot have escaped anyone's attention. In fact it has beeen quite well covered in the media even here in Zimbabwe. My work colleagues, however found Elin's behaviour difficult to understand when they read about it in the papers. If Elin had been a Zimbabwean woman, they argued, it would had been a different scenario. Elins mother would had immediately paid her daughter a visit and asked:

-Is he a good father to the children?
-Yes
-Does he provide food on the table?
-Yes
-Does he come home at night?
-Yes
-Then what's the problem?

It makes one realise that there are many cultural obstacles remaining before women can enjoy equal rights in Zimbabwe.

The Former Bread Basket of Africa

2010-09-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe used to be known as the bread basket of Africa. Today the country relies on imported goods mostly from neighbouring South Africa. My neighbours, Mr and Mrs Whiteman, used to possess large areas of land outside of Harare. Since President Mugabe's land reform started in 2000 they have been forced off their land. Today they struggle to find the means to survive in a small apartment in Harare. The lack of productivity in the country is also often said to be a result of land reform. The land, it is argued, has been given to people who do not have the means to cultivate the land. Yet the problem is not as black and white as it is often perceived in media. The fact remains that land has not been distributed fairly in the past. Question is, however, how far back one should go in time when determining how land ought to be distributed. Moreover, the land reform which was meant to benefit land less poor has mostly been given to high level government and military officials. In the words of the founder of the Green Belt movement and Nobel Price winner Wangari Maathai “As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more important than service.” I believe this is true also for Zimbabwe.