AIDS pessimism

PLEASE allow me to express my confusion regarding our (Namibians’) approach towards the fight against the AIDS pandemic that is destroying our nation and the rest of the world, especially Africa.

This is with reference to the film televised on NBC recently titled ‘Yelula’ and many other plays I’ve seen so far, may it be locally or abroad. After I saw this play ‘Yelula’, I and many other Namibians feel that there is no life after HIV and AIDS, because the play ended in death.Why make it so obvious that you will die, if the primary message is to teach and educate the nation how to live positively with HIV and AIDS? The message of the play was: you can get infected with the HIV virus very easily if you are not careful and there is no hope or help for you, you are bound to die eventually.I’m not trying to criticise the play or trying to fool the nation into believing that you will not die when you get infected with the virus.My main concern is, why preach to people to live positively if this is all in vain, if you will end up dead anyway, although you can also die of many other causes that are not AIDS-related, like accidents.I sincerely salute the Namibian people who care enough to try and make us aware of the danger of HIV.Maybe it’s about time that we change our approach when dealing with this God-forsaken disease.Maybe it’s time that we show the nation that your life is not doomed to end just because you are infected, but that you could live a long and productive life if you take care of yourself.Why not show the nation that you can live up to any age, provided that you receive the right medication and take control of your own life.We have more and more Namibian people who are living positively with the disease, coming forward and giving testimony of their lives after HIV.Why not use these people to show and prove to the people that life does not end after HIV, but goes on with it.Not to use them as guineapigs, but rather to base our stories on their lives – I truly believe this will keep the nation positive before and after HIV and AIDS.SI Endjala Via e-mailAfter I saw this play ‘Yelula’, I and many other Namibians feel that there is no life after HIV and AIDS, because the play ended in death.Why make it so obvious that you will die, if the primary message is to teach and educate the nation how to live positively with HIV and AIDS? The message of the play was: you can get infected with the HIV virus very easily if you are not careful and there is no hope or help for you, you are bound to die eventually.I’m not trying to criticise the play or trying to fool the nation into believing that you will not die when you get infected with the virus.My main concern is, why preach to people to live positively if this is all in vain, if you will end up dead anyway, although you can also die of many other causes that are not AIDS-related, like accidents.I sincerely salute the Namibian people who care enough to try and make us aware of the danger of HIV.Maybe it’s about time that we change our approach when dealing with this God-forsaken disease.Maybe it’s time that we show the nation that your life is not doomed to end just because you are infected, but that you could live a long and productive life if you take care of yourself.Why not show the nation that you can live up to any age, provided that you receive the right medication and take control of your own life.We have more and more Namibian people who are living positively with the disease, coming forward and giving testimony of their lives after HIV.Why not use these people to show and prove to the people that life does not end after HIV, but goes on with it.Not to use them as guineapigs, but rather to base our stories on their lives – I truly believe this will keep the nation positive before and after HIV and AIDS.SI Endjala Via e-mail