1. Posted on Monday 3 March 2008 - 09:15

   ---

   Jack Meena

   

   • Profile
   • 30 messages

   ---

   

   Telling a lie is no big deal in our modern world. It is no big deal at all, is it?. People lie in the morning, lie in the afternoon, lie in the evening, lie at night, lie in politics, lie in the church, lie in the mosque... they simply lie. Sadly, the lies result into cheating and cheating ends into acquiring the deadly virus.
   
   A study carried out by the Community on Focus (CoF), a Tanzanian local NGO early this year reveals that 98% of married couples and other intimate relations cheat in their relationship. 100% of respondents pointed out that most of the cheating were facilitated by the use of internet and mobilephone facilities. They claim that with mobilephones people could be able to engage into multiple relationships thus exposing themselves to the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
   
   “Although we appreciate the benefits of ICT in our today’s world, most people especially those living in the developing world abuse ICT,” one respondent pointed out.
   
   Advancement in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has turned this world into a global village thereby facilitating massive flow of information between the rich north and the poor sounth. This flow of information, however, is neither balanced nor cultural concious.
   
   The youth in Tanzania and I guess elsewhere in Africa and developing world as a whole have mostly been impacted negatively by the ICT. The study show that 99% of the youth who watch television or video footages from developed countries mostly the US and United Kingdom tend to imitate everything they see.
   “You can see the way they speak, cloth, behave and think,” a respondent pointed out.
   
   99% of secondary school students in Dar es Salaam have access to the internet. 99% have visited ponorgraphic sites, download music, and connect with friends either within or abroad. 60% have access to mobilephones of which only 5% were bought by their parents and/or guardians. The puzzle on how these students refill airtime is yet to be solved!
   
   Messages such as “please recharge my account” are common amongst girls and women in Tanzania. The showcasing about the brand of mobilephone people use is a common feature among young males and females in Tanzania. People don’t pay much attention to the purpose; which is to communicate but rather ‘the brand difference effect’ has taken the lead.
   
   To get into ‘i am in a different’ category calls for struggle, use of dirty tricks and shortcuts. A journey into the ‘mountains’ of lies and cheating begins. 99% of respondents mentioned the use of lies and cheating as the shortest possible route.
   
   History and experience has shown that there is absolutely no free thing in this world. Poignantly, sexual favours are a common exchange denomination . Couples who are unfaithful and are gripped with lust for luxurious goods beyond their purchasing power ends up into the HIV/AIDS worldwide web.
   
   The study concludes that “...ICT should be used as a tool to scale up the fight against HIV/AIDS rather than a tool for spreading.”

   ---

   ---

Reactions

1. Posted on Wednesday 05 March 2008 07:38

   ---

   Jack Meena

   

   Jack Meena
   30 berichten
   Lid sinds February 2008
   Dar es Salam

   ---

   Hello Shane,
   Unfornately the Community on Focus are in a process of developing thier website. They shared the findings in a seminar on ICT and HIV/AIDS.
   
   Cheers,
   
   Jack.

   ---

   ---