Africa: Faces in Words

New weekly update on the breaking stories in the African nations.

Courtesy: aileenwrennall.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Unseen, unheard; no one should be the bearer of these two words. Unfortunately, Africa is often in the forefront of this association.

Our common humanity should change this; we should never look away because it is too distant. Our commitment to one another, to human rights, and the ability to learn should always keep us connected no matter the severity and complexity of problems.

Important insights from last week, not to be missed

Kenya, Nairobi — As of 15 March, 15 districts nationwide were affected with cholera, with 663 cases confirmed since January, according to a Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation update. At least 15 deaths have been recorded. allafrica.com/stories/201003191054.html

Khartoum, Sudan - Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, has warned foreign election observers that his government "will cut off their fingers and put them under our shoes" if they urge the country to delay next month's elections. guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/23/sudan-president-bashir-election-observers

HIV prevalence among Tanzanians who attended secondary school fell sharply between 2004 and 2008, while remaining stable among the country's least educated people, a new study has revealed. allafrica.com/stories/201003230617.html

Zimbabwe's Sunday Mail newspaper, which is controlled by Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party, ran an article last week headlined "Gay rights furore". It claimed that "Zimbabwe's major political parties are on a collision course over the inclusion of gay rights in the new constitution" because Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC is campaigning for the recognition of gay rights, while Zanu PF is against the idea for cultural reasons. guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/23/homophobia-africa-gay-right

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Women are being forced into backstreet abortions in Kenya because of the country's restrictive abortion law, a study says. edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/03/23/kenya.abortions/index.html?eref=edition_africa&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+rss/edition_africa+(RSS:+Africa)

Ugandan government said sending more peacekeepers to Somalia will not bring peace to the war-torn country unless the poor humanitarian conditions are improved. allafrica.com/stories/201003260877.html

Guinea requires continued support from the United Nations and its partners now that the West African country is preparing to transition from military rule to a civilian Government once elections scheduled for 27 June are held, a senior UN official in the country said today. allafrica.com/stories/201003261030.html

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Alysha Atma spends many hours working on projects that support and benefit the beleaguered people of African nations who spend way too much time off the western media's radar. This writer explains that she is a culmination of all her experiences, most importantly knowledge she says, and all that she still needs to learn; lessons of love, laughter and the extraordinary giving of both young and old. She says she has the enormous fortune of learning from the best; every person around her, and the amazing strength and fortitude of those she has never met but will always strive to listen to. "I continue to work and write because I believe in the power of community and the power of one, both contradictory to each other and yet can move together in a very powerful way. I feel a responsibility to use my place, freedoms and connections here in the US to stand up and yell for those who need my voice and actions. I have seen such strength in my fellow humans that I cannot even begin to comprehend, they have traveled distances, have gone without food, water, shelter and safety for days and weeks at a time. I have a responsibility as a fellow human to put our common humanity before anything else. Everyone deserves to look towards tomorrow, to dream of a safe future and to have a peaceful present." You can write to Alysha Atma at: alyshann78@comcast.net