Ravished Hearts in Africa: Getting Word Out

So, I realize that this is a music blog… And most of the time you would come here to hear about our next show or a new video that is amazing or a band that you have to take a listen to… Not that there is anything wrong with that, in fact the people I am going to tell you about today I met at a show this winter. They are friends of a couple of the bands we work with here at Hell Ya, and just like the rest of us they love the arts and music… They just happen to be using their talents on a different front for the next two months.



I met Joshua at The Shys residency at the Detroit Bar earlier this year. He is a close friend of several of my friends and colleagues and though we had seen eachother many times, we had never spoken. Joshua told me of the trip he would be making a month from then to Africa where he would be working with a team of talented people to document and spread the word of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. They will be living there, speaking with the people, visiting orphanages, helping wherever they can, hoping that maybe the knowledge they gain can shed light for the rest of the world.

HIV and AIDS is a worldwide epidemic. The number of cases in the US grows yearly, but that is in no comparison to Africa where an estimated 5% of the adult population is living with HIV or AIDS, causing over 1.5 million deaths in 2007. What is even scarier is the lack of knowledge of the disease. Keri, one of the members of the Ravished Hearts team received an email from her friend Megan who was working for the Peace Corp in Tanzania, described in notes on their website, “She had attended [a church service] soon after arriving in the village she now called home. The local pastor gave a sermon speaking out against the use of condoms, citing condoms is what gives one AIDS.” And that’s not all, a friend of mine who lived in Africa for school was told to wear a wedding ring on her travels since a common misconception is that if you have sex with a virgin it will cure you of HIV, causing the numbers of rape to go up in the culture. The misinformation is leading to millions of deaths. With no cure in sight and the growth of those infected with the disease, the silence of the subject is extremely alarming, to say the least.



It is so easy to be “out of sight, out of mind” especially when the sight is such a horrible one to see… But I ask you to spread the word. Talk about it. Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, your favorite bloggers, parents, and siblings, ask them to do the same. The more people aware of the challenges of the world, the more of a chance we have to save it. Joshua, Ryan, Keri, Breezy and Megan have taken the step to enlighten, now they just need your help getting word out.

Visit their blog at AFRICA.GETTINGWORDOUT.COM for more information on the project. They update frequently with information on what they have seen, heard and what they are trying to accomplish.

Thanks for your time, guys. I will see you at the next show.

xoxo
Emily