VOA标准英语2010年-HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaigns Target So

About 5.7 million people in South Africa are living with HIV, including approximately 280,000 children under the age of 15.  In addition, between 1.5 and three million so-called AIDS orphans¹ have lost one or both parents to this disease. South Africa runs several HIV/AIDS awareness² campaigns and some are specifically targeted to children.

 The Johannesburg suburb of Soweto is particularly hard-hit by the AIDS epidemic³ and multiple advocacy groups are offering various programs that are trying to keep children HIV/AIDS-free.  One educational video describes the results of a behavioral study on HIV/AIDS.  The study was carried out in the 10 southern African countries in which the Soul City Institute works.  The research indicates multiple and concurrent⁴ partnerships⁵ between men and women are the key drivers of the HIV epidemic in the region.

The video presents graphic⁶ scenes of couples engaging in sexually risky⁷ behavior.  Other scenes show what partners must do to protect themselves from getting HIV.

Susan Goldstein, senior executive for the Soul City South African Program, says her organization has never encountered any problems with the sexually explicit⁸ scenes portrayed⁹ in their AIDS awareness campaign.

"We believe that children need to have as much information as they can in order to make healthy choices," said Goldstein. "We have never had a negative reaction.  I think South Africa has reached a stage in the epidemic where most parents are only too pleased that somebody is talking to them about sex to their children.  And, if it takes a little of stress off themselves, all the better." 

Soul City also produces a weekly TV drama aimed at 8 to 12 year olds.  The show, called "Soul Buddyz,"  provides life-saving messages in an entertaining manner to children before they become sexually active.  The TV show has spawned¹⁰ a radio show and a national network of 6,000 Soul Buddyz Clubs.

Themba Motaung, from the Soul City Institute, says the purpose of the clubs is to protect children from HIV, from violence, bullying¹¹ and other dangers that exist by empowering them with knowledge. More than 120,000 children are members of the clubs, according to Motaung.  He says the children become social advocates for change within their peer groups, as well as within their homes and communities. 

"I believe once they are empowered, they should be strong enough to be to make those decisions," Motaung said.  "Because in a world of materialism¹², you want to teach children, the Soul Buddyz program teaches children values.  So they should be empowered to make the right choices.  That is what the Soul Buddyz club program is all about." 

Four groups of children are huddled¹³ in intense discussions.  The topic chosen for this week's meeting of the Soul Buddyz club is bullying.  But, they are quite ready to talk about HIV and AIDS to interested visitors.

Mbali, 11, explains what she does as a Soul Buddyz peer educator. "I teach them not to be worried about what diseases they do have and I teach them to not worry about some child when they are teasing them and saying, 'Yeah, you -- you have HIV' and things like that," she said.  "I am telling them to not worry about that." 

Provincial¹⁴ trainer, Thuli, trains facilitators about how to run a club.  She is in charge of 800 Soul Buddyz clubs in Gauteng Province in Soweto.  She says that since most of the children in the clubs come from disadvantaged families, Soul Buddyz tries to build up their self-esteem and teach them to care for each other. 

"We find kids with some real serious problems, others have been abused by parents," said Thuli.  "Others have got parents who are alcoholic¹⁵.  Others, they are from child-headed families where there are no parents.  Others, they stay with Grannies where the granny can not take care of the child anymore.  So, with Soul Buddyz, we are trying to bring them together and let them work with other kids, and feel they are part of another family." 

While Soul City and other advocacy groups are committed to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and have been found effective in what they do, the statistics are not on their side.

World Health Organization figures from 2008 show that more than 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV and two million had died of AIDS. 

As of now, the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis¹⁶ and Malaria¹⁷ has provided anti-retroviral therapy to 2.8 million HIV victims.  While that is substantial, WHO says 9.5 million people in developing countries are in need of life-saving AIDS drugs.
 

1 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

4 concurrent   

adj.同时发生的，一致的

参考例句：

• You can't attend two concurrent events!你不能同时参加两项活动！
• The twins had concurrent birthday. 双胞胎生日在同一天。

5 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

6 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

7 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

8 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

9 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 spawned   

（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产

参考例句：

• The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
• The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。

11 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 materialism   

n.［哲］唯物主义，唯物论；物质至上

参考例句：

• Idealism is opposite to materialism.唯心论和唯物论是对立的。
• Crass materialism causes people to forget spiritual values.极端唯物主义使人忘掉精神价值。

13 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

14 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

15 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

16 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

17 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。