That's My Blood Down There... And My Heart.

My Blood
The Neville Brothers


Jah please come to the crossroads
You can save the children I know
Jah please come to the crossroads
tell them to let the people go.


Jah go to mother Africa
Answer this prayer for me
Jah go to mother Africa
Set all the people free.


That’s my blood down there—in mother Africa
That’s my blood down there
That’s my blood down there—oh, yes it is now
That’s my blood down there


Jah, turn your head to Haiti,
please keep your people strong
Jah, please go down to Haiti,
Hear my brother’s freedom song.


That’s my blood down there—oh, on the island
That’s my blood down there
That’s my blood down there—help them survive, Jah.


Amandla ngawethu—Patience,
gentlemenMayibuye


Jah, send some love to America
For every woman, child, and man
Send some justice to America
Free the blood of the land


That’s my blood down there—on the reservations
That’s my blood down there—all the Indian nations
That’s my blood down there—the first Americans
That’s my blood down there—I’m gonna help them if I can, now,
That’s my blood down there—All over he world
That’s my blood down there—Little tiny boys and girls
Oh, in Nicaragua
Oh, in El Salvador
Oh, in Belfast, Ireland

A Hard Song...for some hard lives...

As we wait for rides,
More light escapes from our eyes.

Life is hard enough anyway...

Sitting by the road,
No one's buying, so there's no hope.

Life is very hard today...

Traffic on the road
I'm not alone, but I'm all alone

Life is very tough this way...

What can a mother do?
When she comes home and there's no food

Life cannot be lived this way...

We sleep while we can,
Knowing tomorrow will be the same.

This is life in Zimbabwe...





By no means was this my full experience. I could never know what it means to truly live this way for an entire lifetime without an opportunity to get out of the viscious cycle of extreme poverty. I experienced this for a day. I witnessed this in several different places for almost a year. I was there: I saw the need; and I couldn't see the hope. Not there. Not then.

But soon. I can see the shape of the hope that can take place. So many people live in these situations. So many people shuffle through life with everyday the same agonizing struggle: travel, sell, travel, sleep. They walk or ride miles and miles to a marketplace to sell their things. Throughout the day barely anyone stops by to purchase their wares. They spend hours traveling back to their houses. There they are met by a lack of food and an abundance of disease and problems. Then they go to sleep - knowing that the next day will be exactly the same.

Yet there is a Hope and a hope. It is the Heart of This Generation to do something about this. It is our heart to support our world community in order to give people the hope and promise of a better tomorrow.

A better tomorrow.

A better tomorrow.

That is the Heart of A Generation.

A Child's Poem...

AIDS
by Boniface Kinywa

AIDS oh AIDS,

The mention of your name, scares me out the darkness.
You crept in and swept our continent.
From North to South and from East to West
Thousands and thousands you've killed,
Spoiled the beauty of our continent curse no meaning to life
Yet you are no sacrifice.

AIDS do you have Mercy?

AIDS, oh AIDS,

You are a deadly monster,
you've taken our fathers, mothers,
brothers and sisters, homes left full of grace,
why?

Just because of Mr. Slim.
Others call me Mr. Kill me quick,

Scientists have gone to the moon,
made nuclear weapons,
yet you are no sacrifice.

AIDS, do you have mercy?

Dear brothers and sisters,
Friends and relatives,
Sons and daughters
And my loving parents,
Lend me your ears
And get this message right,
With your broken heart I am asking you,
Please take care of the youth,
Stop bad habits, be faithful to each other.
This monster never sleeps, there is no cure

For AIDS, oh AIDS, do you have mercy?




Boniface Kinywa

Boniface Kinywa is a 12-year-old AIDS orphan

A Child