#uganda education news

[memenewsdotcom]

Uganda school attack

[queersunited]

Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters in Uganda today after yesterday's decision by the Ugandan courts.

Link for more info: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/22/ugandan-parliament-passes-extreme-anti-lgbt-bill

This is exactly the type of legislation and policies conservatives are trying to push for in the United States. Keep an eye out for your states trying to pass bills like this. Call your governors and representatives we can NOT allow this to happen here.

Please help spread the word of awareness for those in Uganda today let people know of the unfair unjust treatment of those in the lgbtq+ community.

Stay safe. Stay aware. #STOPTHEHATEEDUCATE #LGBT+NEWS #WORLDNEWS

[biglisbonnews]

Uganda: UNHCR and partners appeal for $1.3 billion to support South Sudanese refugees Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees With only a third of funding needs met for last year's appeal, the major countries of asylum in the region - DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda - were among UNHCR's most under-funded operations. https://reliefweb.int/report/uganda/unhcr-and-partners-appeal-us13-billion-support-south-sudanese-refugees

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #14

April 12-19 2024

The Department of Commerce announced a deal with Samsung to help bring advanced semiconductor manufacturing and research and development to Texas. The deal will bring 45 billion dollars of investment to Texas to help build a research center in Taylor Texas and expand Samsung's Austin, Texas, semiconductor facility. The Biden Administration estimates this will create 21,000 new jobs. Since 1990 America has fallen from making nearly 40% of the world's semiconductor to just over 10% in 2020.

The Department of Energy announced it granted New York State $158 million to help support people making their homes more energy efficient. This is the first payment out of a $8.8 billion dollar program with 11 other states having already applied. The program will rebate Americans for improvements on their homes to lower energy usage. Americans could get as much as $8,000 off for installing a heat pump, as well as for improvements in insulation, wiring, and electrical panel. The program is expected to help save Americans $1 billion in electoral costs, and help create 50,000 new jobs.

The Department of Education began the formal process to make President Biden's new Student Loan Debt relief plan a reality. The Department published the first set of draft rules for the program. The rules will face 30 days of public comment before a second draft can be released. The Administration hopes the process can be finished by the Fall to bring debt relief to 30 million Americans, and totally eliminate the debt of 4 million former students. The Administration has already wiped out the debt of 4.3 million borrowers so far.

The Department of Agriculture announced a $1 billion dollar collaboration with USAID to buy American grown foods combat global hunger. Most of the money will go to traditional shelf stable goods distributed by USAID, like wheat, rice, sorghum, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, vegetable oil, cornmeal, navy beans, pinto beans and kidney beans, while $50 million will go to a pilot program to see if USAID can expand what it normally gives to new products. The food aid will help feed people in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen.

The Department of the Interior announced it's expanding four national wildlife refuges to protect 1.13 million wildlife habitat. The refuges are in New Mexico, North Carolina, and two in Texas. The Department also signed an order protecting parts of the Placitas area. The land is considered sacred by the Pueblos peoples of the area who have long lobbied for his protection. Security Deb Haaland the first Native American to serve as Interior Secretary and a Pueblo herself signed the order in her native New Mexico.

The Department of Labor announced new work place safety regulations about the safe amount of silica dust mine workers can be exposed to. The dust is known to cause scaring in the lungs often called black lung. It's estimated that the new regulations will save over 1,000 lives a year. The United Mine Workers have long fought for these changes and applauded the Biden Administration's actions.

The Biden Administration announced its progress in closing the racial wealth gap in America. Under President Biden the level of Black Unemployment is the lowest its ever been since it started being tracked in the 1970s, and the gap between white and black unemployment is the smallest its ever been as well. Black wealth is up 60% over where it was in 2019. The share of black owned businesses doubled between 2019 and 2022. New black businesses are being created at the fastest rate in 30 years. The Administration in 2021 Interagency Task Force to combat unfair house appraisals. Black homeowners regularly have their homes undervalued compared to whites who own comparable property. Since the Taskforce started the likelihood of such a gap has dropped by 40% and even disappeared in some states. 2023 represented a record breaking $76.2 billion in federal contracts going to small business owned by members of minority communities. This was 12% of federal contracts and the President aims to make it 15% for 2025.

The EPA announced (just now as I write this) that it plans to add PFAS, known as forever chemicals, to the Superfund law. This would require manufacturers to pay to clean up two PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. This move to force manufacturers to cover the costs of PFAS clean up comes after last week's new rule on drinking water which will remove PFAS from the nation's drinking water.

Bonus:

President Biden met a Senior named Bob in Pennsylvania who is personally benefiting from The President's capping the price of insulin for Seniors at $35, and Biden let Bob know about a cap on prosecution drug payments for seniors that will cut Bob's drug bills by more than half.

[strictlyfavorites]

A LITTLE GUN HISTORY FIRST POSTED in 2015

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

56 million defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control:

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are "citizens". Without them, we are "subjects".

During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

If you value your freedom, please spread this antigun-control message to all of your friends.

SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN!

SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A RIFLE.

SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

IT'S A NO BRAINER!

DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.

Spread the word everywhere you can that you are a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment!

It's time to speak loud before they try to silence and disarm us.

You're not imagining it, history shows that governments always manipulate tragedies to attempt to disarm the people.

[farmerbrown]

A LITTLE GUN HISTORY FIRST POSTED in 2015

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

56 million defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control:

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are "citizens". Without them, we are "subjects".

During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

If you value your freedom, please spread this antigun-control message to all of your friends.

SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN!

SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A RIFLE.

SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

IT'S A NO BRAINER!

DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.

Spread the word everywhere you can that you are a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment!

It's time to speak loud before they try to silence and disarm us.

You're not imagining it, history shows that governments always manipulate tragedies to attempt to disarm the people.

~ Saerges Son ~

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Kylie Ora Lobell

Now, Klompas has come out with a book, “Stand-Up Nation: Israeli Resilience in the Wake of Disaster” (Wicked Son), which is a unique approach to Israel activism. Rather than sharing news about the war, this book highlights Israel’s altruism towards the world. 

“Today, Israel is nicknamed the ‘Start-Up Nation,’ and it is celebrated for its booming economy and ingenious innovations,” she wrote in the book. “Less celebrated is the story of how Israel lifted up other nations as it lifted up itself — the story of Israel, a force for good in the world.”

“Today, Israel is nicknamed the ‘Start-Up Nation,’ and it is celebrated for its booming economy and ingenious innovations. Less celebrated is the story of how Israel lifted up other nations as it lifted up itself — the story of Israel, a force for good in the world.”

Klompas’ book outlines MASHAV’s work, such as when they built the first utility-scale solar field in East Africa, spearheaded clean water initiatives in Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza and provided meals to starving children in India. 

“For a while, Israel became a global leader in supporting newly independent states. Precisely because it was small and poor, Israel had an advantage over larger, richer, and more established countries,” Klompas wrote. “It was a model and source of inspiration for newly emerging nations facing their own array of challenges.”

She saw this with her own eyes. After finishing up at the UN, she founded and led Project Inspire, an initiative to show Israel’s work in social, environmental and economic development in low-income nations. She ran tours in Uganda, Kenya, Guatemala, India and Nepal, showing participants how people in these countries utilize Israel’s teachings and technologies to tackle poverty and inequality. 

 When Klompas traveled, she saw Israel in “the most unlikely of places,” she wrote. “While trekking in East Africa and walking through a small craft market, I spotted a handmade beaded bracelet with the flag of Israel alongside bracelets with the flags of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. In the remote hills of Nepal, I happened upon a group of children, and as I passed by they yelled to me: ‘Shalom! Namaste! Hello!’ In Uganda, I visited a remote island on Lake Victoria. Getting there required a windy bus ride, followed by a rickety boat ride, followed by another bumpy bus ride. When we finally reached Osanidde Village, an orphanage for children with HIV, we were greeted by teenagers who sang the Ugandan national anthem followed by ‘Hatikva.’”

“Stand-Up Nation” is a callback to what Israel really is, and what a massive impact the small Jewish State has had on the world – a much-needed reminder post-Oct. 7, when it is being bashed everywhere we look. Klompas believes that enough isn’t being done to communicate Israel’s nation-building initiatives. 

“I think I’m the first one to write a book about it, if not one of the first,” she said. “I’m not sure that people who have been to Israel dozens of times are even familiar with MASHAV. How many people know this story about Israel as a developing country and founding an international development agency at the same time? It’s an untold story. And the more that I learn about it, the more it shocks me that people don’t know it.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mira Lazine at LGBTQ Nation:

A House committee just passed a bill that would forcibly out trans students. It was introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), who previously advocated for Uganda’s gay death law, the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

The bill, H.R. 736, also known as the “PROTECT Kids Act,” would require elementary and middle schools to forcibly out trans kids to their parents if they ask to go by new pronouns or a new name or use the facilities associated with their gender. If schools failed to comply, they would risk losing all federal funding. “As a condition of receiving Federal funds, any elementary school… or school that consists of only middle grades… that receives Federal funds shall be required to obtain parental consent before— (1) changing a minor child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or (2) allowing a child to change the child’s sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.” The bill was introduced in February of last year and was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. It was voted out of committee on a 22 to 12 vote this week and will now be going to the House floor for a possible vote. H.R. 736 was introduced by Walberg in the House and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in the Senate.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI)’s federal anti-LGBTQ+ forced outing bill HR736 (aka the “PROTECT Kids Act”) would require elementary and middle schools across the US to enact student safety-endangering forced outing policies. The bill passed the Education and the Workforce Committee 22-12, and could be set for a full House vote.

The bill has NOTHING to do with “protecting kids”, but an excuse to harass LGBTQ+ students, especially if they do not have supporting parents.

[hannahlikeso741]

Some Amit Thakkar Headcanons

Since Amit is getting some much appreciated love, I decided to share some headcanons about him. Please note I really tried to research as much as I could about India, looking up as much as I could and talking to some of my colleagues who come from varying parts of India, but if I do get some things wrong, please let me know!

He is Gujarati ( Solely based on the surname Thakkar, which is commonly found in the Gujarat state in India)

Amit Thakkar is not his full name ( If we are following the naming system of the Gujarati, it would be his given name, his father's name and his surname in that order. We are missing his father's name.)

He's an Aries ( Again, if we are following the Gurajati naming traditions, his given name, Amit would respond to his Rashi, the Indian Horoscope. Amit responds to the sign Mesha, which Aries is the equivalent)

His family is wealthy and highly educated, and were able to send him to Hogwarts due to their ties to the British Raj. (New telescope aside, a clue lies within the surname. Thakkar is also a common surname found among the Lohana 'Jati' people of Western India where Gujarat is, are famed for being traders. Some of the Lohanas who manage to get an education worked for the British Raj. It is a long history, but this is as best as I can sum it up.)

He is shaken from his first adventure, but secretly he wants more. (Again, we are going back to the Thakkar surname, where it is said they are from the Kshatriya caste which is tied to warrior aristocracy. I like to believe he still got some of that in him, otherwise he wouldn't willingly enter a goblin mine)

He loves astrology as it is closely tied to his Hindu religion. (Thakkar as a surname is closely tied to Hinduism, where astrology is found under the Jyotisha, one of the six auxiliary disciplines of Hinduism, mainly used for time keeping.)

He has family in Colonial India and Africa. (Again back to the Thakkar surname, there were many Thakkars who migrated to the British African colonies like Uganda for example)

He is a polygot. (Ok this might be a bit of a stretch, but I'm just basing it around his family being traders and highly educated. India has plenty of languages, so it wouldn't surprise me if Amit had to learn Hindi, Gujarati, and English to get by, yet he still has time to learn Gobbledegook.)

Well that is all I got for now. Please let me know if there are things to add!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Today in Christian History

Today is Tuesday, October 31st, 2023. It is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 61 days remain until the end of the year.

415: Co-emperors Honorius and Theodosius II issue penalties against Montanists and against any land-owner who permits them to assemble on his property. Montanist meeting places are to be turned over to orthodox churches.

1517: Martin Luther (pictured above) nails a challenge to a debate on the Wittenberg church door. It consists of ninety-five statements, or theses, against the practice of indulgences—theses which he is willing to defend. The theses will be widely distributed and precipitate the Reformation.

1731: Catholic archbishop Leopold von Firmian of Salzburg, Austria, issues an edict expelling all Lutherans from his territory. About twenty thousand people have to leave. Many have nowhere to go and freeze to death in the coming winter.

1754: Provost Acrelius writes to the Consistory of Upsala, requesting the suspension of Rev. John Lidenius from the Swedish ministerial office because he preaches in English.

1772: Thomas and Samuel Green of New Haven publish “A Sermon” by Indian preacher Samson Occum which he had given the month before at the hanging of an Indian man for murder. The sermon becomes wildly successful, going through ten editions in eight years.

1816: Robert Moffat sails for South Africa where he will establish a mission work. Mission leaders had been reluctant to send him, believing he was unqualified. He will become a world-famed mission leader.

1832: George Washington Doane is consecrated Episcopal bishop of a diocese in New Jersey. He will be remembered by Christians for his hymns, especially “Softly Now the Light of Day.”

1871: Vasilii Ivanov is baptized in Tbilisi, Georgia, in the Kura River, an event considered the starting point of the Baptist movement in Azerbaijan, because he will spread the Baptist faith throughout Baku province.

1877: Samuel Schereschewsky is consecrated Anglican Bishop of Shanghai. Developing Parkinson’s disease, he will resign his position, and spend the rest of his life completing a translation of the Bible into Wenli (a Chinese dialect), typing hundreds of pages with the one finger that he could still move.

1879: Death of Jacob Abbott, American Congregationalist author. He wrote many groundbreaking works of children’s fiction, including the instructional Rollo series and the warm Franconia novels.

1920: Baptism of Spetume Florence Njangali in Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Hoima, Uganda. She will become a leader in the effort to obtain theological education for women and their ordination as deaconesses in the Anglican church of Uganda.

1992: Pope John Paul II admits that the Roman Catholic church erred three hundred and sixty years earlier when it condemned Italian astronomer Galileo.

1999: Catholics and Lutherans issue a joint statement on justification in Augsburg, Germany, declaring that “a consensus in basic truths of the doctrine of justification exists between Lutherans and Catholics.”

2010: Islamic terrorists besiege Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Baghdad, massacring most of the 120 worshipers inside, including a three year old boy who pleaded with them to stop killing.

[onetwistedmiracle]

Twice-a-year shot provides 100 percent HIV protection, study finds

None of the 5,000 women and girls in South Africa and Uganda who received the shots contracted the virus that causes AIDS, a study shows. A trial for men is underway.

By Rachel Pannett for The Washington Post

July 25, 2024 at 1:05 a.m. EDT

A twice-yearly injection could help prevent HIV infections, according to the results of a new study described by medical experts as a breakthrough.

In a randomized trial involving more than 5,000 young women and girls in South Africa and Uganda, none of those who received the prevention shots contracted HIV. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

“This appears to be a new breakthrough for HIV prevention. If these injections can be widely distributed at low cost, it would dramatically reduce the risk of new HIV infections worldwide,” said Sarah Palmer, co-director of the Center for Virus Research at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Sydney, who was not involved in the peer-reviewed study. “It is especially encouraging this research focused on young women in Africa who are so highly at-risk for HIV infection.”

Worldwide there are about 1.3 million new HIV infections every year, with women and girls accounting for 44 percent of them. In sub-Saharan Africa, that proportion is 62 percent.

The shots were produced by drugmaker Gilead Sciences, which funded the trial, and some of the researchers were Gilead employees. Lenacapavir, sold under the brand name Sunlenca, is approved as a treatment for HIV infections in the United States. The goal of the trial was to prove its safety and efficacy for the prevention of infection in adolescent girls and young women. A separate trial for men is underway.

When it became clear that the shots were more effective than daily pills — 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent of participants who received one of two daily pills as part of the trial contracted HIV from their partners — the trial was halted and all participants were offered the option of receiving the injections, the researchers said. The researchers also found the incidence of HIV was lower with the use of the shots than the usual rate of HIV in the community.

HIV can be prevented through the use of protective measures such as condoms and daily pills that are in wide use in high-income countries around the world. But health experts say it can be difficult to maintain a daily pill routine in places like Africa, where limited access to health care and a dearth of educational programs put girls at particular risk for HIV.

Doctors Without Borders and other groups are calling for global action to break Gilead’s monopoly on lenacapavir to allow mass production of the drug and reduce its cost. Gilead charges $42,250 per patient per year for lenacapavir in the United States.

“Lenacapavir could be life-changing for people at risk of getting HIV and could reverse the epidemic if it is made affordable in the countries with the highest rate of new infections,” said Helen Bygrave, a chronic disease adviser at Doctors Without Borders.

Gilead previously said it was committed to lowering the cost of its drugs in low-income countries.

By Rachel Pannett

Rachel Pannett joined the Post's foreign desk in 2021 after more than a decade with The Wall Street Journal, where she was deputy bureau chief for Australia and New Zealand. Twitter

[jcmarchi]

Researchers study differences in attitudes toward Covid-19 vaccines between women and men in Africa

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/researchers-study-differences-in-attitudes-toward-covid-19-vaccines-between-women-and-men-in-africa/

Researchers study differences in attitudes toward Covid-19 vaccines between women and men in Africa

While many studies over the past several years have examined people’s access to and attitudes toward Covid-19 vaccines, few studies in sub-Saharan Africa have looked at whether there were differences in vaccination rates and intention between men and women. In a new study appearing in the journal Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, researchers found that while women and men self-reported similar Covid-19 vaccination rates in 2022, unvaccinated men expressed more intention to get vaccinated than unvaccinated women.

Women tend to have better health-seeking behaviors than men overall. However, most studies relating to Covid-19 vaccination have found that intention has been lower among women. “We wondered whether this would hold true at the uptake level,” says Rawlance Ndejjo, a leader of the new study and an assistant lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at Makerere University.

The comparable vaccination rates between men and women in the study is “a good thing to see,” adds Lula Chen, research director at MIT Governance Lab (GOV/LAB) and a co-author of the new study. “There wasn’t anything gendered about how [the vaccine] was being advertised or who was actually getting access to it.”

Women’s lower intention to vaccinate seemed to be driven by concerns about vaccine safety, suggesting that providing factual information about vaccine safety from trusted sources, like the Ministry of Health, could increase uptake.

The work is a collaboration between scholars from the MIT GOV/LAB, Makerere University’s School of Public Health in Uganda, University of Kinshasa’s School of Public Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), University of Ibadan’s College of Medicine in Nigeria, and Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal. 

Studying vaccine availability and uptake in sub-Saharan Africa

The authors’ collaboration began in 2021 with research into Covid-19 vaccination rates, people’s willingness to get vaccinated, and how people’s trust in different authorities shaped attitudes toward vaccines in Uganda, the DRC, Senegal, and Nigeria. A survey in Uganda found that people who received information about Covid-19 from health workers were more likely to be vaccinated, stressing the important role people who work in the health-care system can play in vaccination efforts.

Work from other scientists has found that women were less likely to accept Covid-19 vaccines than men, and that in low- and middle-income countries, women also may be less likely to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and less likely to intend to get vaccinated, possibly due to factors including lower levels of education, work obligations, and domestic care obligations.

Previous studies in sub-Saharan Africa that focused on differences between men and women with intention and willingness to vaccinate were inconclusive, Ndejjo says. “You would hardly find actual studies on uptake of the vaccines,” he adds. For the new paper, the researchers aimed to dig into uptake.

People who trust the government and health officials were more likely to get vaccinated

The researchers relied on phone survey data collected from adults in the four countries between March and July 2022. The surveys asked people about whether they’d been vaccinated and whether those who were unvaccinated intended to get vaccinated, as well as their attitudes toward Covid-19, their trust in different authorities, demographic information, and more.

Overall, 48.5 percent of men said they had been vaccinated, compared to 47.9 percent of women. Trust in authorities seemed to play a role in people’s decision to vaccinate — receiving information from health workers about Covid-19 and higher trust in the Ministry of Health were both correlated with getting vaccinated for men, whereas higher trust in the government was correlated with vaccine uptake in women.

Lower interest in vaccines among women seemed related to safety concerns

A smaller percentage of unvaccinated women (54 percent) said they intended to get vaccinated, compared to 63.4 percent of men. More unvaccinated women said they had concerns about the vaccine’s safety than unvaccinated men, which could be driving their lower intention.

The researchers also found that unvaccinated women and men over 40 had similar levels of intention to get vaccinated — lower intention in women under 40 may have driven the difference between men and women. Younger women could have concerns about vaccines related to pregnancy, Chen says. If this is the case, the research suggests that officials need to provide additional reassurance to pregnant people about vaccine safety, she adds.

Trust in authorities also contributed to people’s intention to vaccinate. Trust in the Ministry of Health was tied to higher intention to vaccinate for both men and women. Men with more trust in the World Health Organization were also more likely to intend to vaccinate.

“There’s a need to deal with a lot of the myths and misconceptions that exist,” Ndejjo says, as well as ensure that people’s concerns related to vaccine safety and effectiveness are addressed. Officials need “to work with trusted sources of information to bridge some of the gaps that we observe,” he adds. People need to be supported in their decision-making so they can make the best decisions for their health.

“This research highlights linkages between citizen trust in government, their willingness to get vaccines, and, importantly, the differences between men and women on this issue — differences that policymakers will need to understand in order to design more targeted, gender-specific public health interventions,” says study co-author Lily L. Tsai, who is MIT GOV/LAB’s director and founder and the Ford Professor of Political Science at MIT.

This project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 6.9

Holidays

Accession Day (Jordan)

Ananda Mahidol Day (Thailand)

Bill and Ted Day

Birsa Munda Shahidi Diwas (Madhya Pradesh; India)

Clothing Poverty Awareness Day (UK)

Community Day (La Rioja, Murcia; Spain)

Coral Triangle Day

Cornflower Day (French Republic)

Denture Day

Donald Duck Day

Feast of the Birth of the White-Breasted Giantess

Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day

Global Maintenance Day

Home Sweet Home Day

International Archives Day

International Batten Disease Awareness Day

International Day of Celtic Art

International Dough Disco Day

La Rioja Day (Spain)

Light Industry Workers’ Day (Former USSR Nations)

Meezer’s Colors Day

Monkey Spank Day

Murcia Day (Spain)

National Cancer Thriver Day

National Earl Day

National Earl Baltes Day

National Helen Day

National Heroes’ Day (Uganda)

National Krewe of Tucks Day

National Long COVID Awareness Day (Canada)

National Meal Prep Day

National Mitchell Day

National Sex Day

National Sex Educator Appreciation Day

National Stripper Appreciation Day

No Apologies Period Day

Profess Your Love Day

Purple People Eater Day

Rockman Day

609 Day

South American Football Day

Toy Industry Day

Traverse Myelitis Awareness Day (UK)

World Accreditation Day

World APS Day (a.k.a. World Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Day)

Writers’ Rights Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Dark ’n Stormy Day

Kraft Cheese Day

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day

Independence & Related Days

Flevelt (a.k.a. the Confederation of Flevelt; Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Självstyrelsedagen (Åland Self-Governing Day; Åland)

2nd Sunday in June

Abused Women and Children’s Awareness Day [2nd Sunday]

Bunker Hill Day observed (Massachusetts) [Sunday before 17th]

Canadian Rivers Day (Canada) [2nd Sunday]

Father’s Day (Austria, Belgium) [2nd Sunday]

International Drink Chenin Blanc Days, Day 3 [2nd Sunday]

International Shiatsu Day [2nd Sunday]

LEAF Open Farm Sunday (UK) [2nd Sunday]

Mother’s Day (Luxembourg) [2nd Sunday]

Multicultural American Child Day [2nd Sunday]

National Career Nursing Assistants’ Day [2nd Sunday]

National Children's Day [2nd Sunday]

National Garden Day (Germany) [2nd Sunday]

National Puerto Rican Day [2nd Sunday]

Race Unity Day (a.k.a. Race Amity Day; Baha’i) [2nd Sunday]

Ride the Wind Day [2nd Sunday]

World Pet Memorial Day [2nd Sunday; also 2nd Tuesday]

World Swallowtail Day [2nd Sunday]

Write To Your Father Day [2nd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning June 9 (2nd Full Week)

National Automobile Service Professionals Week (thru 6.15) [Week with 6.12]

National Clay Week (thru 6.15) [2nd Full Week]

National Email Week (thru 6.15) [2nd Full Week]

National Flag Week (thru 6.15) [Week with 6.14]

National Little League Week [2nd Week]

National Pet Wedding Week (thru 6.15) [2nd Full Week]

National Right of Way Professionals Week (thru 6.15) [2nd Full Week]

Festivals Beginning June 9, 2024

Annecy International Animated Film Festival (Annecy, France) [thru 6.15]

Beacon Sloop Club Strawberry Festival (Beacon, New York)

Community-Wide FELStival (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

International Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar & Expo (Houston, Texas) [thru 6.11]

Jewish Cultural Festival (Dayton, Ohio)

New England VegFest (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Peabody Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Savor Idaho (Boise, Idaho)

Feast Days

Aidan of Lindisfarne (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

Architects of the Middles Ages (Positivist; Saints)

Bathe in Marinara Day (Pastafarian)

Bede (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

Cloverfield Dairy Cow (Muppetism)

Columba of Iona (a.k.a. Columbia or Columkille; Celtic Christian) [Poets]

Edmund (Christian; Saint)

Ephrem the Syrian (Roman Catholic Church and Church of England)

George Pérez (Artology)

James Collinson (Artology)

Jim Jones Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Joe Haldeman (Writerism)

José de Anchieta (Christian; Saint)

Jotunheim Day (Pagan)

Liborius (Christian; Saint)

Lord Buddha's Parinirvana (Bhutan)

Michael Ancher (Artology)

Paul Beatty (Writerism)

Pelagia of Antioch (Christian; Virgin and Martyr)

Pieter Jansz. Saenredam (Artology)

Primus and Felician (Christian; Martyrs)

Ralph Goings (Artology)

Remembrance for Sigurd the Dragonslayer (a.k.a. Siegfried; Asatru/Slavic Pagan)

Richard, Bishop of Andria (Christian; Saint)

Robert Indermaur (Artology)

Vesalia (Feast of Vesta; Roman Goddess of the Hearth)

Vincent of Aden (Christian; Martyr)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [33 of 57]

Premieres

Bill of Hare (WB MM Cartoon; 1962)

Cars (Animated Pixar Film; 2006)

The Coo Coo Bird (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1947)

The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon (Novella; 1966)

Dire Straits, by Dire Straits (Album; 1978)

The Empty Chair, by Jeffrey Deaver (Novel; 2000)

Gone in 60 Seconds (Film; 2000)

How Do I Know It’s Sunday (WB MM Cartoon; 1934)

Invisible Touch, by Genesis (Album; 1986)

Jelly-Roll Blues, recorded by Jelly Roll Morton (Song; 1924)

Kids Say th Darnedest Things!, by Art Linkletter (Humor Book; 1958)

Labour of Lust, by Nick Lowe (Album; 1979)

Loki (TV Series; 2021)

Mr. Tambourine Man, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1964)

The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco (Novel; US Translation 1983)

The Nine Billion Names of God, by Arthur C. Clarke (Short Stories; 1967)

Ode to Discord: A Chimerical Combination in Four Bursts, by Charles Villiers Stanford (Song; 1909)

A Pirate Looks at Fifty, by Jimmy Buffett (Memoir; 1998)

Party Girl (Film; 1995)

Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, by Elvis Costello (Album; 2009)

Some Girls, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1978)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Film; 1989)

Stroke It Rich (Radio Game Show; 1947)

Super 8 (Film; 2011)

Tangled (Phantasies Cartoon; 1944)

3, by Honeyhoney (Album; 2015)

Tumble Weed Greed (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1969)

Ups an’ Downs Derby (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1950)

The Wise Little Hen (Disney Cartoon; 1934) [1st Donald Duck]

The Year of the Mouse (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1965)

Today’s Name Days

Annamaria, Ephraim, Grazia (Austria)

Diomed, Efrem, Kolumban, Ranko (Croatia)

Stanislava (Czech Republic)

Primus (Denmark)

Elar, Haljand, Hallar, Helar, Helari, Hellar (Estonia)

Ensio (Finland)

Diane (France)

Annamaria, Diana, Ephram, Grazia (Germany)

Rodanthi (Greece)

Félix (Hungary)

Efrem, Primo (Italy)

Gita, Liega, Ligita, Naula, Valeska (Latvia)

Felicijus, Gintas, Gintė (Lithuania)

Kolbein, Kolbjørn (Norway)

Felicjan, Pelagia, Pelagiusz (Poland)

Chiril (România)

Stanislava (Slovakia)

Efrén, Feliciano, Julián (Spain)

Birger, Börje (Sweden)

Cole, Coleman, Colman, Dean, Deana, Deanna, Dee, Dena, Diana, Diane, Dianna, Dianne, Dyane, Prima, Primavera (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 161 of 2024; 205 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 23 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 1 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Geng-Wu), Day 4 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 3 Sivan 5784

Islamic: 2 Dhu al-Hijjah 1445

J Cal: 11 Blue; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 27 May 2024

Moon: 12%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 20 St. Paul (6th Month) [Architects of the Middles Ages]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 83 of 92)

Week: 2nd Full Week of June)

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 20 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Dag (Day) [Half-Month 12 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 6.26)

Duir (Oak) [Celtic Tree Calendar; Month 6 of 13]

[strictlyfavorites]

A LITTLE GUN HISTORY FIRST POSTED in 2015

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

56 million defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control:

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are "citizens". Without them, we are "subjects".

During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

If you value your freedom, please spread this antigun-control message to all of your friends.

SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN!

SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A RIFLE.

SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

IT'S A NO BRAINER!

DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.

Spread the word everywhere you can that you are a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment!

It's time to speak loud before they try to silence and disarm us.

You're not imagining it, history shows that governments always manipulate tragedies to attempt to disarm the people.

[ewan-mo]

A good day’s work and a celebration dinner

Tuesday 19th September

Breakfast here has different food on offer.  Mo started the day with liver and plantain....

Our conference day began with lingering anxiety over the technology, then a breath of relief. 

Our good friends Mahesh and Sujeet - both professors at Chester University and Cheshire & Wirral Partnership where I used to work - had kindly agreed to give us some teaching on Intellectual Disability and Neurodevelopmental Disorder. ID and NDD! This meant them getting up rather early to allow for the time difference between our two countries, and both ends needing faultless technology to make it happen, despite it being a two hour session over the internet.

Learning from the professors.

ID and NDD are common around the world, and probably neglected more than any other mental health condition.

Happily all went well, and we had a very comprehensive learning session with two international experts. At one point Mahesh was helping us to think about the difficulty some people with NDD have in understanding what others are saying. His illustration was to talk to our students in a foreign language – his native language from a remote part of India, which no one had even heard of. The students were quite entertained as they listened; he turned out to be asking them what they’d had for breakfast.

Our session on epilepsy later in the morning was one of joint learning. 

I challenged the students to discuss how we can do better – rather than just running huge clinics with a minute or two for each patient to review medication and little more, can we do better to help this person in their situation? How are their families managing the stigma? How much do community leaders know? How could we help to change attitudes amongst teachers, employers and the general public? How can we prevent epilepsy from even happening?

Meanwhile I learnt a whole lot more about traditional knowledge of epilepsy and its effects, and the perpetuation of the stigma surrounding the disease.

In April Uganda hosted a national conference on epilepsy. I didn’t know that until I was well on the way thinking about our teaching session! There are 770,000 individuals living with epilepsy in Uganda. Many others are not known to services. There are very few neurologists in the country (hence mental health teams manage people with the condition), and very limited access to investigations such as EEG, which would be routine in the UK. 

Children with epilepsy are often denied education. If they do go to school they are frequently traumatised by the way they are treated – bullied, shamed and stigmatised. Many drop out. Getting employment is a big challenge, and if the seizures are not well controlled, then usually that means dismissal. On our last visit here we met a teacher and her daughter, both of whom have epilepsy. They have been unable to get work. You don’t have to look far to begin to understand some of the causes of poverty in a country like Uganda.

Hugh and Avril arrived just before lunch. It was good to see them and have a more complete team

Supper being cooked outside.

Linda spent the afternoon helping our students to understand psychological ways of working with serious mental conditions like psychosis. 

Workshop Celebration Dinner and an important announcement

Our lovely nuns had prepared a special celebration dinner which as always included several different carbohydrates, and on this occasion, several proteins as well, including goat, chicken, and beef.  In our experience goat can sometimes be a bit chewy, but this was very well cooked. Avril had never had goat before but she really enjoyed it.

They had also commissioned a beautiful cake:

As the meal ended, Hugh (Chair of Jamie’s Fund) gave a moving resume of all that has been achieved in partnership over the last 10 years: 

Working with 25 hospitals across Uganda

Running professional development workshops in mental health

Training of seven new Psych Clinical Officers who will lead services for the future at their facilities

Over 1000 general health workers trained in mental health knowledge and skills

Over 1000 Community Leaders sensitized on mental health

Provision of new equipment – motor cycles, lap tops etc

He then made the difficult announcement that JF would be closing at the end of the year. As Hugh explained, we have not reached the decision easily. We promised that although the Fund would finish, our relationships would not. The trustees are all getting older as JF has been running for 10 years and the next generation of leaders has unfortunately not emerged. (Those of you on the JF supporters mailing list will receive the letter we have prepared in the near future, but  we felt it was important to tell those who are most affected here in Uganda first.)

Ewan and I are certainly likely to return from time to time to see our friends. 

Our wonderful young people received the news quietly but with great grace and appreciation. They promised that they would continue the great work they had been doing, and would indeed continue community mental health service development. 

[mightyflamethrower]

MrBeast’s Philanthropic Effort Draws Unexpected Backlash for Constructing 100 Wells in Africa to Supply Clean Water Because He is “White” (VIDEO)

The best thing that could happen to Africa is for them to be recolonized.

The well-known philanthropist and YouTube giant, MrBeast, has encountered a wave of criticism after his latest project in Africa.

Jimmy Donaldson, popularly known as MrBeast, faces a fresh wave of scrutiny following the release of his new video showcasing the funding and construction of 100 wells across various African nations. The digital philanthropist anticipated backlash, stating he expects to “get canceled” for his charitable actions, which have historically drawn fire.

MrBeast, who has previously faced labels such as “white savior” and been called “demonic” for his humanitarian content, has now been accused of overshadowing the efforts of local governments and international organizations. His initiative, stretching across Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, will provide clean drinking water to approximately 500,000 people.

The wells were constructed in villages and schools across Africa and were created using giant drills to access pure water sources underground.

In addition to the wells, MrBeast’s video features donations of educational supplies to Kenyan schools and the construction of a bridge to facilitate community access to medical facilities and educational institutions.

Even Costco Is Now Selling Gold Bars – But How Do You Buy Gold if Your Money Is Wrapped up in a Retirement Account?

Despite the tangible benefits of these projects, the social media star has been met with mixed reactions.

“I already know I’m gonna get canceled because I uploaded a video helping people, and to be 100% clear, I don’t care. I’m always going to use my channel to help people and try to inspire my audience to do the same,” the social media star wrote.

Taylor Lorenz, a far-left reporter, addressed the concept of monetizing kindness, suggesting that the YouTube star’s approach could be perceived as exploitative.

“No one is “cancelling” you for “helping people”, you’ve received extremely light criticism in the past for the way you’ve monetized “kindness” content that some vulnerable people found to be exploitative,” said Lorenz.

“Encouraging young people to exploit vulnerable communities for content which they can then profit off of enormously, is the issue,” Lorenz added.

No one is “cancelling” you for “helping people”, you’ve received extremely light criticism in the past for the way you’ve monetized “kindness” content that some vulnerable people found to be exploitative.

Meanwhile, Albert Nat Hyde, a Twitter activist, rebuffed the idea of Africans needing water donations, criticizing what he views as a capitalist agenda beneath the guise of charity. He also added that the word “wells” is offensive.

“Wells in 2023 is offensive; why not boreholes or pipe-borne water? – Africans do not need water donation; we ain’t that poor and thirsty. – Africa is a continent with 54 countries; he must be specific where he went – This is capitalism; he wanna low-key use these countries for profit – He has set Africans for global ridicule by building wells we never asked him for,” Hyde wrote.

Mr Beast 100 wells is disrespect to Africans – He described the entire Africa as a village with its people living in huts – He projected that all Africans lack good drinking water – Wells in 2023 is offensive; why not boreholes or pipe-borne water? – Africans do not need water… pic.twitter.com/X8k12kvdp3 — Albert Nat Hyde (@BongoIdeas) November 5, 2023

Francis Gaitho, a Kenyan political activist, argued against what he perceives as a perpetuation of African stereotypes, accusing MrBeast of reinforcing the narrative of African poverty for content views. Gaitho emphasized the continent’s desire to move beyond philanthropy that serves external interests over genuine developmental progress.

“America is part of the problem,” said Gaitho, adding, “And you, Mr. Beast, are not supposed to be coming here to validate some of these long-held stereotypes that Africa is poor.”

MR BEAST IN KENYA Content creator #mrbeast was in Kenya drilling boreholes in 100 schools across the country. Also there’s a bishop from Naivasha called Abiud Masinde who has been accused by an American benefactor of stealing donor money meant to build a school. pic.twitter.com/QdZCwOamoy — Francis Gaitho (@FGaitho237) November 5, 2023

Saran Kaba Jones, the founder of FACE Africa, also weighed in, expressing the challenges of sustaining such humanitarian projects. She acknowledges the frustrations of seeing a well-resourced figure like MrBeast, a “white male,” garner immediate attention.

“I’ve been doing this for 15 years, but we’ve been struggling to continue the work because funding, awareness, and advocacy all take work,” Jones told CNN, adding, “overnight, this person comes along, who happens to be a white male figure with a huge platform, and all of a sudden, he gets all of the attention. It’s kind of frustrating, but it’s also understanding the nature of how the world is.”