How ignorance affects lives - Djibouti

Robert Gollery
October, 21, 2006

Ignorance results in several negative influences directly or indirectly. However, has it ever led to death? Most readers will answer yes, but the question is how? "Ignorance leads to unemployment, resulting in poverty, that gets us to hunger, and, eventually, death." says Dr. Olivia, a 36 year old German economics professor. She said that "not knowing" may not kill someone instantly, it's a deadly illness that takes time to kill rather than a murdering gunshot.

As much as what Dr. Olivia said makes sense, events has proved her partially wrong. In Goubatto, a city in Djibouti, ignorance killed its citizens directly. In 1999, the people of Goubatto started suffering from HIV/Aids. They were suffering from disease, and because of their ignorance, the disease kept spreading around the city. In January 2002, the United Nations provided a cure to alleviate the effects of aids. The UN even taught them how and when to use the medicine. Being ignorant, they did not really give a damn to the instructions, thinking that the more medicine they swallow, the better they will feel. They couldn't even read what's written about the dosages. By 2003, 3509 of them died, about 67% of the city's population.

That year, ignorance murdered 67% of Goubatto. It had immediate effects rather than seeking death as a long term effect. Who are those 3509? What could've they been? What difference does their death makes? What would Dr. Olivia say about this? Here you go, an example where ignorance had a gunshot effect. "We live in a time when reading and writing can affect your survival, back in the ancient times, when there weren't any languages, you could have survived without being literate." - (Olivia, 2004)

What to do?

Definition of a busy person: Ones who think that as soon as he's done with something, he's going to relax and take a break. However, that is not what happens, after he's done with his to-do list, another list is somehow created and has double the tasks the previous list had.

Example: Myself. I thought that after submitting my college applications I will have time to focus on school and write again after neglecting my blog for a long time. Now, I have to do many, many things this month.
1- Global issues project
2- SENIOR PROJECT :'(
3- Religion project
4- Physics project
5- TESTS AND QUIZZES :S
6- Preparing for my next SAT subject tests
7- Homework
8- English Analysis
9- Complete English grammar workbook (hahahaha.. like I can?.. if only I had the time)
That's what came to my mind, I'm sure other tons of stuff will jump at me, begging me to find time to do them!!

A not-so-busy person: One who thinks that as soon he took a break and relaxed for a while, he's going to "do" something. However, that is not what happens, after he's done with relaxing, he finds nothing to do, and goes for a "one hour snooze" and finds himself waking up the next day at 12 pm.


The funny thing about it.. is that I prefer to be busy than not to be busy.. In fact, when I do nothing, I know I'll regret it later!! Don't you just feel wrong doing nothing?!

This post is pointless.