Transcript

SOUND EFFECTS: Children singing ‘€œWe can change the world, we want to be alive you and me together.

THANDEKA: Ulutsha kufuneka luzikhathalele yaye luzixhobise luzikhusela kwintsholongwane kagawulayo kuba kungekho lunyango lesi sifo. U-Angelique Kidjo uthi ulutsha kufuneka luzikhusele. Uthi ukuba iinkokheli ze Afrika zingaqinisa zixhase ukuliwa kukagawulayo lonto ingenza umahluko obonakalayo.

Translation: Children should look after themselves and protect themselves from contracting HIV says Angelique Kidjo. She adds that African leaders can do better if they show commitment in fighting this pandemic around the continent. She says if leaders are determined and show political will, things would work out differently.

SOUND EFFECTS: Kidjo sings ‘€œ A love song’€

KIDJO: My involvement is to talk to the children about protection because in the case of HIV there’€™s no vaccine and the only way to preserve their lives is to protect themselves, especially for girls to refuse to have unprotected sex. The greater challenge that we have to face in Africa today is HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS has its roots in poverty. Why should poverty take such a high toll in Africa because once again our government does not dispatch the wealth enough, does not take care of the fact that every single citizen has to have a plate of food everyday. If you have food, you’€™re not that poor, you’€™re not gonna be tempted to go have unprotected sex with a sugar daddy. There are countries in Africa that are rich enough with raw resources to sustain the needs and where are those resources going? All those mines that we have, diamond, gold, uranium all those things we have where does it go and who has the money and where does the money go to? That should be something that comes to a constitution where a head of state should be responsible for any pandemic that comes out there.

THANDEKA: Uthi ukuba abantu bonke bayagula lonto ingakhokelela kwilizwe labantu abafayo kungako ke kubalulekile ukuba izifrhulumente zilwe lobhubhane.

Translation: She says if the people do not get treated it means that the entire society will be full of unhealthy people that will die from the disease that’€™s why she feels strongly that political will from the governments is important to fight AIDS.

KIDJO: We’€™re talking about partnership, I mean we can’€™t do anything without partnership with the governments. We can’€™t do anything without political commitment, simply who decides to build up a hospital, not me not you, the order has to come from a political person that we will build that hospital and put people – doctors, nurses that know the job. If everybody dies who are you gonna exchange anything with? The land is going to stay there, look around who claims this place, not machines but human beings. Who grows the food that we eat? If the people are not healthy the country will collapse if the economy collapses that means everybody is going to the same home.

THANDEKA: Ingaba iAfrika ingaphumelela ukulwa ugawulayo? Lo wakwa Kidjo uthi likhona ithemba   kuba elilizwekazi leAfrika lithubeleze kwiimeko ezibuhlungu nembali engentle uthi asiyongxaki yeAfrika kuphela le kodwa yingxaki yelizwe jikelele liphela.

Translation: Will Africa be able to manage HIV/AIDS? Kidjo says there’€™s hope at the end of the day. She says Africa has pulled through many obstacles and painful history. It’€™s her hope that also with HIV/AIDS there can be a change not just in Africa but also throughout the world. I asked her does she feels as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassodor?

KIDJO: I feel really overwhelmed sometimes because there are so many things to do but I don’€™t feel discouraged. I’€™m very optimistic because I believe in the power of people. Togetherness, unity is the key. I’€™ve seen lots of children I’€™ve been to Tanzania it’€™s not only in my hometown (Benin) all the children in the world are my priority from Africa to America. It doesn’€™t matter because what affects us here is going to affect Europe, America wherever human beings are, so every child in this planet is a priority for me. I was born in Africa and I’€™ve seen all the challenges and all the problems we have to face and we’€™re still standing so if there’€™s no hope we won’€™t be standing.

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