The man who wouldn't sleep

Tonight, we had a killer workout at our boxing class, probably the hardest we've ever done. Fourteen "Rounds of Joy" as our coach sadistically calls it. We had seven 3 minute rounds on the heavy bag, speed bag, skipping and shadow boxing, and in between each round, we had a 3 minute punch out, where you punch your guts out on a heavy bag till you think you're either going to pass out or puke. It's such a good workout! Tough, but completely satisfying! I bet I lost 10 pounds in sweat alone tonight.

We were excited to get to class tonight because our boxing coaches posted on their website yesterday a story we wrote about our trip to Africa [www.wbk.ca/b4bl.htm]. Our coaches generously donated skipping ropes for us to bring to Kenya last May to teach the kids about "boxing for better living", in this case skipping for better living; that is, the notion that physical activity empowers us, makes us stronger mentally, spiritually, and physically. The story included our video of me skipping with the kids, with the sound of cow bells in the background and the voices of the little kids counting their skips faintly audible. I think I watched the video over and over again about a dozen times. I hadn't watched it in months and I was fascinated to watch this memory, tucked ever so quietly in the back of my mind, come alive again. I smiled watching the little kids swing the oversized ropes around them, and the little girls laughing. And the cow bells ringing! I wonder how those little kids are doing - are they healthy? have they had something to eat? are they loved or are they alone?

Fittingly tonight, a documentary on Stephen Lewis was on CBC's The Nature of Things. We rushed home after boxing to catch it. We ate dinner while watching it, and I had difficulty swallowing my pork chop for the lump that stayed in my throat for the duration of the program. What he has done, his tenacity to pursue governments (African and others) and the UN to take action against AIDS, and to lend his voice to the women and grandmothers who are ignored by their governments.....he is incredible and he is a hero. I hope you caught the program; it was moving.

It was particularly interesting for Mark and I to watch the show, having been to a small community in Kenya. We closely interacted with the 800 kids of the school and with some of the parents, and were even guests in some families' homes. And yet, AIDS was never openly discussed among the community members. Even our group leader could not say for sure how prevalent AIDS was in the area because it carries such a stigma that people do not discuss it. But, she said, you do see evidence of it when children fall sick and stop coming to school. How many of those kids we taught were orphans? were being raised by their grandparents? On the show tonight, a family of 18 orphans spoke about their life, and in their faces and in their eyes, I saw the kids we played with and skipped with in Chemarut. And that really struck me.

What worries me - and Stephen Lewis said it himself - is what happens to these children, these AIDS orphans, in 10, 25, 40 years from now? With no parental role models, no or very little education, what outcome can they expect? what chance do they have to be successful? how will they contribute to society if they have few resources? How can so few governments and agencies take such atrociously slow action against this epidemic - have they not considered the future and will they not prepare for it?

Stephen Lewis' term with the UN ends in a few short weeks. I hope the UN listens to him when they consider his successor: a woman...an African woman.

And I didn't even get into his oratory skills. I envy his way with words.