July 2005

Hallooooooooo everyone,
Well, I just got back from a six week documentary shoot on "The Malaria
Project".

Our team of 4 traveled to South Africa, Tanzania, Nairobi, and then onto Delhi
Chennai,and Cochin in India. And after that...A tiny little Indonesian island
called Sumba. We ended our trip in Kuala Lumpur /Malaysia before returning
home.

And all in pursuit of answering some questions about the malaria epidemic that
has taken over, and crippled Africa and developing world countries.

It was so grueling. And so eye opening. I was unprepared for the difficult and
impoverished circumstances most of the world lives in. Most of the world's
population lives in terrible difficulty. We just don't think about it. Because it's not
the case with us.

There are scenes that are burned into my mind. Both good and bad.

A 17 year old girl lying so sick with malaria on a wall in Delhi. This wall was her
home even when she wasn't sick. But when I met her, she was too weak, to
merely swat the flies off her face. Devastating. I will never know if this girl
managed to make it through her malaria bout or not. She did not have the
money to go to a hospital. And the hospitals for poor people are so scary that
you'd probably rather not go at all.

While visiting a hospital in Nairobi, I fell and split my knee wide open in the
parking lot. I will have the scar for life, because despite my wound, after what i
had seen, there was NO WAY I WAS GOING BACK into that hospital to get my
wound stitched up. What I had seen there was so traumatizing. But at least I'm
safe. This hospital had broken windows everywhere! There are so many sick
people waiting to be tended to that the one waiting room had no chairs. instead,
people are "piled on top of each other" on whatever floor space they can find
until their name is called. I can't explain how terrible it was to witness.it is not
something that words can get you to take in. You'd have to see it to believe it.
And if you did, it would break you're heart. it's just unimaginable.

What's glorious is that there are some amazingly devoted doctors doing their
best to help.And a few organizations that are really doing their best.( And a few
that are not but pretending to). But there is not enough funding. there are no
resources.

I will not forget the faces of mothers too mentally exhausted to cry over the death
of their child from malaria. I will not forget the mother's hollow eyes who's baby
was skinnier than any baby should be. The baby too weak to cry as well.

By now, you have probably seen Bono and Brad Pitt promoting the cause of
Africa,and poverty on your news station. Malaria as mentioned by Bono (of U2
fame) is one of the leading causes of illness and death in developing worlds. It
threatens to overtake aids this year.

More people have died of malaria than all world wars and catastrophes
combined. Yup. Even more than what all of Nazi Germany was able to do.
50 billion people to date. 50 billion! Can you even conceive what fifty billion is?
Can you imagine how many Twin Towers would have to go down to cover 50
billion?? I'm so bad at math I can't even do the division. but maybe one of you
will bother and let me know.

This is a war. But it's an insidious war. A silent war. And the countries being
attacked do not have the money, or the healthy warriors to fight back. All their
children are being taken. And they're hands are tied through all sorts of political
measures. They are in debt, they are dependent on nations that make the rules
for them .

Poor countries cannot do anything more than remain poor when their
population is too sick to be productive. Such is the case with Africa.

This was a really tough journey. but I hope when the malaria project comes out,
that you go to see it. Because in a small or big way, each of you that are reading
this blog can help change the circumstances. Can save some lives.

There are preventative measures to keep malaria at bay. When you find out
about the circumstance most of the world's children are in...You can make a
strong decision. You can move our government and the Un towards productive
measures to help.

Billions of dollars have been spent over the past 30 years to find a 'VACCINE'
for malaria. Bill gates is working with Pharmaceutical companies right now. So
much money is being spent on a cure, when prevention is possible. When
prevention is cheaper. When prevention could save millions of lives in a way,
even the poorest country could actually afford. When prevention could be
affected NOW, and a "vaccine" is still in the works and has been for the past 30
years without success.

I think death is so hard to understand. So hard to fathom.

Someone dies every twelve seconds of malaria. How many people have died,
Just while you read this very loooooong blog? Sorry.lol.

But I digress... We are going to shoot the American leg shortly and then begin to
sort through all the footage.
By the time you see it, we will have narrowed 150 hours or so to a totally
enjoyable 90 minutes.

I say enjoyable, because there where so many miraculous and wonderful things
I got to see on this trip as well. So many beautiful cultures and amazing
individuals. So much concern. And comedy. Because even the most difficult
circumstances can provide miraculous joy. And I definitely got to witness that too.

I hope you're all doing well and carrying on with happy lives. Hope none of you
are sleeping on a wall just yet. Unless you WANT to be sleeping on a wall. I
don't judge.

THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE. THANKS FOR LETTING ME
VENT. Always nice to hear from you too.
Until the next one...
with so much Fondness,
Helene