Will It Work?

Will It Work?

Listening to the BBC on my way to work (yes, it's a sin that I drive to work when I can walk there in 15 minutes, but we're not hear to judge me today), two reports caught my attention. One was about supporters of Mubarak in Cairo having been paid the equivalent of $10 and one Viagra pill to stir up havoc at Tahrir Square. The other was about the government of Rwanda encouraging men to get a vasectomy as a means to control population growth in the small, densely populated country.

I couldn't find a written report to get additional information about what I heard about the Viagra in Egypt, so maybe it was just someone blowing off steam. The BBC does have a written report on it's website about the vasectomies. It is reported that, aside from condoms, any form of birth control is usually left to the woman, and that vasectomies are not common in Rwanda. In other words, these are two more things that Rwanda has in common with almost every (if not every) country in the world. Health officials in Rwanda would like to try and tag vasectomies along with with HIV prevention and medical-male circumcision--a whole new perspective of one stop shopping.

There is concern about how it's going to be accepted by the general population. I can see why. I remember having a conversation about vasectomies with my father many years ago. Now, he was a man who fathered six healthy children. He was also a firm believer in his Christian faith; thus, he believed in resurrection. His concern was that men who received vasectomies in this life were not promised that their vasa deferentia would be joined back together in the life-to-come. My question was, why would they need to be? but religious explanations do not need to make any sense because, "then it wouldn't be faith." Or something like that. Plus, going to get a hunk of skin lobbed off of one's penis (or any part of one's body) can never be a super-appealing idea to the one being lobbed. And to bundle a much more invasive procedure to one's genitalia, would most definitely raise a bit more concern. I would think.

That being said (see, I can discuss both sides), I think that any positive change comes with a bit of risk and some trial and error. It cannot be easy for a country the size of Rwanda to have a population of over 10 million people. I'm glad that the government recognises that and is making efforts to improve the quality of life for its current and future population.

Something peculiar caught my eye when I had to rush home just after lunch today to pick up my computer cord that I forgot to pack this morning. This is what I saw:

When I came home from work at 4.30, this is what I saw:

I stopped to ask what they were doing, and they said they were promoting UMEME's new pre-paid electricity plan, Yaka. "Behind a fence in a lot that people cannot access?"

"Yes."

"Are you talking to many people?"

"No."

Hmmm... I wonder why?