TRAGEDY OF THE OUTCAST

A POEM FROM ZIMBABWE

This is a touching poem from Zimbabwe and it's self explanatory. Over the past few years and at the time I worked with women and children and now, I have met with amazing and very spirited men who are determined to tackle gender equality, poverty, domestic violence, sexual abuse, rape, education (or lack of it) and disease. Lance is one of these amazing men and his work in Zimbabwe is inspirational. Thank you all men of valor out there - too numerous to mention.

Tragedy of the outcast – by Lancelot Muteyo, Harare, Zimbabwe

Like any infant she was born
Healthy and gorgeous
Somewhere through the fateful eyes of history
Her parents were caught with their pants down

Unaware, the Human Immuno – Deficiency Virus infiltrated their veins
Residing in a dilapidated squatter camp they quickly developed AIDS
A squatter camp called Tariro meaning hope
Yet with no ray of hope inside that community.
A squatter camp that had no street names
Her parents sadly succumbed to the pandemic and died

Rudo, their daughter was left vulnerable in Tariro.
Though adolescent, she became a pauper
A static of HIV and AIDS orphaned children in the AIDS on line resources.
With nowhere to go within the dusty roads of the camp.

She found spiritual support within the church
A church constructed by cardboard boxes.
Inside the haven of comfort
Pastors sexually abused her inside the holy baptistery
Male teachers terrorised  behind the library stacks.
Uncle Taka converted her into a sex machine in exchange for food and shelter.

Already vulnerable!
Consequently, vulnerable to vulnerability!
Pathetically, an AIDS orphan became an AIDS victim
An AIDS survivor – not victim rather
Honestly history gave her an unfair destiny

World AIDS DAY 2013 Celebrations Zimbabwe
Lancelot Muteyo

First published by Maren Tirabassi on http://giftsinopenhands.wordpress.com/2013/11/28/for-world-aids-day-poem-from-zimbabwe-prayer-from-the-united-states/

Reproduced with Lance Muteyo's permission.

The video below sums it all up.