Showing posts with label body image. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body image. Show all posts

Friday, November 19, 2010

40, divorced....dating?

I am in a world of trouble with this article. I know, I know objective journalism. Just do your research and write it down. I always find it so hard to do that. I usually write about what I know or have experienced in some way. Some facet of my being can connect to the story or at least empathize with it.
I'm in denial. I will never be 40, let alone over 40. Are there numbers past 40? No, not that I know of.
It is a sign of my immaturity, a sign that I have not left behind the invincible attitude.
My parents are still married, I will be married, it will not end in divorce and therefore I will never have to date after 40.
What if? Things happen, people change, people cheat, lie, steal.....die.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Empowering Torontonian women to talk about sex and sexuality

By Vanessa Brown

My beat members and I have noticed that, more than anything, most of our stories have the importance of communication in common. And last Saturday was no exception. The Empowering African Immigrant Women to Become Leaders in Raising Sexually Healthy Children workshop was open and honest dialogue in action.

It wasn't the first time the program's been offered. Last year, Toronto Public Health facilitated a similar education series. However, the co-ordinator's noticed that it was being taught from the top-down. The curriculum didn't leave enough room for participants to voice their own opinions on sexual-health information. So it didn't take.

This time around, Toronto Public Health teamed up with Africans in Partnership Against AIDS (APPA), which provided a social worker to help with the workshops. Even better, the social worker knew the participants personally.

I walked into the narrow basement of APPA last Saturday and was immediately overtaken with the warm voices of nine recent immigrants to Canada. They spoke primarily in French. Thinking the language barrier might hinder my ability to get the story, and get it right, I sat down with caution.