Tapestries of Hope (excerpt from another blog "Musing By Moonlight"

Below is a draft blog that I had forgotten to publish, an excerpt from another blog, "  Musing by Moonlight."

Tapestries of Hope unearths the Zimbabwean myth that if a man rapes a virgin he will be cured of HIV/AIDS. The consequences of this myth are tragic:

• sexual abuse is rampant,
• girls as young as one day old have been raped, and
• rape victims are being infected with HIV/AIDS.

In 2007 Michealene Risley* traveled to Zimbabwe to film this documentary, focusing on the work Betty Makoni has done to help the victims of rape and sexual abuse. As a result of her filming Ms. Risley was jailed, interrogated, and deported from Zimbabwe.

Some readers may remember Ms. Makoni from the CNN heroes award, 2009.

*NOTE: Michealene Cristini Risley

In April 2010 Ms. Risley won Silicon Valley’s Women of Influence Award. As a human rights activist she speaks out on issues affecting women and children. She has addressed Congress, The State Department, The United Nations, Amnesty International, Stanford’s Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and Google, amongst others.

She blogs frequently for the Huffington Post, and won the New Communications Review’s ‘Award of Excellence’ for her live blogs during her filming and incarceration in Zimbabwe. Michealene is currently working on a new book on her experience in Zimbabwe. She also co-wrote the book “This is not the Life I Ordered.” To date, the book has sold over 50,000 copies.

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