Ok. I've talked about ironic t-shirts. Let's talk about the next level: Ironic messages on t-shirts that were never meant to be ironic.
Various aid organizations often distribute t-shirts to people with messages on them as a way to get a message to a nation without any steady news source. It's usually some sort of development campaign type slogan or public health announcement. Sadly the verbiage is often unwieldy and way beyond the average person's comprehension. Not to mention that the primary targets are usually unable to read English. So, the result is a brand of irony that makes me chuckle and want to cry at the same time.
It's not uncommon to see a shirt that says:
"Washing Hands Saves Lives"
"Nations Who Educate Girls Are Among the Top Economic Performers"
"Sleep Under a Mosquito Net at Night and Reduce Your Malaria Risk"
"Exclusively Breastfeed Your Baby for the First Six Months of Life"
and possibly the saddest one, "Saving Money Builds Economic Stability"
Too sad. Maybe if there was less corruption, girls (and boys) actually could go to school instead of having to work or farm the land for food just to survive, and there were fewer superstitious beliefs at work undermining the propagation of public health agendas then and only then could things really improve as the t-shirts suggest. Until then, my patients will be poor, uneducated, and forced by social mores to consult a sorcerer before they can come to the hospital. I'm okay with it. I'm not trying to force my agenda on anyone. I just want them to wash their hands a little more often. Small changes.
Various aid organizations often distribute t-shirts to people with messages on them as a way to get a message to a nation without any steady news source. It's usually some sort of development campaign type slogan or public health announcement. Sadly the verbiage is often unwieldy and way beyond the average person's comprehension. Not to mention that the primary targets are usually unable to read English. So, the result is a brand of irony that makes me chuckle and want to cry at the same time.
It's not uncommon to see a shirt that says:
"Washing Hands Saves Lives"
"Nations Who Educate Girls Are Among the Top Economic Performers"
"Sleep Under a Mosquito Net at Night and Reduce Your Malaria Risk"
"Exclusively Breastfeed Your Baby for the First Six Months of Life"
and possibly the saddest one, "Saving Money Builds Economic Stability"
Too sad. Maybe if there was less corruption, girls (and boys) actually could go to school instead of having to work or farm the land for food just to survive, and there were fewer superstitious beliefs at work undermining the propagation of public health agendas then and only then could things really improve as the t-shirts suggest. Until then, my patients will be poor, uneducated, and forced by social mores to consult a sorcerer before they can come to the hospital. I'm okay with it. I'm not trying to force my agenda on anyone. I just want them to wash their hands a little more often. Small changes.
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