Scroll down to read or listen to these reports. The search for the lovely gemstone tanzanite has turned Mererani, Tanzania into a boisterous, lawless settlement reminiscent of a California gold rush town. Promises of fortune have attracted not only poor Tanzanians but a South African mining company. Violent clashes between foreign and local miners highlight the battle for natural resources in Africa. This is a place of shattered dreams, the dark side of the gemstones' sparkle.
Most people live desperate lives.
Over 22 million Africans are infected with HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, compared with 1.5 million Americans. An estimated 75 percent of all people infected with the virus live in sub-Saharan Africa. Other groups are responding to the pandemic by providing care, comfort and education. World Vision is one such group. Depends who you talk to.