“I am happy in my HIV Positive life”
The team continue to support children and young people living with HIV.
Through support groups that address issues like healthy sexual reproduction, adherence, disclosure, sexually transmitted diseases, dating and marriage and PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transition) the team have seen the following access the service since January.
Age Group Female Male Total
6-12 years 58 41 91
13-18 years 60 52 102
19-24 years 30 21 51
Total 148 114 252
Operation Orphan is one of Hope for Life’s funding partners and we are pleased to see that our contribution is making an impact. Here is a heartwarming story that Never Femayi (Project Director) sent in his latest report:
One of our young people married to a negative husband had a baby who has been going for testing and confirmed negative. This is what she has to say.
“Being born positive is hard, you don’t know what you should accept or not. You think of dating all hopes of marriage might go into veil because disclosing your status is a big issue it needs strength and positive mind mostly being ready for anything and accepting yourself and move on. I thank God for the husband he gave me who is negative though it took him to accept my positive but with help of H4Life he final accept. He is a loving, caring and supportive Husband I ever seen, at first I thought he had something to hide, we dated for a long time and we final got married and God has blessed me with a lovely baby boy by the name ISHEANESU which just means God is with us. Before the birth of my Son I was so scared that what if will positive but with help of H4Life Support group meetings I took all safe steps on my Son and am happy to share to the world that my Son is One year and has tested HIV negative. I have a lovely family which I love, and I want say to all girls who are HIV positive have hope and you can be also able to walk the way I walk. I AM HAPPY IN MY HIV positive life.”
Being born positive is hard, you don’t know what you should accept or not. You think of dating and all hopes of marriage might go into veil because disclosing your status is a big issue. It needs strength and a positive mind to be ready for anything, to accept yourself and to keep moving on. I thank God for the husband he gave me who is [HIV] negative. although it took him a while to accept my positive, with help of H4Life he finally accepted it. He is the most loving, caring and supportive husband I have ever seen…we dated for a long time and we final got married and God has blessed me with a lovely baby boy by the name ISHEANESU which just means God is with us. Before the birth of my son I was so scared that he would be [HIV] positive but with help of H4Life Support group meetings I took all safe steps needed to protect my son and am happy to share to the world that he is one year old and has tested HIV negative. I have a lovely family which I love, and I want say to all girls who are HIV positive have hope, you can also walk the way I walk. I AM HAPPY in my HIV positive life.”
The main challenge for the team is to ensure each person truly understands the importance of taking Antiretroviral medication (ARV’s). Sadly, we don’t all follow advice and three young people for various reasons decided to stop taking their medication. Tragically they have all now passed away. This harsh reality proves there is a real need to come along side, to educate, to encourage and to support these precious children and young people, many of whom are orphans and were born with the disease.
The long term goals of the project are:
To have 2 full time staff members in the office in order to strengthen the intervention programmes and to reach more children.
To reach out the rural communities forming support groups, where there is a lot of vulnerability.
On behalf of the children, thank you for your support.
Brad