No One Should Die Due to Lack of Information

By Meridah Mwania, University of Washington, Kenya

Meridah works with the DREAMS Innovation Challenge project of the University of Washington, which increases access to PrEP for adolescent girls and young women through public sector clinics in Kenya and aims to promote voluntary HIV testing among their partners.

It was mid-year 2011, a Sunday afternoon. My son Muma whispered, “Mama, you have a visitor.” He shook me cautiously since he knew I would be furious with him for interrupting my nap. (God knows naps are precious for working mums.) “What?” I barked. He told me that my neighbor was calling on me and ran off before I could ask which one. Outside our home, I found ‘Mama Twili’ waiting. “Come in,” I said. “No, thank you. But if you could just spare a few minutes, I would like your professional opinion on something. Kind of like a private consult if you are willing,” she quipped. “Sure, I’ll be right out,” I said.

Mama Twili wanted to know what could be done about the yellowing of her skin. I examined her and suspected that she had clinical jaundice – her eyes and tongue were discolored. I advised her to see her physician. Two weeks later, I found Mama Twili seated on her front pouch. She had lost a lot of weight, and her stomach was distended. She greeted me with a weak smile, informing me that indeed she had liver and renal failure and was undergoing dialysis twice a week. She was optimistic that she would recover. I made a mental note that I would check up on her as often as I could. I felt good because I had been of assistance.

 But unfortunately, as health workers, we can’t always be of assistance. Some months later, I was just getting home from night duty when another neighbor, Milka, met me at the door. “Mama Muma, we need you,” she said, pushing me into my house. I sat down, bewildered. Hanna, my other neighbor, joined us. “We have Kyende at my house,” Milka blurted out. “Her mother is dead, we think, but we need you to confirm.” She reached out and held my hand, since I was in shock. “When? How? Why?” was all I could say? Apparently Kyende’s mother had been HIV positive for a while, but had stopped taking her medications. Then she stopped eating. She lost hope, gave up.

After all was said and done, I told myself, ”Meridah, no one should die due to lack of information about HIV/AIDS.”

Living Better Lives

By Francis Emol, Mercy Corps, Uganda

Francis is part of the team that coordinates Mercy Corps’ DREAMS Innovation Challenge project, which combines vocational or microfranchise training with stipends and vouchers to enable private sector business experience for young women in Uganda.

I work in the northern part of Uganda, in Gulu District -- a region that has experienced a decade of civil war. Many lives were lost, and we are still in a recovery period. And there is HIV. In our area, the virus is not well understood. Many people live in fear of caring for the sick, leaving patients without social support even from loved ones. HIV is especially affecting young people, who lack information about how to live positively.

I provide counseling for people affected by HIV and AIDS. One who stands out is a young boy who lives with his grandmother because his parents died of AIDS. This boy has been marginalized and not allowed to play with other kids, because people do not understand how the virus is transmitted. Since he is young, no one bothered to explain to him what was going on -- he only learned from rumors that he is living with HIV. This child of 14 years was left broken and withdrawn, with no one to talk to.

My work offered me the opportunity to get close to the boy -- I was able to provide him with a listening ear. He shared his fears about life based on how he is being treated, and how this is shaping his character and socialization. He was no longer interested in school, for fear of being side lined. I told him, “You can always come to me, if you need comfort or support.”

I was also prompted to talk to his grandmother and let her know his feelings. She said, “I will do my best to support him in any way.” This experience has given me a passion for working with young people, who often lack the chance to open up. I want to build their skills and confidence to stand up and speak out for themselves, when they face challenges.

All photos provided by Francis Emol.

Supporting Change

By Lieketseng Sealela, Touch Roots Africa, Lesotho

Lieketseng works with Touch Roots Africa’s DREAMS Innovation Challenge project, which provides internships, psychosocial support, and peer networks to young women graduating from tertiary institutions in Lesotho, enabling them to achieve long-term employment.

I lost my father when I was 20 years old and doing my first year at university. He was the breadwinner, although he was not working a formal job. He had done casual jobs after being retrenched (laid off) from the mines in 1997.

His death meant there was nothing for our family to survive on. I got allowance from a government scholarship, but it was never given on time … and the money was meant for books and food. I nearly dropped out to work in the factories, so that my younger brother and sister could continue their schooling.

At home, we worried constantly about how we would get by. Thus, I went to the high school and asked the principal to take in my sister under the school's financial aid. Because I had been his best student, he agreed. I also saw that my university allowance could help my family. I used it for my brother’s schooling, and to meet our basic needs.

We did survive, and even better. I finished my university degree, and my brother and sister both finished college, with a certificate and a diploma, respectively. My brother has now built his own house and is working a good job. My sister is a teacher at a secondary school and has bought a car.

And me? After all my family went through, I wanted to change the lives of young people who have lost parents and are thereby losing hope for their futures. In my job, I work with them on community projects, sports activities, and debate and drama competitions. I also help train them on HIV and AIDS prevention. In Lesotho, HIV prevalence among girls aged 18 to 24 is high. We teach both girls and boys about the dangers of not using condoms, and encourage them to go for HIV testing, even though it can be hard for those in rural areas to access these services.

We also focus on challenging the common perception that girls who carry condoms and ask their sexual partners to use them are promiscuous. This taboo In Lesotho becomes even worse when girls initiate sex. Why should girls and boys not be treated and viewed as equals when it comes to sex? I believe this must change.

Selina's Story

The day after I finished secondary school, I told my parents I was going to the capital city. It’s far from our village, a 20 hours drive. My mother said, ‘You should not go!’ My father said, ‘You should go!’

When I reached the city, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t understand Twi or English very well. I was at the bus station, and I saw a girl who was a porter. I greeted her, I said, ‘I don’t know where to sleep, I need help.’ She told me to come with her. We stayed in a room together with 10 other girls.

One day I was going to my work as a porter, and I met a girl I knew from the village. She told me she lived alone and that I could stay with her. That evening, she and some of her friends were dressing up. They said, ‘If you want to survive, you should have sex.’ They were doing it for money. They told me they would make up my eyes, give me new clothes and shoes.

At first I thought maybe I should do it for a while, so I could make some money to go back home. But I knew my parents would kill me, if they found out. When I said no, the girls got angry. They told me if I wasn’t going to do it, I had to leave.

I still work at the market, but instead of carrying goods, I help a woman cook and sell rice and yams. I went back to my village this year to visit my family, at Easter. I told the girls there that the city is not how they imagine it. Instead of moving there, they decided to stay home, even though life is hard in the village too.