Some insight to HIV...

AIDS is real. And it is everywhere. I must be honest; when I thought of Africa (before coming here), I thought of poverty and disease, particularly AIDS. Upon arriving in Uganda, I seemed to forget the prevalence of AIDS around me, as I began to adjust to a new home, university, and culture. I never saw anyone who ‘looked
sick.’

After a couple of weeks, a neighbor in our village was visiting us one Sunday after church. She had brought her one-year-old daughter with her. After an hour or so of small talk and getting to know each other, she told me she was HIV positive. I was a bit shocked, although I am not sure why. I guess I had forgotten that HIV was ‘real’; two weeks had already passed and I had yet to meet anyone with AIDS. She told me how she was dealing with the virus and that she had been counseled during pregnancy to take precautionary measures to ensure that her unborn baby would not contract the virus. Today, her daughter is a happy and healthy baby!

When we visited TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) a couple of weeks ago, we met with many individuals who were affected by HIV. Surprisingly, most of them appeared quite healthy. They shared their personal stories of how and when they contracted the virus and how it has affected (and continues to affect) them emotionally and psychologically. Hearing their stories of how it felt to be made fun of and discriminated against grabbed my heart. Listening to their feelings from a first-hand account made me realize the reality of HIV.

Later that night I talked with my host mom about HIV/AIDS. I told her how I was surprised that I had only met one person with HIV (excluding the people at TASO) while here. She looked at me and slowly shook her head. She told me she could tell me the names of several people, whom I had met, who I did not know were affected by HIV. My mom then went on to list off people whom I had befriended in the village who have AIDS. Neighbors, shopkeepers, friends, families.

She proceeded to tell me about Lilly’s parents. At the beginning of the semester, Lilly, my mom’s niece, came to live with us and attend a nearby secondary school. I had believed Lilly was with us primarily to attend school, but that night I was told she came to live with us because both of her parents were dying with AIDS. All I could think about was if I were in Lilly’s shoes, in the place of a 15-year-old girl whose parents were dying. I was I was so overwhelmed with this; I could not help but to start crying right there in our living room.

Both of these situations have opened up the true reality to me that AIDS is real and it is here, all around us. Most of the people whom I learned have AIDS look healthy. I admit that I have been making assumptions of people based on their outward appearances, assuming everyone I met was healthy; it is only when we engage ourselves with people that we learn more about them and more of who they really are. Living and engaging with others is how and when we begin to share our hurts and struggles together.