The Importance of Living Positively

This past weekend, Angela, Addie and I traveled with our friend Mary to visit an HIV-positive woman named Faith. Mary, who is also HIV-positive, met Faith when she came to visit her sister, an employee at Egerton. At the time, Faith was having a hard time dealing with her status and Mary was called upon to act as a friend and counselor. Mary told us that the purpose of our visit was to encourage Faith to live a “positive” life. It seems that since being diagnosed with HIV, Faith has lost the will to live and consequently, her health has been deteriorating ever since.
On the long matatu ride to Kabazi (Faith’s hometown), I was unsure of what to expect. Although we have seen many roadside towns as we’ve traveled through Kenya, we had yet to venture through the streets of one of the towns or enter into anyone’s home. When we reached Kabazi, we were greeted by one of Faith’s sons. He led us barefoot through the muddy streets to his home. This town was clearly one of the most poverty-stricken areas that we have visited thus far. People discard their waste right outside their doors where donkeys, chickens, and sheep feed off the piles.
When we first met Faith, she was sitting on a stoop in front of a wooden turquoise door. From Faith’s emaciated and tired expression it was immediately obvious that she was not in the best of health. Inside Faith’s home, I was shocked by its simplicity; consisting of two tiny rooms, there was barely enough space for us to move. A single tiny window lit the house and there was no electricity or running water. During our visit, Faith told us a little about her life – she is a single mother of seven kids. Last year she was diagnosed with HIV and has been on ARVs for about half a year. She is also currently being treated for TB. Unfortunately, however, the medication often makes her nauseous. We couldn’t help but wonder whether or not Faith’s upset stomach was due to improper nutrition. Faith’s troubles were further compounded by the fact that she is too weak to hold a regular job. It was hard for us to fathom that the problems Faith faces on a daily basis are typical for the million plus Kenyans living with HIV. Although we couldn’t provide Faith with a cure for her disease or poverty, we hope that we brightened up her day with our visit and in doing so have encouraged her to continue to live positively.