Today is World AIDS Day

Duran Dema is a community of HIV infected people living with the virus for many years in Marsabit, in North-Eastern Kenya. This small community of around 140 women, men and children remained a place where the virus was highly stigmatized and most were unwilling to be tested or share their status publicly. Disclosing the HIV status in hard to reach areas in Africa is one of the many challenges of people infected with the virus where the high stigma deeply adds to their suffering and ability to be treated. Some people of the Duran Dema group could not find any support from their families, nor from their friends even in the issues of daily life, especially when they were sick.

The hardest examples were witnessed following the death of any group member - stigma was so high that families even refused to bury their dead out of fear of being further isolated. The community approached Blood:Water with their need through Food for the Hungry Kenya. Duran Dema needed a treatment center to have the basic medical needs for such a group, where they could find support and counseling for those living positively, and help and treatment for their opportunistic infections which could lead to their death if not treated. Blood:Water believed in that need and started the Tumaini Medical Center, which means "Hope" in Swahili (the country language). To date the Tumaini Clinic has treated over 4,000 individuals and been instrumental in changing the understanding of HIV/AIDS in the region deeply reducing stigma and further transmission of the virus.

Godhe, a young woman of only twenty three years, was very sick and bed ridden. She was diagnosed with HIV and many other opportunistic infections due to the virus in her body. She was linked to Tumaini social worker and home based care component for further care and support. In the past she had been placed on medication but was was found to be poorly adhering to the drugs. The clinic set up frequent home visits and follow up appointments with the aim of educating Godhe and her family on the importance of anti-retroviral drugs (ARV's). They connected her with a social worker doing pill demonstrations and a caregiver on a daily basis for four weeks. Godhe was given many other services through the center such as nutritional counseling where Godhe and her family were taught on different types of foods that can boost her immunity in relation to the antiretroviral drug that she is taking on daily basis. She and her family were linked to a home based program to benefit from nutritional education session as well as quarterly food stuffs distribution. Godhe also was given adherences counseling sessions to create a conducive, educative and interactive familiarization process between the counselor and counselee for a healthy relationship that will promote patient commitment to lifelong antiretroviral therapy.

There is clearly a significant commitment required to treating HIV/AIDS effectively, but the effect is transformative in every aspect. Godhe now can comfortably walk around with minimal support, she can also do simple exercise at home as well as taking her antiretroviral drug regularly. Her family again smiles. Hope is restored not just in spirit but in physical evidence as she and her family no longer worry about her death, but focus on her life.

Osman is a five year old by orphaned after the loss of his mother to HIV/AIDS. Osman, who is also positive by birth was in need of starting on ARV's, but he didn't have a treatment supporter. Previously an orphan's supporting organization said that Osman was past age because they only pick children below 5 years. Fortunately, Tumaini Medical Center staff helped the boy to find a community caretaker to adopt him and help him to take the ARV's by himself. The clinician is preparing him to start ARV'S, after finding him a new mother. Osman is improving and feeling much better through the care given by the treatment center.

In stories like these, it is not enough to feel the pain, it is more important to help and move others towards what could be done to help the people in the midst of their suffering. Blood:Water is covering many areas through their work in Africa with programs in Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Uganda and Central African Republic. Through it's efforts Blood:Water has been increasing the awareness of the different communities to understand the nature of the virus, helping them to prevent new infections and guiding them to the healthiest choices in their lives. The work empowers communities through increasing their knowledge about the virus, especially among women and children. Through helping in providing treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS, Blood:Water has been instrumental in improving their quality of life. Many women carrying the burden of their families, could go back to their work while their children could go back to school and to their regular lives. Many steps are still needed to be taken, many efforts are still to be done towards the fight against the virus. Many people should come together, if not by their own efforts at least by their contribution to help organizations like Blood:Water Mission in their fights against the virus.

~ Dr. Aida Samir

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This year alone, through the support of people like yourself, Blood:Water has provided safe water for over 61,000 people in Africa and brought access to health care to over 4,000 people for the very first time. Communities are seeing preventable illnesses drastically decrease and hope for a bright future dramatically increase. From community Lemon:Aid stands to 5K's to concerts, creativity has been used to make a big difference in the lives of others. This is no small act or contribution. Through these daily heroic acts here at home, leaders in Africa are empowered to become heroes in their own communities. But the need is great for those who are waiting - from providing access to safe water so children can go to school to offering home based health care, from placing biosand filters in homes to training HIV/AIDS groups in the communities - these are the lasting gifts that we would like to give this Christmas.

This Christmas, add a new tradition and partner with us to give the gift of health and hope to communities in Africa. Take part in Blood:Water's "12 Days of Christmas" Join us by picking a day, and changing a life. www.bloodwatermission.com/12days

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About Dr. Aida: 

Growing up a Cairo, Dr. Aida Samir moved to Kenya in 1997 to work at the Egyptian Coptic Mission Hospital. She worked there for 11 years, serving part of that time as CEO. In her role there she expanded the hospital's medical services to include specialized HIV/AIDS services, which Coptic pioneered nationally. Her work includes establishment of the Coptic Hope Center for Infectious Diseases and strengthening programs at 7 medical facilities and 13 specialized HIV/AIDS projects. Recently she has joined our partner, Food for the Hungry, strengthening their HIV/AIDS initiatives across Africa. Together she has helped Blood:Water launch two AIDS treatment centers, one in Marsabit, Kenya and one in Kitgum, Uganda.