Marsabit, Kenya

August 2009

Tumaini Clinic. The word means "hope" in Swahili. And for Mary Godana the clinic is nothing less. A widow with three children, Mary was diagnosed with HIV but was unwilling to accept her status, suffering heavily from the effects of the disease until a counselor from the clinic made a visit to her home and shared with her the opportunities that the clinic provided for people living with AIDS (PLWA). Like so many PLWAs living in Kenya's desert north, the physical desolation that Mary survives in is nothing compared to the internal desolation that challenges her as she faces the social stigma of being infected. 1 of 7,000 PLWAs in Marsabit, Tumaini clinic has been the first ray of hope for Mary since she faced the reality of her diagnosis, and now with her enrollment into the program, she has access to quality treatment for opportunistic infections, health education on family planning, counseling on drug adherence, and social counseling. A growing advocate in her community Mary still faces stigmatization from neighbors and family, but her joy in life is returning as she realizes with growing hope that she will live to see her 3 children have children of their own.