Beatrice Naava, right, 32, looks at the new towels from an MCC AIDS care kit. At left is Naava's mother Margaret Biyinzika. AIDS care kits bring hope in Uganda
Justin Moresco When 32-year-old Beatrice Naava received an MCC AIDS care kit, a smile erupted on her face. She was not chatty, nor did she show any of the excitement expected in response to gifts: just a smile, from a physically weak woman. But it said enough. Death and disease have ripped through Beatrice's family, and hope comes seldom and unexpectedly to her household. Her father died of AIDS several years ago, and Beatrice now has the disease. Her mother, who is HIV-negative, recently suffered a stroke and now struggles to look after herself and Beatrice in a small house on the outskirts of Uganda's capital. A nurse and clinical officer from Mengo Hospital visit Beatrice, giving her one of the 180 MCC AIDS care kits the hospital has distributed. Mengo Hospital operates an HIV/AIDS clinic that does twice-weekly home visits for bedridden patients, the cost of which is covered by MCC. Some kind gestures in life bring such happiness, one marvels at the power of simplicity. "Whenever I open AIDS Care Kits, I think about the people who packed them, sitting there and hoping the kits would bring people they don't know assistance," says Dr. Edith Namulema, Mengo Hospital's AIDS coordinator. "This touches me deeply." Nurse Christine Nabulya presents the contents of the kit one by one to Beatrice and her mother — perhaps unwittingly bringing drama to this otherwise dreary home. Each plunge of her arm into the kit's drawstring bag ignites anticipation. Out comes bath soap, pillow cases, rubber gloves, a bath towel, a jar of petroleum jelly, medicated body powder. Christine patiently explains the use of each one. The two bed sheets from the kit are a huge hit. Bed sheets, particularly ones of high quality, are a luxury in Uganda. One man who received an AIDS care kit said he would keep the sheets unused to bequeath to his children. The bedding that Beatrice has been confined to for weeks is dirty and tattered. Christine quickly puts the new sheets and pillow cases on, and the bed immediately looks more comfortable and inviting. Then Christine puts the fresh T-shirt that came in the kit on Beatrice. It is a fine day in the Naava household. There is no chatter, nor any of the excitement expected in response to gifts: just smiles that say it all.
|
|
|
