Living
positively: HIV/AIDS in East Africa
Jennifer Rupp, Communications Coordinator for MCC Great
Lakes, recently spent three weeks in Tanzania and Kenya on an
MCC youth learning tour focused on HIV/AIDS.
Before leaving on my learning tour, I had a vision in my mind
of what it would be like in Africa - the Africa that we see
on television and read about it the news. I imagined people
with AIDS lying on their death beds, frail and dying - hopeless.
The Africa I experienced however, was drastically different.
Since 2005, ARV (antiretroviral) drugs have been made available
free of charge from the government. With these drugs, people
living with the virus are able to live longer, healthier, more
productive lives.
Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot of suffering and challenges
to be addressed. It can be difficult to travel to the hospitals
and dispensaries for the drugs. The drugs can't work properly
without the patient receiving the proper nutrition from a balanced
diet and refraining from hard physical activity that will tax
their body. These things are very hard to achieve in an environment
where food is expensive and many single parents are trying to
provide for their families. Stigma towards people with HIV is
still very strong, and some people are afraid to get tested
because of the reactions of their families and communities when
people find out they have the virus. It can be difficult to
get the healthcare supplies and equipment necessary to care
for someone with HIV.
But the images of hope that I saw were very encouraging. The
people working with these programs are a reflection of the tireless
energy and fortitude that I imagine Christ displaying as he
met with the marginalized people of society during His time
on earth.
We met with many support groups throughout our travels - some
of these meetings involved sharing meals or getting a history
of the group's work. What sticks out to me the most from our
entire trip, are the introductions that these groups would give.
Each person stood up and told us their name, followed by the
statement "and I'm living positively."
What a strong statement! Yes, it means the literal fact that
they have tested HIV positive and are living with this horrific
virus. But at the same time, they're living positively! Not
waiting around for their time to die, but embracing each day
of life and making the most of their time.
In the midst of a terrible situation, when it would be easy
to give up and feel sorry for themselves, these folks are banding
together to support and encourage one another. They're starting
income generating projects and getting loans for small businesses.
They're doing educational programs in schools to prevent the
spread of HIV in the next generation. They're breaking down
the stigma associated with HIV in their communities and encouraging
people to get tested and find out their status.
The beautiful and gracious people that I met in Tanzania and
Kenya taught me a lot about what it really means to live positively.
- Jennifer Rupp
For more information about MCC's work with HIV/AIDS around
the world, visit mcc.org/aids
