In Marsabit town (though more like what we would consider a market town in the UK) we visited a project run by CCS and Food for the Hungry, a day clinic and an HIV clinic. I met with the staff running the clinic and then spoke with Rosaline.
Rosaline is a 36year old mother of three. Her husband divorced her when she discovered she was HIV positive. Rosaline agreed to share her experience with me and even for MAF to use her story because of her involvement with a positive living group. This group, with about 180 members from the area who are HIV positive, have come together to support each other due to the rejection and stigmatization experienced as a result of their health status.
I asked Rosaline what her hopes were for the future and she immediately said she wants to share her experience, particularly with people in the rural areas, so that others can learn about HIV/AIDS, what precautions should be taken to minimize the spread of the disease, and to reduce the stigmatization and suffering that people endure when it is known they are infected. Rosaline and other members of the group were attending a three day workshop in Marsabit to learn how to go about doing just this. It was an inspiring group to meet with!
The Positive Living Group
So, how does MAF fit in? I was clearly informed by the clinic staff that MAF is crucial for their work. Our flights transport reagents, medicines and laboratory equipment on a regular basis. They are the only medical clinic within a very large area that is able to do a CD4 test, to measure the status of a patient’s immunity system. This is used to determine when a patient should take anti-retroviral drugs. Patients are even referred to the clinic from the local government hospital, for the test.
