UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS

April 1 2008

What is happening in Rwinkwavu Health Center? (Part I)

The pediatric treatment programme at Rwinkwavu's health center has 92 children living with HIV and AIDS who are on antiretroviral drug treatment and are closely monitored by the health center. Thanks to the center's established system of accompaniment, these children are followed through. An accompanier is trained and then selected by the patient and must be staying in the same area as the patient to be able to assist him or her. The pediatric care, treatment and support of these children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS integrates all the needs of the child including treatment, monitoring, access to health care and food security. The health center also makes sure that the children stay healthy, have a good nutrition, care, affection and meet their school needs while benefiting from an adult supervision when required.

On the first of April 2008, I visited many of the children here along with the people who accompanied them. Let me tell you the story about two such children: Shema Dodi and Uwimana Julienne.

Uwimana Julienne is a 14 year-old girl. She is finishing her primary school. Julienne is reserved and a bit shy when she looks into other people's eyes. She lost both her parents and lives with her aunt. She is one of four kids; the others are placed in different families. Julienne started her HIV treatment two weeks ago. During my conversation with her, she told me that she wants to finalize her studies, go to university and become a doctor. She looks healthy and strong. She told me that in the beginning, she was desperate and discouraged but counseling helped her to accept and cope with her situation. Right now, she's fine but the most challenging aspect of her situation is housing and school materials.

Whilst the days go, the HIV epidemic brings in new faces and new challenges. Its burden is heavy on people's lives, especially children and young people. Families are fragmented, destroyed or disempowered and are not able to provide the required care and support to the children who are infected and/or affected by HIV and AIDS.  New strategies and innovative programmes are necessary to assist these vulnerable children.
 
Another child I met with at the health center on that same day was Shema Dodi, a boy of 11 who has been under HIV treatment since December 2004. Shema is only in the second year of primary school because he had to repeat some classes. A lovely and friendly boy, with a beaming smile, Shema told me: "Mama, I wish I could be in a good school that’s a short distance away. I walk a lot of miles to go to school; it makes me tired and weak to walk those long distances to school."  Shema's mother is HIV-positive and is on HIV treatment too. The family's youngest child is also HIV-positive. Of the three children, the only one who is HIV-negative was born after Shema. They all discovered their status shortly after Shema's father died of AIDS. We have much work to do to save children's lives which require your support.