Born with HIV and left to suffer: A tale of despair

Luzira is one the suburbs which make up Kampala city.

It is a bee-hive of activity as traders, taxi touts, idlers go about their day.

What has brought us here is the story of children born with HIV and how they cope with the challenges that come with the burden.

So we have set up camp at Luzira Kirombe, specifically St Cyprian Primary School.

Outside the school, one would think all is well judging from the outlook of the children.

The seemingly healthy and happy children play different games from hide and seek, football and netball even dance music and drama.

To our shock, we later discovered that majority of these children are HIV Positive, having been born with the virus.

Patricia Nyankwo who just celebrated her 18th birthday narrated to us her experience of living with HIV.

Patricia said she was introduced to ARVS by her grandmother after the death of her parents.

At that point, she did not know why she was taking the tablets.

So as she swallowed the tablets, she had many questions to ask the granny, who was not brave enough to tell her she was HIV positive

But in early 2000’s, her grandmother died. An organisation that looks after disadvantaged children, African Delighters, gave her a home.

And while there she continued to swallow medicine

One day, she one of her teachers, a one Brian, why she was taking the daily tablets. The teacher told her she was HIV Positive and that is when reality sunk in.

" Why me?" Patricia constantly asked, as tears streamed on her face.

At St Cyprian Primary School, many young people still wonder how they contracted the virus.

Each of the HIV Positive pupils caaries a bottle that contains the ARVs. When the time for taking the drugs reaches, they all assemble in one place and take them.

These children range from the age of three to eight years.

They live a life full of challenges. For now they have a shelter and an education.

Brian Pule, a care taker of the children who is also HIV positive said they have tried to restore the hope of these young ones but face a lot of challenges.

Pule said taking care of these children is hard especially without adequate funding from the well wishers.

African Delighters is one those few civil society organisations who have assisted a number of children infected with HIV.