Living with HIV

 

Some of the CEF children in our sponsorship program are living with HIV.

For some it is a very sad situation.  One doesn't have anyone who loves her or cares for her. Her grandfather cares the most, but not enough for her to get the care or educational support she needs. In another case her carers are elderly grandparents who haven't been able to tend to her needs or help with her education requirements sufficiently, so she is failing most subjects in primary school. Fortunately an aunt has returned to the area and is now able to help out a little. Another girl has a loving grandmother but granny is no longer young and under terrible stress as she is caring not just for her granddaughter, but also for the children of another son who has HIV and is in prison. His wife died from HIV. 

Some of the children face discrimination at school, with one girl having to leave her school and she could only find one that would accept her a long way from home.

The girl in these photos is very fortunate to have an intelligent and caring mother, even though she also has HIV. The mother is considered unemployable because of being infected and decided to develop work at home and is keeping and breeding chickens. She is so caring that they are doing really well and she is earning a satisfactory income for many of their needs, but unfortunately not enough to pay for the education costs of her four children, therefore CEF has found a sponsor for one of them. They are most grateful for that support and we at CEF are most grateful that she is sponsored and has educational support.