12/23

From my excursion yesterday, I realized to important things:

1) The importance of food whilst taking HIV medication.
2) The formation of cliques: HIV-positive members remove themselves from society because of the pressure they face from HIV-negative members.

Finding one patient that had gone AWOL after her HIV diagnosis had taken hours, so I devised a method of attracting large numbers of people to an education seminar focusing on what to do after being diagnosed with HIV. Disspelling myths was my first objective (i.e. it's not a curse from god) after having people show up, followed by the importance of hygiene and proper nutrition. Thirdly, I stressed the need to follow up with a healthcare provider either at a free clinic or large hospital.

Early in the day, people were simply not willing to talk. They had no reason to trust what I had to say (with help from a translator). To establish a sense of trust, I decided to provide what many needed most: food and a place for non-judgmental, open discussion. The first part was easy: I bought large quantities of beef stew and bread. The latter, however, was tricky to chew through. After much thought, I decided the best way to create a "safe zone" was to only allow HIV-positive people to come in. I assumed that there would be no fear in sharing experiences and knowledge among a group of people going through a common difficult experience, and I was right! Over 200 mothers showed up to listen to me (again, with help from a translator).

Since many are still within childbearing age, I stressed the importance of seeking care for the infant to prevent mother-child transmission. Many don't realize that medication is available to prevent HIV from afflicting the child, and had previously automatically assumed that the child automatically contracts HIV.

This was a very personally-rewarding day, and epitomizes my reasons for coming to Kibera in the first place. Knowledge is power.