By Melody
Gwenyambira
“I was born HIV negative but
I was sexually abused when I was 12 years old and was infected. I hated my
father because he had put me in that situation,” Sarudzayi (not her real name)
said with tears swelling down her cheeks.
By just looking at her one
would never know that this woman had led a harsh life.
Confidence was oozing out of
her and her face was lightened by the smile she flashed when she talked.
Saru who is now 24 years old
is the first born in a family of three children.
She was born into a poverty
stricken family and her parents worked informal jobs so that they could sustain
their children.
This was not the only thing
that Saru’s father was doing to sustain the children.
Behind everyone’s back, the
man was organising a secret marriage and was giving his daughter away to a
wealthy family that lived in the affluent suburbs of Harare.
When all the arrangements
had been made and dowry was paid to Saru’s father, the young girl was taken to
her in-law’s home in the pretext that she was going to be working for them as a
maid.
Saru performed all the
household chores, but little did she know that she was actually doing the
duties of a “muroora.”
One fateful day, Saru’s
husband a young man who was above 18 was in the house while Saru was working.
He dragged the poor girl
into his bedroom and raped her once.
Saru’s piercing screams were
heard by neighbours who came to her rescue and apprehended the sex starved
monster.
Saru was taken into the
custody of the Girl Child Network.
She was however pregnant,
months later she gave birth to a baby who died in his early days.
Both mother and baby were
positive but Saru survived.
They sent her back to school.
Her father felt bad but a
curse like disease seemed to have eaten him away and he passed away.
Saru was later released into
her mother’s custody.
She opened her own Musika
and started selling tomatoes and other vegetables.
With the proceeds of the Musika,
Saru’s brothers went to school and her family was looked after.
Time passed and she got
herself a boyfriend who promised to marry her.
Unfortunately the man died
in a fatal car accident.
A trail of bad luck seemed
to have been following Saru who was now 22.
Saru’s CD4 count was high
and she was never placed on Antiretroviral Therapy but was on the high
nutrition programme.
For eleven good years Saru
ate a healthy balanced diet and never developed tuberculosis or fell sick.
She only started taking ARV’s
last year after she fell pregnant.
“I am now on ARV’s and I
have a healthy baby boy who is HIV negative,”
Saru said recently.
Saru is married and her
husband is also HIV positive.
This did not stop the couple
in planning their family.
I can and I glad to safely
say that an HIV positive couple or even a discorded couple can have an HIV
negative baby.
That is why it is very
important for a woman who is pregnant or suspects that she is pregnant to visit
an Antenatal Clinic and get tested.
Eliminating new infections
in children and keeping mothers alive is very possible.
Saru’s story is very sad but
I have to tell you this, she is a very strong woman who has a positive view of
life.
She is one of the many
adolescents who are HIV positive but are leading healthy and happy lives.
Last year I had the
opportunity of attending a Christmas Party of a support group of adolescents
who are living with HIV.
They have so many stories to
tell.
From some who cannot take
their ARV’s because they forget while some do not want to their friends to know
that they are on treatment.
Most of the adolescents
revealed that they started taking the cotrimoxadole when they were very young.
When some asked their
parents why they were taking the antibiotic they would be told that they used
to suffer from headaches or other illnesses when they were young so the tablets
were to “clear their systems.”
I also met a young lady at the just ended
Zimbabwe National HIV/AIDS Conference who complained that some health providers
did not treat those who are living positively with respect.
“Imagine my horror each time
I want to get treatment when I fall sick.
I am served by a nurse who
is sitting next to another nurse who is attending to another patient. I have to
tell my nurse of my status while the next patient is my neighbour. Something
has to be done,” she said.
The young lady who was born
positive in now 23 and is not on treatment, “I was put on treatment but the
doctor removed me because my CD 4 count went up to 1000. I lead a normal
healthy life.”
After all has been said
these are some of the plights of adolescent living with HIV.
If you have a story that you
would like to share with me please get in touch.
Till next week, Stay Blessed
and remember don’t be negative about being positive!!!
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