By Samuel Odongo | ADMINISTRATIVE VOLUNTER -LIRA FIELD OFFICE
Akech is a 13 year old girl who goes to Ireda Primary School and is currently in Primary Six. She was orphaned in 2010 when her father Opio died and her mother Ajok followed a suit in 2011 due to HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately Akech herself was born infected by HIV/AIDS.
Her father had two wives and when her mother died in 2011 leaving her and her elder brother Andrew living with their stepmother who also have three other children of her own all young than Aketh. She loves school and the learning and studying it accords her. Her best subject is Science out of all the four subjects the she takes including Math, Science, Social Studies and Religious Education. At the end of the year 2015 examination she was in the 15th position out of 183 pupils in her class
During the first monitoring visit this year, her stepmother was requiring her to first help out in the restaurant which she runs before she can go to school. This was making Akech so tired to concentrate on her studies.
She had also developed wounds on some of her body parts which require medical attention .Akech was encouraged and counseled to remain strong and endure as with continued treatment she will be pain free. Examples of many young adults were shared with her and a testimony from a 35 year old man who shared with her his own experience of living with HIV/AIDS since he was born encouraged her and told her that with a balanced diet and good hygiene one can live until old age. This was streaming from the fact that she was so scared that she was to die soon because her stepmother had told her that she will soon die. Alot of counseling is still needed to enable her cope with the situation and also counseling to the step mother to enable her respect Akech and support her development. She smilingly promised to take better care of herself and to study hard to expect her hard life.
‘Akech remains grateful for the support that comes from the donors and she hopes that they continue to support her till she completes her education. “I wants to become a doctor when i grows up so I can treat young children who are like me”’.
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