Stop the Cycle of HIV: Support Women and Children!

When Nadia was 10 years old, she was hospitalized for an entire month. She had no idea she was HIV positive until months later - and she didn't realize the weight HIV carried until she returned to primary school.

"My teachers would always say you can't do this, you can't do that," Nadia said. "They acted like I was so fragile. Like I could faint at any moment."

For months, Nadia felt isolated. The kids at school didn't understand why the teachers treated her the way that they did, and Nadia couldn't understand it either. When she took her medication, she felt fine - but for some reason, her teachers thought she was anything but. Tired of all the special treatment, Nadia stopped taking her medication, hoping that everyone would treat her like a normal person again.

Once Nadia's mother realized what her daughter was doing, she brought Nadia to Alive Medical Services (AMS) for counselling. Day after day, Nadia sat with the counsellors and they spoke to her about good adherence and living positively. Soon after, Nadia began engaging with the Victor's Club, AMS' youth program for adolescents living with HIV.

"When I got to secondary level, I started to let it go," Nadia said. "I thought to myself: I have HIV. That can't be changed. And I can live with that."

In time, Nadia began singing, dancing, and making friends at Victor's Club. This past summer, AMS staff trained Nadia to become a youth peer educator, giving her the skills to counsel other youth living with HIV, and refer them to the clinic for treatment.

Now 18, Nadia hopes to attend university next year. Eventually, she hopes to become a counsellor for HIV-positive children herself.

"I want HIV-positive children to know that living a positive life is not that hard," Nadia said. "You can live beyond other people's expectations. You can achieve what others can achieve, and more. It's important not to be afraid."

Your support to this project has helped Alive Medical Services reach young people like Nadia, along with mothers, babies and young children infected with and/or affected by HIV. Just last quarter, over 340 women received pre- and post-natal care; 1,046 youth were reached through our Victor's Club program; and more than 120 infants were confirmed HIV-negative after enrolling in our prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV program. All of this wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of partners like you, and we are so grateful for your support. 

Ever since school let out, Nadia has spent her days volunteering at AMS. She helps measure the weight, height, and health status of children at triage, working alongside the nurses and helping whenever she can.

"I want to work with children because they are the future of tomorrow," Nadia said. "They should know that HIV can't stop them."

Thank you for keeping Alive Medical Services and our clients in your hearts.