Uganda: Hope for HIV Positive Children
By, Anne M. Mpaulo, The Monitor, November 14, 2006
No amount of strength will prepare you for the mixed emotions that you feel when you walk into Jajas' Home and meet the children who are brought there everyday.
Jajjas' Home, located in Lweza on Naziba Hill along Entebbe Road, was started in 2000 to rehabilitate children living with HIV/Aids through the provision of quality care.
Ruth Sims, the Director, remembers the day that they started. "Mothers who were HIV positive would come to MildMay Centre alone. It was so heart-breaking because they left their children behind. They would only live for two years and then die. One morning I talked to my colleagues and we decided to start up a centre to help these unfortunate children but we had only 50 pounds in the bank."|
Within the second week, Ruth realised that she could not handle the growing number of children with the little space that she had. Well-wishers, sponsors and the government chipped in and they managed to get the piece of land that they have now. Kwagala (love) was the first house to be opened and it caters for children up to five years of age. Mirembe (peace) for six to 13 year olds was opened followed by Suubi (hope), which caters for 13 to 18 year olds.
A day in the day care section at Jajas' Home begins at 7 a.m. when four Range Rovers leave to go and collect the children who live near the home. By 9.30 a.m. all the children are settled in the home ready for the day to begin.
Each child is given special care in accordance with his or her needs. Those who have to get treatment are referred to the doctor while the ones on ARV's are given their medication. There is a full time physiotherapist and masseur to help the sick ones recuperate. At midday, the children are fed individually as advised by a qualified nutritional expert. Each child is given a minimum of two meals and drinks after which they are put to bed. When they wake up, they play together and take their medicine again.
2.30 p.m. is prayer and song time after which they are bathed and if there is a birthday, they celebrate it.
If on that day there is no birthday, they have their tea and board the Range Rovers back home. 5 p.m. finds all the children at their homes.
For the critically ill, there is Kidukirro (a place of refuge), where they are at admitted if a doctor refers them there.
All the services provided at Jajjas' Home are free. Irene Karamagi, the Public Relations Officer says effectively communicating with the children about their condition is their greatest challenge.
"We prefer the children's guardians to tell them because the children trust them more. However, if for any reason they cannot, we sit them with the child and talk to them. Some of the older children already know that they are not fine since they keep falling sick. At Jajja's Home, we empower them with confidence and lots of love.
HOPE: Children at an SOS village in Kakiri. File photo
We remind them that they can still succeed through university and have a job even though they are HIV positive.
We try not to make them cautious of their condition and teach them to hold their heads up high because they are not different from any other children.
Some children get traumatised when they get to a certain age and ask a lot of questions especially when one of their friends die. When the children turn 18, we send them back to MildMay Centre. Some of them become so attached and don't want to leave but we only have enough space for the younger children," says Karamaji.
The day I visited the centre, children were being immunised against measles.
Karamaji explained that there was an outbreak in the area and they were taking precautions. "These children are very delicate and the smallest infection can put them down." The children were happy as they waited in turn to get their injection and made fun of each other especially those that afraid of the jab.
I talked a shy cute girl called Sanyu who is 12 years although she looked six.
When I asked her how she liked the home, she answered in fluent English, "I like Jajas' Home and Kwagala house. I play with my friends and we eat chicken and ice cream," she giggled mischievously and run off to board the car.
Standing by the car door, I turned to see a girl of 14 years holding a baby of seven months in her arms.
Karamaji explained that the child was also picked from her parents' home daily and brought to the centre for day care. I thought it was not right for a baby to come to the centre unaccompanied and she explained that its parents had probably died.
" If we do not bring these children here, they will not be taken care of and will die within a few months."
As I left the centre, I felt sad when I remembered the stars that I had seen pinned up on the roof. Every house had stars with names, which were put up for every child that died from that age group.
Whether these die young or old, at least someone has given them a chance at a life.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200611131358.html
No amount of strength will prepare you for the mixed emotions that you feel when you walk into Jajas' Home and meet the children who are brought there everyday.
Jajjas' Home, located in Lweza on Naziba Hill along Entebbe Road, was started in 2000 to rehabilitate children living with HIV/Aids through the provision of quality care.
Ruth Sims, the Director, remembers the day that they started. "Mothers who were HIV positive would come to MildMay Centre alone. It was so heart-breaking because they left their children behind. They would only live for two years and then die. One morning I talked to my colleagues and we decided to start up a centre to help these unfortunate children but we had only 50 pounds in the bank."|
Within the second week, Ruth realised that she could not handle the growing number of children with the little space that she had. Well-wishers, sponsors and the government chipped in and they managed to get the piece of land that they have now. Kwagala (love) was the first house to be opened and it caters for children up to five years of age. Mirembe (peace) for six to 13 year olds was opened followed by Suubi (hope), which caters for 13 to 18 year olds.
A day in the day care section at Jajas' Home begins at 7 a.m. when four Range Rovers leave to go and collect the children who live near the home. By 9.30 a.m. all the children are settled in the home ready for the day to begin.
Each child is given special care in accordance with his or her needs. Those who have to get treatment are referred to the doctor while the ones on ARV's are given their medication. There is a full time physiotherapist and masseur to help the sick ones recuperate. At midday, the children are fed individually as advised by a qualified nutritional expert. Each child is given a minimum of two meals and drinks after which they are put to bed. When they wake up, they play together and take their medicine again.
2.30 p.m. is prayer and song time after which they are bathed and if there is a birthday, they celebrate it.
If on that day there is no birthday, they have their tea and board the Range Rovers back home. 5 p.m. finds all the children at their homes.
For the critically ill, there is Kidukirro (a place of refuge), where they are at admitted if a doctor refers them there.
All the services provided at Jajjas' Home are free. Irene Karamagi, the Public Relations Officer says effectively communicating with the children about their condition is their greatest challenge.
"We prefer the children's guardians to tell them because the children trust them more. However, if for any reason they cannot, we sit them with the child and talk to them. Some of the older children already know that they are not fine since they keep falling sick. At Jajja's Home, we empower them with confidence and lots of love.
HOPE: Children at an SOS village in Kakiri. File photo
We remind them that they can still succeed through university and have a job even though they are HIV positive.
We try not to make them cautious of their condition and teach them to hold their heads up high because they are not different from any other children.
Some children get traumatised when they get to a certain age and ask a lot of questions especially when one of their friends die. When the children turn 18, we send them back to MildMay Centre. Some of them become so attached and don't want to leave but we only have enough space for the younger children," says Karamaji.
The day I visited the centre, children were being immunised against measles.
Karamaji explained that there was an outbreak in the area and they were taking precautions. "These children are very delicate and the smallest infection can put them down." The children were happy as they waited in turn to get their injection and made fun of each other especially those that afraid of the jab.
I talked a shy cute girl called Sanyu who is 12 years although she looked six.
When I asked her how she liked the home, she answered in fluent English, "I like Jajas' Home and Kwagala house. I play with my friends and we eat chicken and ice cream," she giggled mischievously and run off to board the car.
Standing by the car door, I turned to see a girl of 14 years holding a baby of seven months in her arms.
Karamaji explained that the child was also picked from her parents' home daily and brought to the centre for day care. I thought it was not right for a baby to come to the centre unaccompanied and she explained that its parents had probably died.
" If we do not bring these children here, they will not be taken care of and will die within a few months."
As I left the centre, I felt sad when I remembered the stars that I had seen pinned up on the roof. Every house had stars with names, which were put up for every child that died from that age group.
Whether these die young or old, at least someone has given them a chance at a life.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200611131358.html
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 11:54 am
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