Keep a Child Alive Blog

A survey released yesterday found that South Africa's population would be 4.4M more today, if it weren't for AIDS.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:07:34 -0500

A survey released yesterday found that South Africa's population would be 4.4M more today, if it weren't for AIDS.

More than 1000 families fed for an entire month.

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:44:00 -0500

What a beautiful way to start off 2012! With your generosity and support, Keep a Child Alive can feed more than 1000 families at Alive Medical Services in Uganda for an entire month. We are forever grateful to provide nutrition to those on AIDS medication to ensure successful treatment. THANK YOU!

Dr. Pasquine Ogunsanya, the Medical Director of Alive Medical Services has shared a message with us over Skype for all of you with her appreciation. You’ve made the difference between life and death by providing these patients and families with beans, rice, sugar and cooking oil.

Happy 2012 from Keep a Child Alive’s staff, and supported children & families.

A Miracle of what Nutrition can do for a poor HIV widow.

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:07:25 -0500

We have been meeting patients from Alive Medical Services, Uganda, these past few weeks to introduce to our KCA supporters who they are helping to feed with our Feed a Family campaign.

Supported by our treatment and nutrition programs, we’d love for you to meet Nanteza Maimuna and her 2 children Sseera Fatuma, 6 years old and Sowali Musisis, 4 years old.

Maimuna lost her husband to HIV and she and both her children Fatuma and Sowali are HIV positive and all on ARVS at AMS and doing very well.

If not for the food that KCA provides, Maimuna and her kids would be dead now. You are making the difference between life and death for these patients at Alive by providing nutritional support!

Maimuna came when she and the children had very low immunity and were very sick. They all had chest infections, skin infections and were all malnourished.

To see Maimuna and her kids so beautiful and healthy today, is a miracle of what nutrition can do for a very poor HIV widow. Dr. Pasquine saw Maimuna and the children at their holiday meal this month and Maimuna looked like a queen in her fine clothes. She now has enough strength to dig and care for her family.

To continue to provide this strength, care and nutrition for families like Maimuna’s please visit here to make a $26 donation to feed a family for one month in Uganda.

Janet and daughter Lucy at Alive Medical Services

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:38:13 -0500

Meet Janet, 36 years old and her daughter, Lucy who is 12 months old, both on AIDS treatment and receive the nutritional program at Alive Medical Services.

They are both newly diagnosed with HIV and mother Janet was referred to Alive Medical Services on the 14th September 2011 and is now in care. Janet, a peasant from the eastern part of Uganda, is a 4 hour drive from Kampala where Alive Medical Services is located to receive her medication. She has 5 children and has difficulty getting food. Her daughter Lucy whom she is carrying is one year old, HIV positive and severely malnourished. Lucy is currently undergoing nutritional rehabilitation. At 11 months she was weighing 3.8 kg.

You can help to continue to feed Mother Janet and Daughter Lucy with Keep a Child Alive’s Feed a Family Campaign which will provide a food parcel for one month for $26. Can you help feed Janet & Lucy for another month?

Give $26 here today.

Meet Teddy who is ALIVE because of AMS in Uganda

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:07:00 -0500

Teddy is a 65 year old widow who lives in the neighboring slums a few meters away from Alive Medical Services (AMS) in Kampala, Uganda. She came to AMS in 2008 with full blown AIDS and is currently under comprehensive HIV and AIDS treatment and care.

Our nutrition program provides Teddy, one of many grandmothers, food for her and her 11 orphaned grandchildren. Not only is Teddy a widow at 65, but takes care of 11 orphaned grandchildren who live with her. Only one of her children is alive and he is sick with elephantiasis, with a big ulcer on the leg an unable to work.

Grandma Teddy came to AMS very sick with full blown AIDS in 2008 and was started on AIDS treatment. When staff of AMS visited her at home she was in a bad state with no food and no source of income and 11 little hungry mouths to feed.

She was then later started on nutrition support and this has literally saved them from starvation.

Teddy has no formal job but now with some food provided and with a little capital, she has been able to boil cassava and sell whenever she can.

This food parcel keeps Grandma Teddy and her 11 grandchildren ALIVE.

For $26, you can provide a food parcel to a family like Grandma Teddy’s for an entire month at Alive Medical Services - make that difference today and give the gift of life here.

Julie's INSPIRE Paintings to benefit Keep a Child Alive!

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:46:29 -0500

Julie Weaverling, chose to support Keep a Child Alive’s work through her creative passion. Julie creates contemporary paintings and mixed media pieces using encaustic, oil & wax and acrylic paint as well as Joomchi, a Korean art form. Beginning with a thought or idea, the artist’s inspirations are endless. Generally abstract, Julie’s work includes 2D works and installation.

An award winning artist, Julie’s paintings are exhibited nationally. Julie created 6 special pieces from her Inspire series and 25% of the sales from this series will be donated to Keep a Child Alive.

Visit: www.julieweaverling.com to view Julie’s work and click here to order one of her pieces to benefit Keep a Child Alive!

Thank you Julie!!

Rani Learns to Read

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:34:00 -0400

Rani was born into peril to a poor rural family torn apart by HIV/AIDS at a time when the virus was beginning to show its face in rural India. Her father died of AIDS in 2005, and her mother died a year later, after years of illness and decline. Rani was sent to live with her aging grandmother, where she soon began working as a day laborer, at age 11, to help support the household.

Rani yearned to go to school, but school fees were beyond reach for this struggling family. Shortly after her mother’s death, Rani’s health began to deteriorate. She developed fevers and long periods of weakness. When her grandmother finally took her to a local hospital, she learned she was HIV-positive, and feared that she was destined to die just as her parents had.

As so often happens with HIV-positive orphans who are cared for by aging grandparents, the cost for essential medical care was more than they could afford. Rani is luckier than most children in her circumstances. She found a new home at the Living India Home of Hope in June 2008. Supported by KCA, 60 HIV-positive children live in peace here, where they eat well-balanced meals, go to school for the first time and experience the once seeming impossibility of childhood.

Rani was 13 when she came to Living Hope, and had never seen the inside of a classroom. With a school right on the premises, children who need extra attention can get the support they need. As a teenager, sitting in a classroom filled with 5-year-old students at a public school would have been humiliating for Rani, who has already faced the worst that life delivers.

Today, Rani is a veracious reader, an eager student and leader among the other children who live in the Living India Home of Hope. She is also a constant on the swing set during school breaks!

Your support for Keep a Child Alive makes it possible for Living India to continue providing the highest quality of care to children like Rani, once abandoned to horrifying circumstances because of HIV and AIDS. Help KCA help Living India and donate now.

Jay Sean Visits Sahara

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:34:00 -0400

On August 19, Jay Sean visited the Sahara Aalhad Care Home to see the beauty of Keep a Child Alive’s work on the ground in India. To date, KCA has helped Sahara provide nearly 2,000 people with comprehensive HIV/AIDS care services, including access to treatment, food, counseling, and residential care.

Sahara was started more than thirty years ago to help people struggling with substance abuse, and its efforts continue today to counter the debilitating stigma that surrounds both substance abuse and AIDS in India. During his visit, the Sahara team shared with Jay Sean the challenges they face working in the context of HIV/AIDS in India, and how Sahara and KCA are working together to improve the quality of life and health for the underserved HIV+ population in Pune.

Dr. Dharmadhikari, a physician who’s worked with the project since its inception, discussed with Jay Sean the dire situations that poor HIV+ people face in India, and the difference that the Care Home is making in the community. The increase in access to medical care and support has made an invaluable impact in the lives of Sahara’s patients, who were proud to meet Jay Sean and share their stories with him during his visit.

He met Santosh, who used to be a soldier in the Border Security Force, until he was terminated because he was HIV+. He met Girija, a patient so sick that the government hospital could no longer care for her, so she was transferred to Sahara as a last hope. He met Iyoti, who came to Sahara bedridden with tuberculosis, unable to take care of herself and her two children, and faced with the most difficult decision to give up her infant child for adoption. He met Rizwana, who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion, and lives in the Yerwada slum where Sahara does community outreach. And he met Naveen, who was so proud to share that his daughter was born without HIV because the Sahara team made sure that his wife received the medicine she needed to prevent the transmission of HIV to her baby. In Naveen’s words, “Jay Sean wanted to know what was happening as far as stigma and discrimination was concerned. He came across as an Indian who could easily relate to the problems of his own people. He was really happy to see people recovering and recovered, his face reflected this.”

The day ended with the young girls at Sahara dancing for Jay Sean and his team in all their Indian finery, and then Jay joined in by singing for everyone at Sahara. According to Gilbert, another patient at Sahara: “It was a great pleasure to meet such a personality, who was just so down to earth.” And in the words of Sahara’s patient Jayanta, “It was amazing to see that such a popular person is so simple and caring.”

KCA is proud to have Jay Sean as an ambassador for our work, and we need you – our donors and supporters – to act as ambassadors by spreading KCA’s message. There are many more vulnerable people living with HIV in Pune today that still need our help. Help KCA help Sahara and donate now.

Where in Brooklyn is Keep a Child Alive?

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:40:00 -0400

Summertime in BK just might be our favorite season! It’s full of lazy afternoon rooftop gatherings, scenic walks across the Brooklyn Bridge, community gardening, outdoor concerts, and of course our beloved street fairs and fleas! Together, with our amazing community supporters, Keep a Child Alive has been out and about around our Brooklyn ‘hood.

Have you seen us yet this summer?

Maybe you ran into us at the Epic DUMBO Stoop Sale, hosted by our office neighbors of the Dumbo Improvement District! Held under the Manhattan Bridge archway on a beautiful Saturday afternoon mid June, the KCA team mingled with the public to spread the word of our lifesaving work and sell our amazing goodies handmade by our friends in Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and India.

Or perhaps you met fellow AIDS warrior and KCA supporter, Laura, owner of Park Slope’s 4PlayBK, at the Seventh Heaven street fair in June? She was even representing KCA this past weekend at Bastille Day on Smith Street selling yummy, chilled sangria!

Between the two Brooklyn street fairs, Laura and friends were able to raise almost $5,000 for KCA! What a beautiful contribution! (This generous donation buys the food, clothing, shelter, education, and loving care for 50 child-headed households, for one year.)

We’re only halfway through the summer-where will KCA be seen next? Host your own fundraiser for KCA in your city this summer, and share your ideas with us. We are constantly impressed and inspired by the beautiful outpouring of passion from each of our supporters! Click here to learn more about hosting a fundraiser for KCA.

AIDS Activists at Grand Saline High School!

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:57:27 -0400

KCA would like to extend an immense thank you to the students of Ms. Crone’s 1st period World Geography class at Grand Saline High School of Grand Saline, Texas! After learning about the devastating AIDS pandemic in their class, the students became determined to make a positive impact in the lives of those who suffer from this terrible disease, knowing very well that these were people they would probably never meet across the world.

In a matter of weeks, Ms. Crone’s class had elected leaders, held meetings, brainstormed and implemented ways to raise money for Keep a Child Alive including awareness posters, a bake sale, and sale of self designed t-shirts. $378 was raised by this young group of selfless and passionate AIDS activists! Keep a Child Alive is incredibly grateful for your support of our work saving lives in Africa and India!

Want to get involved in KCA Community? Explore our website for ways to fundraise in your own community, or start a KCA Chapter if you want to continually help us! Contact dianna@keepachildalive.org for more information.

Alicia Keys: In Women's Words at the UN

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:41:00 -0400

Watch Alicia’s Speech at 1:18:00

Watch the video on the UN Women site here: http://www.unwomen.org/calendar-of-events/?event_id=17#webcast

The women of the world know what to do. And they do it. They would do more if they had equal rights and weren’t discriminated against. That is what we need to fix more than anything in our world. With my organization, Keep a Child Alive, we put the trust directly in the people on the ground, who are extremely capable to run these programs but lack the funding, medicines and health care professionals. If we show to the next generation of men and women affected by the AIDS pandemic that we care by providing the necessary resources of universal treatment that doesn’t end, doctors & nurses, food programs, micro-loan opportunities - this will empower them to live their dreams. And stop the pandemic in its tracks.

We believe that, with AIDS treatment, anything is possible. We watch people become reborn with treatment. And I’ve seen it myself! At our clinic in Uganda, ALIVE Medical Services, a father came in one day, his name is Bashir, unable to walk and on his death bed. He had 7 children at home. Within one month of ARV therapy and food parcels from our ALIVE clinic - Bashir looked like a new man and over the past year, his health has restored to a level where he is actually a father again. With the help of a small loan from us, he opened a boda-boda spare parts shop not far from the main road to Jinja. With funds from the shop, he is now able to send all 7 of his school-aged children to school. That is empowerment. He can care for his family and contribute to his community because he is healthy. Without effective treatment his 7 girl children would have lost their father and their outcome would have been painful at best.

Even in Rwanda, at our Centreville clinic in Kigali - women receive AIDS treatment and surrounding care but they have started the Ineza Cooperative as a source of personal empowerment and economic development. Through education programs in design, sewing, management, computer skills and marketing, these patients learn valuable skills to help support themselves. In addition, English classes are taught to enable the women to better communicate with customers and tourists that come to Ineza to purchase goods. Every product that the Ineza women create is one-of-a-kind, and represents the strength and renewal of female survivors of the 1994 genocide. That is empowerment. They find renewed courage and support to heal their once fragmented lives.

I also think we should empower the care-takers themselves to continue the incredible life-changing work they have fearlessly decided to devote their lives to. My dear Mum Carol Dyanti, who founded and runs Ikageng Itireleng in Johannesburg holds a dear place in my heart. She is a mother to over 1500 children living in child-headed households and provides the basic needs such as food, clothing, transportation, water, electricity, school fees, healthcare and transport. KCA empowers Mum Carol with funding to be able to provide these needs to relieve some of the pressure and despair faced by these young children, who are forced to take on adult roles. This is empowerment, enabling Mum Carol to continue her work to help raise these children all affected by AIDS.

Empowering women and men affected by the AIDS pandemic will come from OUR investment in them. We need to provide the treatment for life, we need to provide it to everyone, and give them opportunity. We need to believe in them and not give up.

In my capacity as Co Founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child Alive I call on all Heads of State, Governments and Leaders in the Global North and the Global South to decide:

Will we end AIDS? Will we end the immense pain and suffering that has been wrought upon millions of people in Africa and beyond by saving millions of lives or not? This discussion has been going on for years but now we have very real evidence that we can stop the disease. If we decide yes we can, we must do everything in our power to keep our promises with a very bold plan for universal access. We must commit to $22 billion by 2015 to prevent 12 million infections and save 7 million beautiful lives. 15 million on AIDS treatment by 2015!!! We CAN create the future!!!!

Now that we know that treatment can stop the disease in its tracks we would be literally getting away with murder if we don’t. So I call on the powers that be to:

Treat to prevent the spread of HIV toward an AIDS free generation.
Treat to prevent millions more children being orphaned.
Treat to prevent women and girls from having HIV+ babies.
And finally treat to prevent children dying of AIDS. This must be our moral imperative.

I note that in the global plan being proposed here today that there are no real bold plans to treat and care for children already infected. Treat children or we will be faced with many problems from kids who were not nurtured and not loved as they grow. Only 18% of children in need are getting treatment. As Graca Michel says “Every Child Counts”. Even if we decide after this UN meeting that we are going for VICTORY, we will still have to care for 16 million plus AIDS orphans. And that must be our focus too.

I call for us to empower people on the ground to win the battle. Empower people on the ground to win. That is the whole ethos at KCA.

I call for us to put women in charge of the issues that affect them. We are agents of change to a more compassionate world.

I call for us to educate men that women’s bodies belong to them. Rape is not allowed, not even if you are married to your rapist.

I call for full gender equality.

I call for a new world that respects the rights of all people including sex workers.

I call for the end of Homophobia. For Gods sake, get over it. People are gay. I call for their human rights.

I call for an end to ideals that put profits and patents ahead of people.

I call for a plan to ensure that condoms are available everywhere. Male and female. I call for every effort possible to ensure microbicides are rolled out to protect women.

I call for an end to TB. By rolling out ARVs and screening for TB we can cut TB infections in half.

I call for progressive language in the final declaration that comes out of the High Level meeting that caters to the world as it is today not medieval concepts we are far beyond. As advances in Science and Technology soar in our world so must advances in Human Rights.

We are all a mothers child. Treat her with respect.

I know we can send men to the moon so I know we can do this. I know we can bail out Wall St in a week so I know we can do this. I know we can stop this disease in its tracks. WE CAN CREATE THE FUTURE!!!

Thank you.

Welcome Nichole Rhodes to our Board of Directors.

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:40:55 -0400

As Founder and Manager of The Rhodes Global Group, Nichole has created a dynamic international consultancy focused on understanding, building and promoting competitive identities for nations, multinational companies and NGO’s. Her consulting firm works closely with its clientele to develop strategic business alliances and partnerships, develop and implement strategies for revenue growth and create new business opportunities and competitive identities.

In February 2011, the Rhodes Group was retained by BYD Co. Ltd, in Shenzhen China to lead global business development initiatives in the United States and India.

In December of 2010, Nichole was named the International Spokesperson for Bali Green. Leading the Indonesian Government’s initiative at the UNEP in Bangkok, Thailand, she successfully unified and initiated efforts to make Bali the first green province in Indonesia. Subsequently, her efforts for Bali Green have included leading strategy for the Norway-Indonesia REDD partnership and facilitating a public private partnership agreement with multinational BYD Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China.

In early 2010, Nichole was contacted by President Shimon Peres to serve as advisory on the Israel - South Korea science and technology driven futures for meetings with President Lee in Seoul, June 2010.

Nichole was recognized at the World Economic Forum as a supporter and ambassador of South African Spirit and Investment by the International Marketing Council of South Africa.

Prior to forming Rhodes Global Group, Nichole was recruited to the position of Vice President of International Marketing & New Business Development for Global Leadership Team. There, she was charged with managing international marketing, strategic communications and business development—as well as key engagements—and generated more than $4 million in new revenue in less than 2 years.

In 2006, Nichole was retained by General Motors as a Consultant specializing in International Marketing. In that role, she developed marketing and communications strategies globally for GM Advanced/Green Technologies partnerships with the Pentagon, the Army, the Marines, the EPA, the Department of Agriculture and the US Senate. Another of her roles was to create and brand broadcast marketing for Tiger Woods and Buick, including scripts and productions for broadcast in the United States and internationally.

Early in her career, Nichole was a Television News Producer and Journalist with the NBC affiliate in Detroit, where she worked as the Senior Political Producer to former White House Correspondent Emery King. She also oversaw market promotions of shows including “The Apprentice” and “Friends.”

In 2012, Nichole will graduate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts with a Global Master of Arts degree, International Law & Diplomacy.

Remembering Nkosi Johnson

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:12:47 -0400

June 1, 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Nkosi Johnson, a young activist and hero in the AIDS movement.

Born HIV positive, Nkosi first made international headlines when he was 8 years old and his foster mother, Gail Johnson, tried to enroll him at a local school. With no policies in place around the admission of HIV+ children into schools at that time, a battle ensued that brought attention to the huge gaps in services and protections for children living with HIV. Because of Nkosi, a government policy was enacted two years later, giving all HIV-infected children the right to education in South Africa.

Invited to speak at schools about his status and the policy, Nkosi took a very active role in fighting for acceptance and non-discrimination with his unbending stance on ARV medication for HIV+ pregnant women. He never wanted another child to end up infected and could not understand why, when there was treatment available, there was a delay in getting the medicine to the people in dire need. The question of expense was way beyond his comprehension.

In 1997, Nkosi’s birth mother died of AIDS. Devastated by the fact that his “mommy never said goodbye,” Nkosi asked the question, “Does everyone who has AIDS die?” Nkosi wanted to prevent other children from suffering the pain he had endured. He wanted to create a place where mothers with HIV/AIDS and their children could live and be cared for without discrimination or prejudice. In April 1999, the first Nkosi’s Haven opened its doors.

Two years later, Nkosi died. He never had the chance to see the 95 children at Nkosi’s Haven go to school, or the 35 mothers with HIV all living with their children at Nkosi’s Haven today.

Nkosi Johnson will always be remembered as the boy who gave a face to AIDS in Africa, and who stole our hearts when he spoke at the 13th International AIDS Conference in July 2000. With all eyes on him, he challenged the then government to roll out ARVs to pregnant women to prevent the virus being passed onto their unborn children, and he asked for acceptance of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Keep a Child Alive is honored to support the women and children of Nkosi’s Haven today, Founder and mother Gail Johnson, and the indomitable spirit of Nkosi Johnson, whose dream lives on through the lives they save. Help KCA continue to support Nkosi’s Haven work. Click below to donate now and choose Nkosi’s Haven.

Day 31 - Faith Renewed

Tue, 31 May 2011 01:29:03 -0400

The 17 years since the genocide in Rwanda have been a time of intense rebuilding for the country and its people. Improvements in the health, education and economic sectors have enhanced the quality of life for many in Rwanda, whose capital city of Kigali bustles with activity. But despite progress, the legacy of those 100 days continues to cast a shadow on the survivors, many of who still suffer trauma and pain from injuries suffered during the genocide. Among those who survived the most extreme brutality are the women of Rwanda, who lived to see their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons killed before their eyes. They survived unimaginable acts of violence to learn only later that their rapists had infected them with HIV. There were those, too, who became pregnant through rape and were left to raise the children of their rapists, many children born with HIV.

At the KCA-funded Centreville Clinic in Kigali, women receive AIDS treatment and surrounding care, including psycho-social support services to help them better cope with life. And through the Ineza Women’s Cooperative, the women in the clinic’s care find the renewed courage and support they need to heal their once fragmented lives.

In 2005, Ineza was started by a group of patients as a source of personal empowerment and economic development. Through education programs in design, sewing, management, computer skills and marketing, these patients learn valuable skills to help support themselves. In addition, English classes are taught to enable the women to better communicate with customers and tourists that come to Ineza to purchase goods. Ineza also organizes in-house healing workshops and train the women as peer counselors. Every product that the Ineza women create is one-of-a-kind, and represents the strength and renewal of female survivors of the 1994 genocide.

One such survivor is Faith, who joined Ineza with no sewing skills. At age 49, she is now well-versed in sewing, and is proud that this skill makes it possible for her to provide for the nine children in her care. Faith has become so skilled that she now also designs and sews clothing for herself and her children at home!

According to Faith, Ineza not only provides a source of much-needed economic independence, but the communal support system that fosters emotional healing. The strength and determination of Faith and all the women of the Ineza Women’s Cooperative in the face of overwhelming loss and tragedy demonstrate fully the beauty and triumph of the human spirit. Today, Faith feels empowered, independent and confident to once again be a leader in the community. At her church, she sings in the choir and is a part-time preacher!

With 25 patient members now, the Ineza Women’s Cooperative seeks to grow its manufacturing capacity, product diversity and staff numbers. Keep a Child Alive is dedicated to helping our patients at the Centreville Clinic attain self-sufficiency and the ability to care for their families that they all desire.

This is why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

See all of our Daily Inspirations.

Day 30 - Sifiso: A Father with a Future

Mon, 30 May 2011 03:09:53 -0400

The statistics associated with HIV in the world today are unbelievable – 33 million people infected with the virus, 30 million people dead and 16 million orphaned. But when you meet just one of those 33 million infected, you are changed because it’s no longer a statistic but a person and their life. KCA’s Louise O’Shea shares her daily inspiration with us:

I first heard Sifiso’s story when I was in South Africa in January 2010 with our KCA College PSA winners on a home-based care visit to some patients from the Blue Roof. I have been fortunate enough to spend some time at our Blue Roof Wellness Center and every minute there I absolutely cherish the work we do as I have the opportunity to meet the people whose lives are changed. Home-based care visits are particularly valuable as care takers reach patients who are too ill to travel to the clinic and ensure they receive the treatment and care they need to survive – and the patients I’ve visited love to see a familiar face and have a hug.

Sifiso Xulu first came to the Blue Roof with a CD4 count of 15.8, violently ill and had no hope of living. To give you an idea, a normal CD4 count can be anywhere from 500-1500. Immediately starting on ARV treatment, his CD4 count began to rise and this father was coming back to life for his children. After his positive diagnosis of HIV, the mother of Sifiso’s children left him with 3 children under the age of 6. Unfortunately, as HIV weakens your immune system, it opens opportunities for other infections to attack your body until you’re back to full health and in 2008, Sifiso was diagnosed with spinal TB and was hospitalized for a long time and confined to a wheelchair.

When I traveled with Thulani, the Blue Roof’s driver, he said he wanted to introduce me to a friend at the end of our home-based care visits. He told me this story and said to me ‘’Mama, he is not in very good shape and isn’t walking yet but you’ll love his children and I want you to meet him.’’ So we parked the van outside of the house and as we closed the doors, this beautiful face emerged from the home walking on crutches with his 3 children running around him. Thulani covered his mouth and was speechless.

I went back to see Sifiso in February 2011 and once again, he came out of his home waving. I cannot explain the joy that moment gave me - to see someone coming back to life and able to be a father again. He welcomed me inside and told me his CD4 count is at 461! He was so proud. With 3 young children at home, Sifiso knew his time was not up and says that he owes his life to his family, especially his mother and the Blue Roof workers who have supported him over the years with help and love. He is now able to travel to the Blue Roof for his medication and check-ups and is waiting for an operation so that he can fully walk again without crutches. Sifiso Xulu’s life has been changed from the Blue Roof Wellness Center with the love, treatment and support the staff offers.

Sifiso is another reason why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

See all of our Daily Inspirations.

Day 29 - Lisimba: No Love at Home, No Place to Go

Sun, 29 May 2011 00:08:00 -0400

The staff at our Family Care Clinic (FCC) in Mombasa, Kenya, first met Lisimba* in June 2006 when she was just 14 years old. Her mother was HIV-positive, so they agreed that Lisimba should be tested as well. When Lisimba’s test results confirmed she was positive for HIV, she went through intensive counseling and then started on ARVs.

Lisimba responded positively to the HIV treatment and the accompanying counseling she received at FCC, but her home life was growing increasingly more unbearable. She had been born to a single mother who later married and gave birth to three more children — all HIV-free thanks to PMTCT interventions. Lisimba was treated badly by her family because she had HIV. Her stepfather, in particular, used any small mistake she made at home as an opportunity to throw her HIV status in her face, condemn her actions and cause her grief. Lisimba became seriously depressed as the situation at home continued to degenerate.

Lisimba had been an active participant in FCC treatment and counseling programs for four years, including our adolescent post-test club, so it was a surprise to everyone at the clinic when she stopped coming to in June 2010. When the staff asked her family why Lisimba was no longer attending the program at the clinic, they were told that she had disappeared — without a trace.

More than six months passed without any word from Lisimba and then, on January 31, 2011, she appeared at the clinic with her mother. We learned from her that things had become terrible at home that she couldn’t bear it any longer. She fled to Tanzania in search of her father, whom she had hoped would somehow offer her a better life than the one she was leaving behind. In Tanzania, Lisimba quickly ran out of money. With no place to stay and nobody to turn to for help, Lisimba was at the mercy of the streets. Naïve in the extreme, she was quickly and routinely taken advantage of by men and soon became pregnant. Lisimba knew that she could not survive with a baby living as she was and determined she had no choice but to return home to Mombasa. The clinic was thrilled to see Lisimba, despite her poor condition, and immediately counseled her on the options available to her. She restarted her ARVs and enrolled in our PMTCT program.

Today, Lisimba is 5 months into her pregnancy. Although she is under the care of FCC, she still has little other support, which is so frequently the case for young people living with HIV/AIDS. With no job and having abandoned education, her future is unclear. Life, already a significant challenge for Lisimba in the years we have known her, will be even more difficult once the baby comes. The Family Care Clinic will be there to support their care, hoping with all our hearts that her child be born free from HIV.

Lisimba is why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

*Name changed to protect anonymity

See all of our Daily Inspirations.

Day 28 - ARVs + Food = Life

Sat, 28 May 2011 02:39:48 -0400

Meet Kwagala at Alive Medical Services, who’s name fittingly means “love.” As one of 30 dedicated staff members at the 24-hour clinic in Uganda, she takes loving care of the clinic and heads the group of women who pack the food for Nutrition Day every month. The Nutrition program at Alive provides monthly food parcels to more than 1,000 of the clinic’s poorest patients, whose families would otherwise go hungry.

Situated in one of the poorest urban areas in Uganda, Alive Medical Services is witness to the extreme poverty that many of its patients live in, where people go days - even weeks - without food and basic nutrition, and whose well-being hinges on often unreliable work for little income. One of the most essential, yet often overlooked components of successful HIV/AIDS treatment that Alive Medical Services provides is nutritional support. AIDS treatment cannot succeed in the absence of proper nutrition, and a majority of the clinic’s patients need nutritional support to feed themselves and their families.

The clinic hosts two “Nutrition Days” every month to distribute all the food parcels to AMS patients. “Nutrition Days” are serious business at Alive Medical Services, where we know ARVs + Food = Life.

This is why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

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Day 27 - Santosh: Getting Stronger Every Day

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:06:37 -0400

Just under a year ago, three-year-old Santosh came to the Living India Home of Hope in Chandrakal. He was frail, under-nourished and severely under-weight. His physical and emotional health was poor, with a low T-cell count and a pure disinterest in engaging with the other children in the home. He would walk around with his head held down, shuffling his feet. Santosh is like many HIV+ children in India, exposed to such extreme neglect and trauma, that they do not know how to emotionally connect with others.

With each new day at the Home of Hope, he became stronger and more alert, and over time he began to take longer strides, and hold his head up when walking across his new Home. He has learned that he is a part of a new family, one that loves and cares for him. He sits on the sidelines while the other boys play soccer waiting patiently until one of the older boys reaches out and welcomes him into the game. He is still grappling with the “no hands” concept, but the others encourage him to play just the same. he loves to play with one of the older children, Raj Kumar, who sits with him at every meal and takes his hand whenever all the children go out to play. And when the children travel to Hyderabad every month to visit the doctor and receive their ARVs, Santosh is a permanent fixture next to his new brother Banu on the bus trek to the city.

Keep a Child Alive is proud to support the work of the Living India Home of Hope, whose passionate and committed caretakers have helped transform Santosh’s fragility completely into vitality. His health has stabilized and he is attending school and learning how to read and write in his native language, Telugu.

Santosh and the 59 other children in Living India’s care are why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

See all of our Daily Inspirations.

Day 26 - Sandile: The First of Thousands

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:01:15 -0400

Sandile has been a part of Ikageng Itireleng AIDS Ministry since the beginning. Founded by Mum Carol Dyantyi in 2002, Ikageng today provides the basic necessities for more than 1500 children living in child-headed households in Soweto, South Africa - including food, clothing, water, electricity, school fees, healthcare and transport.

When Sandile was only 14 years old, he lost both his parents to HIV/AIDS. In the last year of his mother’s life, she only received a monthly disability grant, and it was a battle for his family to survive. With only $75 a month - this was not enough for food, water and lights, and Sandile and his two siblings could not afford to attend school. Mum Carol heard about Sandile and his siblings through a family friend and came to the rescue. Sandile’s mom passed away a week after they had met Mum Carol. Mum Carol helped arrange for a proper burial and for Sandile and his siblings to return to school.

Sandile’s story was covered by media around the country. Many people in South Africa still do not understand HIV/AIDS, and this led to Sandile feeling judged by his peers and neighbors. People could not differentiate between infected and affected - they thought that Sandile and his siblings where infected with HIV too. This cut deep. Friends and people distanced themselves. With the support of Keep a Child Alive and Ikageng, Sandile worked hard to complete high school. He then proceeded on to College to complete a Diploma in Information Technology, and he was offered an internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He started to study for a BSC Informatics degree in university, which he is still working towards completing.

Sandile has the uncanny ability to change lives. He has already made an invaluable impact in the lives of his peers, and will continue to do so. His passion for music and dance brought him to be the manager of the locally-acclaimed dance crew “Soweto’s Finest.” He helped them to perform at the opening and closing ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup – and earn the title of “Best Dance Crew in Africa”. He is a sensational soccer player, that he dreamed of taking on professionally, but now at age 26 has decided to focus his talents elsewhere. He is currently the Director of RockBoiz Entertainment - an event management, marketing and artist management company. His fearless ambition drives him to do more, and he believes that one day he will be successful one day and able to give back to the organizations that helped to raise him: Ikageng and Keep a Child Alive.

Sandile says, “I would like to thank the world for every cent or dollar that they have donated. This has helped me and thousands of other children. I appreciate your humanity. May God Bless you. Last but not least, a big thank you to Ikageng and Keep a Child Alive. I love you guys.”

Sandile and all the children running child-headed households in South Africa are why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

See all of our Daily Inspirations.

Day 25 - Pasha: Finding Unconditional Love

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

When Pasha was only four years old, his father, an abusive alcoholic, died of AIDS. After his death, Pasha and his mother were living with his uncle when she tested positive for HIV. When her status was revealed to the family, Pasha’s mother was confined to a single room in the neighborhood in an attempt to keep her illness “contained.” It was during this time that Pasha also fell ill and tested positive for HIV.

Family members reacted by throwing their belongings on the street, refusing to feed them and abandoning a penniless widow and her son in hopes that they would die and leave them in peace. In June of last year, Pasha’s mother passed away from AIDS.

Village leaders decided that it was Pasha’s uncle’s responsibility to care for the newly orphaned HIV+ child. But Pasha’s uncle was unwilling to take him on, and so Pasha came to the Sahara Aalhad Care Home. The underserved HIV+ population in Pune, India relies on Sahara for medicine, surrounding care, HIV/AIDS education, advocacy and support. Keep a Child Alive supports Sahara’s efforts to assist HIV-infected people who have little to no access to treatment and nowhere to turn in the face of poverty, stigma and discrimination.

Upon arrival to Sahara, Pasha was immediately admitted to the Care Home. Pasha’s health had deteriorated, and the doctors at Sahara initiated him on anti-retroviral treatment right away. To everyone’s amazement, his condition improved rapidly.

Not only has his health improved, little Pasha is renewed with a love for life. He has made friends at the home and is being treated for the trauma that he experienced through art therapy and regular visits with a psychologist. Today, life is full of fun and excitement for Pasha - he plays cricket with the other boys in the evening and is eager to begin school this summer. For the first time, Pasha is experiencing the unconditional love of a family, without fear of future abandonment.

Pasha is one of the many reasons why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

See all of our Daily Inspirations.