motivation to do more

Hi Everyone,

Good Saturday morning!

I am heading back to my site for a week, then I will head down to Conakry to go to Freetown for a few days, Inch' Allah. Still no definite word on whether there is a strike or when, how should I plan according, but no frustrations or problems of mine compare to that of my guinean friend. An intelligent young woman who has a lot of potentials that I met last year. I haven’t had many interactions with her, but I felt certain connection with her with the few talks that I had with her. I am glad she trusted me enough to tell me that she has known that she is HIV positive for a few years. I would not have suspected at all, given how positive she is, how hopeful she is about the whole thing, and how she always carried on so optimistically. It really hits me hard to learn about it. I know it’s not the end of the world for her, but we know there is a certain time limit. She is really good about taking her medicine on time and taking care of her health is her number one priority. I am just simply amazed by her positive attitude giving how HIV/AIDS is viewed here, how limited information people have on it, how basic the health care system, how difficult life already is, how expensive to eat well in order to stay healthy. It is so much harder for a person who is HIV positive living in the third world country than in the U.S. The difficulties of staying physically healthy and psychologically healthy so they won’t die eventually from diseases like malaria, tuberculosis because their immune system is slowly destroyed by HIV. She is also formed an NGO with other guineans who are HIV positive, to do sensiblisation on HIV/AIDS, willing to put themselves out there to tell people that HIV/AIDS exist, how to prevent from being infected, people who are infected can still live a long life if they take care of themselves, etc. Lots of courage, vraiment! So, I am going to continue to give her emotional support, but not pity, and will look for ways to collaborate with her and her NGO, to help get the message across. I feel guilty for not doing enough during the past year on talking to people about HIV/AIDS, partially due to lack of time, but hoping to work on that as well in the last 6 months that’s left for me (6 months, if I can’t do a third year in my village).

Well, until next time, folks.

Bonnie