I have been thinking this morning about how to describe the work we do in the community. (I am trying to write a few articles introducing us and our work to new readers. The first in the series can be found here.) When it occurred to me to just tell you a story that happened a few days ago.
We had a function for one of our support groups. This group, which is about 30 or so people, are all H.I.V. positive, and trying to live positive lives despite having this virus. I arranged to have a lunch meeting with them in Rhonda Estate here in Nakuru.
I talked to them while we waited for lunch to be prepared, and hopefully we all had a good time. Afterwards Ben, a team member, asked me to go by and visit a bedridden woman nearby. So we stopped by her tiny one roomed mud house.
There she was. Laying on the floor. Not even a mattress. I was thinking she should be referred to as floor ridden instead of bed ridden, but of course I didn't say anything like that. Her name is Night. Night was laying on the hard, dirt, and cold floor.
She wasn't able to communicate well because she was sick, so we talked to her grandmother. Night gave birth three months ago, and got ill shortly after. She is H.I.V. positive and went to the hospital for treatment. A few days before we visited her the hospital sent her home to die.
First thing we did was buy a mattress and bed for her.
Ben then took her to a doctor for better treatment.
This is what we do in the community. We find those that have been abandoned, most often because of the stigma associated with H.I.V., and we give them hope. We love them no matter what. I am not sure what will happen with Night, but I am sure that the investment we are making in her is worthwhile.
To our Father in Heaven, she has unsurpassable worth. I have not even come close to investing too much.
I will have more information about this campaign to buy beds for the bed-less soon.
Johnny Brooks, working towards Lifting people off the floor.
