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by Bernard Maracha
Edited by Patricia Bunyasi
July 2003
Popularly known as "the Computer place," WiRED International's Community Health Information Center (CHIC) in Butula is proving to be the best strategy for fighting AIDS. Confirming the popular notion that "information is power," the story of 11-year-old Joseph is a testimony to WiRED's work in this part of the world.
One of my duties as a Client Support Volunteer in a WiRED Community Health Information Center is to speak with people and inform them about the services offered at the Center. I work in Kiambu, a small town about 40 kms from Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
My desire to provide health information to people that have faced neglect and hardships in their lives led me to work with street children. Upon receiving clearance from the Government Children's Officer, I quickly went to "mucii wa thayu"—the "home of peace" as it is called—and extended an invitation to the children in the rehabilitation home.
A group of 20 children came to the CHIC the following day. They could not contain their excitement of seeing, let alone touching, a computer. Their fascination both amused and encouraged me. This was a treat for them, as computers were devices they had only seen through shop windows. They listened eagerly as I explained the various components of the computer and their uses. Soon they calmed down and got down to serious information seeking. First they had a lesson from the interactive CD ROM "Hugo," which is about human growth and development. By the end of the session, they had learned the basic facts of HIV/AIDS.
Like all children they had a lot of questions to ask about the transmission of HIV. We took the time to address the myths that they had learned in the streets. Among the group was a young girl about 15 years old named Grace. When I started talking about the methods of HIV transmission, she suddenly became quiet. She seemed troubled and after a while she began to cry silently. I left the rest of the group with another volunteer and took Grace for a walk.
I let her cry and when she calmed down, I asked her what the problem was. Then, she confided in me. Her parents had died of AIDS and she feared that she too might be HIV positive because she used to share earrings, razor blades, needles and toothbrushes with her mother. "I wish someone would have told me all that I have learned today, earlier," she lamented, "now, I am going to die of AIDS." She blamed her parents. I spoke with her for almost an hour comforting her and explaining that she could not prove that she was HIV positive unless she went for a test. Grace and some of her friends agreed to go for a test. The rehabilitation home director promised to look for an appropriate day to take them for it.
From this experience I have made it my obligation to speak to parents who come to the center about their children. I encourage them to speak freely with their children, regarding the facts about sex and sexuality. I urge them to break the communication barrier and dispel shame in order to save the lives of the children from the scourge of HIV/AIDS.
For me, being a WiRED Volunteer is not just a matter of disseminating health information but ensuring that the information is helpful to those that access it. I have found that I am not just an assistant to the clients. I am also a friend, a confidant, a shoulder to cry on, a teacher, a sounding board—practically everything! I love my work and the more people I see accessing health information, the more fulfilled I feel.
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