Positive Living

In 1986 John Aremo of Nakuru, Kenya was diagnosed as HIV positive. For the next 17 years he defied logic (and statistics), living in relatively good health with the virus, even while his first wife and many friends passed away. This continued until one day in 2002 when it struck him that if he "hadn't died after 16 years, God must have something he wants to do with me." This spiritual revelation led him to seek the assistance of others, and in 2003 he began attending the Love and Hope Center, a Catholic support center here in Nakuru. It was there that he first learned the value of "positive living" - a clever slogan that emphasizes the value of a proactive approach to living with HIV, while also alluding to the patients' HIV+ status. Another subtle implication is that there is still living to be done when you are HIV positive. As John says, "there is still life after infection."

It was also at the Love and Hope Center where John first learned how to use a safety pin and 40 cents worth of beads to make little emblems with the red AIDS ribbon. An HIV support group from a neighboring town came to teach the craft to the members of the Nakuru chapter, and John was the only one who picked up on it. He saw the value of these pins as tool to promote awareness and reduce stigma, and also as a potentially profitable venture. Because he was not on ARVs (Antiretroviral drugs - the most affordable effective AIDS treatment), his weight had dropped to 49 kg (not quite 125 pound), and he was starting to show signs of his ailment. Stigmatization was also becoming a major problem for him, and he was no longer able to find employment. When his second wife also passed away from the disease, the beads provided a limited but effective means of providing for himself and his daughter. They also gave him hope. "When I am working with the beads I forget that I am sick." For a man who believes that staying busy has kept him alive for the past 21 years, hope is a major part of his remarkable success.

Finally, in 2004 he was afforded an opportunity to begin taking ARVs. His health began to turn around. It was in the same year that was invited to Nairobi to be part of an "Ambassadors of Hope" program. Thirty AIDS patients from around Kenya spent three weeks being trained on a wide variety of issues related to HIV. They received basic information about how to improve the quality of their own lives through diet and exercise. They learned about preventing the spread of the disease, and about fighting stigma. Perhaps most importantly, they were trained in how to impart this same information to others, counselling both HIV+ individuals and providing educational outreaches to those living without the disease. He was also trained on how to officially go public with his status, telling friends, family, and ultimately entire communities about his illness. In a country where many millions of people have died from HIV simply because they refused to admit their illness and receive treatment, this was an enormous challenge. But John persevered, and today his photograph can be found on posters all around Nakuru, encouraging others to find out their status and to continue to believe in the importance of life, with or without HIV.

With John's help the Society of Women and AIDS in Kenya (SWAK - an affiliate of the continent-wide SWAAfrica program) have trained 30 more ambassadors of hope in Nakuru alone. These individuals take information about their illness to the public, bringing hope to the afflicted and encouraging all to get tested. They are standing up against stigma and discrimination, each in their own way.

For John, this has included making his Red Ribbon pins, and spreading that skill to other HIV+ individuals free of charge. He has trained numerous patients and support groups, including one of the ones run by my host mother at the Nuru Ya Jamii (Light of the Community) Center in the Nakuru Red Cross compound. It is these pins (along with several of John's own) that will soon be available for sale in West Kingston.

Meeting John today has once again redefined my concept of eye-opening experiences. He also inspired me to do a little more research into The Love and Hope Center, Nuru Ya Jamii, Ambassadors of Hope, SWAK, and Positive Living. You can expect more information about all of these programs soon.

Yours,
Chris