I’m very fortunate to have a job in which, for most days, there are parts that make me feel really good about what we’re trying to do.
Yesterday I had the chance to visit with some of our clients on the Aldo project in Lira, Northern Uganda. One of these is Joyce. She used to work as a secretary until she fell ill with TB. Joyce is HIV positive; this and the TB combined made her very sick, she became bed-ridden and was no longer able to work. Joyce lives alone and is away from her family in the village as a result of seeking work in town.
Joyce told us how she received help from the Lira IMC team, in particular from Trixcy and Jasper who run our Aldo project. As she was unable to attend the clinic, they have been bringing the drugs to her and on their regular visits have made sure that she was able to take them. They have offered support and counselling. Her neighbours and church friends helped her with meals and personal hygiene. These acts of kindness have meant that Joyce has been able to regain her strength. She is now able to move around again, she has a good appetite and is almost finished her course of TB treatment.
Life for Joyce is still very, very tough. She struggles to earn some money by buying and selling eggs and is keen to find other forms of work that she can perform as she continues to recover. She doesn’t want hand-outs; she wants to be able to make her own way, with a little help and support. Joyce, for me, is a great example of why we are doing this. It doesn’t take a lot to make a significant difference in people’s lives. My role is to help facilitate and support that. People like Joyce can turn their lives around when they get a little support from family, friends and neighbours. Specialist help from those like Jasper, Trixcy and others at Lira IMC can then make a difference. Joyce is very thankful to all who have helped her, as she says without such love and kindness she wouldn’t be here today.
The Aldo Project is supported by Hands of Help in Australia and seeks to help those like Joyce who are living with HIV. The project works in the community, with the community, giving preventative education, counselling, testing and treatment.
