aids in uganda.

i wrote this for an assignment, but thought you might enjoy reading it!

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest estimate of children and adults living with HIV in the world, according to a UNAIDS report at the end of 2005. The number is a breath-taking 25.8 million human beings, of the 40.3 people infected worldwide. As early as 1982, Uganda had only two infected persons with the “slim disease,” which exploded to 25-30% of the population being infected by the late 1980’s. A combination of government and non-government forces have successfully worked together to tackle this sweeping epidemic, and have since lowered HIV/AIDS prevalence in Uganda to 6.4%. (Fountain, UCU) Jane is a ten year old girl who was orphaned by AIDS. Tests will show whether she too has been infected, but how will she deal with this death sentence?

Being in Sub-Saharan Africa myself I have had no intimate relationships with anyone directly affected by HIV/AIDS, or at least willing to disclose this painful information to me. My only interactions have been vicariously through other’s stories and through the field trip to a community center in Luwero, to play with children infected with the disease. I was surprised, and humbled, by the excitement these children had for life; and their consistent praise for having life that day and even specifically for their health. Consistently this semester we have stressed the importance of relationships and presence and bottom-up evangelism and aid. Interacting with the children on a personal level, playing games and being graciously handed pieces of chapatti from a boy only five years old, lends me to put into question my previous view of the epidemic.

Before coming to Uganda I knew little about HIV/AIDS. My formative argument for this subject thus came from my politics book review on William Easterly’s book, White Man’s Burden, where he addressed the problem of AIDS and aid. He argues that prevention is a better way to save lives than treatment because there is no cure for AIDS but there are definitive ways to prevent the disease from spreading. With his statistics and the information we learned this weekend, I feel like this is the best way to use our money for foreign aid pragmatically. But I can not see how to feasibly turn my eyes and heart away from the children who are already suffering and have been abandoned, or let the numerous who have been handed their death sentence fall into hopelessness.

The exposure I had to AIDS was very limited while being here, therefore I will not fabricate an empty statement about feeling called to help with HIV/AIDS. However, hearing other stories about friends living with families who had lost so many family members to the disease, and hearing stories like orphaned Jane, reminds me of the mere breath our lifespan on earth is. And that pushes me to live my life purposefully on purpose. To love as Christ loved us: sacrificially and without passing judgment. To live a life of ministry through relationships, and commitment to treating people as people created by the Creator. Inviting interruptions to invade my self-absorbed consciousness and live for others. And being fully present in whatever community God leads me to be a part of, whether diseased, lame, or rich.