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‘I realised that God is loving and caring’
“People forget that many people who test positive immediately lose hope,” she says. “It is like a death sentence for them. Devastated“I went through that after I tested positive in 1994. My husband, a truck driver, must have infected me. He died a couple of years ago. I was doing some work with people who were HIV-positive when the people in charge asked me one day if I had ever been tested. I said that I hadn’t and they then asked me to get tested because they wanted to be sure I was healthy. The test came back and I was positive. I was devastated. I was asked to leave my work, but I did not want to. I insisted that I could still be of service and they allowed me to continue. “The big problem people face in Burundi is that they are stigmatised when they disclose their status. I experienced it at first hand when I started to talk openly about my status. I was kicked out of my house by my in-laws and my own family rejected me. They said I brought shame to our family. It is really tough to be chased away and rejected by your own blood. Difficult message “When I had read all the Scripture verses and completed the book, I realised that God is loving and caring. He does not forsake you. He is always present, even if you are infected. I wanted to share this message with everybody. Pray for them“I could not get enough books, so I started to photocopy them and distribute them to the people I met. I even went to the mayor’s office to ask him if he would contribute to the effort and also to convince him that this book gives hope. I needed money to photocopy as many copies as possible. “I go round visiting families infected and affected by the illness. After counselling them and teaching them how to behave, I pray for them and leave the booklets behind. The pastors are now using the books in their preaching, too. “I like using the Where is the Good Samaritan Today? and the Living in Hope booklets. They combine Scripture and the facts well and are easy to use. If these were available on audio cassette it would help non-literate people a lot.” She is excited to hear from Marjorie Niyungeko, Executive Secretary of the Bible Society in Burundi, that the audio version of Living in Hope will be available soon (see World Report 399/26). ‘That is really good news,” she exclaims. “I am a very happy and blessed person,” she continues. “My two daughters, aged 18 and 16, never rejected me. They live with me in a small house and we are happy. We don’t have a lot, I am only a volunteer at SWAA, but we survive with the little I get as gifts. I was also baptised last Sunday in the church close to my home. My faith has carried me this far and God has helped me. HIV is not a curse. God still loves us. It is because of this positive attitude that I have the strength to live every day. I only started taking anti-retroviral drugs last month. That shows how much God has provided for me.” This report refers to projects 73103 and 73112. (WR 403/6 - 07.06) [1 photo] |
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“I
became involved with SWAA and in August 2005 I received the Where
is the Good Samaritan Today? booklet in Kirundi. You cannot believe
how it changed my life. I started to read it and realised that God loves
me. Yes, we hear that all the time, but it is a difficult message to
believe if you are positive.