Sad Story: My Parents Never Told Me I Was Born With HIV And This Ruined My Life

Hello KenyaWest,

I like what Kenyainsights.com is doing and with the same spirit, I’ll like to share my story with your audience.

I’m writing to you not because I want sympathy neither do I intent to get or seek refuge nor help.

I kindly request you to keep my name and personal details anonymous due to a position I am in at the moment…

I was born in Mathare area 4 and grew up in the slums without going to schools.

I can count the days we used to eat in the house as far as I can remember we were starving almost everyday.

I thank God for what He has done for me because I can at least feed my self.

Fast forward to why I’m writing to you, my parents were killed in 2007 violence leaving my 7 years old me alone.

I have lived hating politicians any anyone who thinks politics is a good thing.

I have lived questioning pictures of my parents why the left me because of someone who had never given us food.

When my parents died, our landlady who was barren, as it was being said, requested to take me as her kid.

I’ve been living with her since then, she’s the reason why I can write and speak kisungu kidogo ata kama sio msuri.

Early last year, an NGO wanted to take me with them which meant I had to take a HIV test.

Troubles I have faced in life has taught me a lot so I had protected my self from irrelevant behaviors.

Going to the VCT, I knew I had never indulged in a sexual activity so I was supper confident and sure of my status.

Counseling was good and I wasn’t even bothered to think carefully when they asked “Utafanya nini ukipata uko nayo?”

We did the tests and guess what, I was HIV positive. I’ve never had sex! That’s what was only coming out of my mouth.

The results broke my heart more thinking that my parents left me to be sick alone and just like that I couldn’t join what I had been intending to.

I was taken to Post Test Counseling and further test were done to prove my virginity and second HIV Tests.

Health workers talked to my godmother and she took them to a room my parents remaining things were and they found HIV drugs and clinic documents.

My parents infected me with HIV and left me because of a stupid politician..

I have lived hating them too since I learned that they knew I was sick and didn’t bother to tell me or even take care of my medication.

I burnt all of their belongings and swore never to forgive them till I talked to the health worker who was given my case.

It took me a whole year to bring back my scattered brains and I’m writing to you my story because the health worker told me that my parents were protecting me from the stigma I could have faced.

She told me “hakuna mtu angekubali mtoto ako na UKIMWI acheze na watoto wake, ata vile wazazi walimadwa, huyu mama hangekuchukua, shukuru mungu na wazazi wako, walikusaidia ata kama hakukupeleka hosi vile inafaa”

Its not easy but I’ve learned to accept my condition and as a process to heal, I have started sharing my life story.

I know there are a lot of kids especially from ghettos who are living with HIV and don’t even know they have.