many of their decency and source of livelihood.
Living conditions are deplorable. Aids orphans
roll on dusty floors with nothing but old polythene bags to lie on. Most
of them are out of school. The efforts of female orphans to survive are
rewarded by sexual harassment.
The cost of the new Aids therapies is so high that there is no hope for
poor people with HIV to improve their health and their well being.
We appeal to the international community for drugs for all poor Kenyans
living with HIV. Our target is to reduce death rates by 30 per cent by
the year 2008. We also need support for 100 orphans to continue with education.
£30 is enough for primary school for one year, £200 is enough
for high school. Help where you can.
Hillary Maloba, United Science of Africa, P.O.
Box 562, Mumias, Kenya. maloba@syam.africaonline.co.uk
Africans: get tested now!
I have found PN very informative and have tried as much as possible to
share that knowledge that I have obtained from it with others.
I notice with sadness that a lot of people in my country are sick in various
ways, but are not bold enough to take the HIV test. Meanwhile, their immune
systems are being eroded as they suffer painfully.
The test costs 1,000 Zambian kwacha. That may sound a lot but is actually
14p in UK money! Anyone can afford this. It is both confidential and of
the highest quality, yet because of the taboo associated with HIV/Aids,
many people are not courageous enough to make the decision. The situation
is really pathetic.
Our former first president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, has been at the forefront
of the drive to sensitise people, but I see that we have a long way to
go before the people wake up to the grim reality.
page 2 of 3
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I thank you for your publication and I will continue to
share the knowledge with the willing.
Jeremy A. Ngoma, P.O. Box 350088, Chilanga, Zambia
