Dorothy had parents with HIV

Dorothy tells her story when she is 9 years old. She comes from Madera village in Soroti (Uganda).

My family left Madera in 2003 following athe civil war in Teso are, and we came to settle in Namatala slum of Mbale. With no direct form of income, my parents started doing casual labor. Unfortunately, my parents got infected with HIV, and they both died of AIDS in the same year. I was sent to live with my grandmother, while my sister lived with an aunt and my brother was given to our uncle.

Nursing the family

I was very traumatised because being the eldest/first girl in the family, i nursed my parents and watched them die. Living with my grandmother was not easy because she was aged and sickly. I once again took over responsibility of taking care of her. I started going to the streets and markets to pick left over food, especially potatoes and peas left at the market. I carefully selected these and took them home so we could eat with my grandmother. I could also work at the rice mill. I collected the rice and I was paid, and sold most of it so that we could have money to buy necessities.

CRO helped out

CRO found me on the streets in Mblae during a day survey of street children in 2005. I was interviewed and enrolled in the Rehabilitaion class. But at first i was not willing to attend. The CRO Social Workers visited our home and after counselling my grandmother and assuring her that CRO would take good care of me, she was willing to let me attend the Rehabilitaion Program.

School

When I joined the CRO Rehabilitation Program in 2005, I was scared and withdrawn. I also had abdominal worms. I was treated at the CRO clinic for various infections. I made alot of progress in the Rehabilitation class and in 2006 was enlisted for formal school in Nabuyonga Primary School. Currently I am studying in Primary Two. I am a bright girl and perform well in school. After many counselling sessions,i have become confident and i am coping well with my situation.