Afternoon Visit

Just came back from Timothy's school visiting. Mac always says we are not supposed to work during the weekend, but in fact we worked both this saturday and sunday. Sometimes he told me off when I was working and ignoring everything else around me, and sometimes I told him off by saying, 'there is always tomorrow, Mac' Then we both start laughing.

This afternoon, we went to visit Timothy, a 13-year-old kid, good-looking, clear-eyed, has always a big smile on his face. He gave us a big but shy smile the first time we met him. I knew instantly he was a bright kid. And I was right. He gained all As in his mid-term exams. Although he was only in Class 5(the fifth year in primary school), he acted already as a good-natured adult. I was impressed and utterly amazed by his personality, a kind of modesty shown from the possesion of real intelligence. We had lunch with him as his legal parents and clear up his school fees provided by a sponsor in Isreal. I was even more attracted to this boy after I got to know his life story.

Before moving to Kazo, which was 5 or 6 years ago, he lived with his parents in a villige more than 200 miles from Kampala. He lost his mother in 2000 and his father in 2003 due to HIV. Villigers regarded him HIV-positive and treated him like a dog. When Timothy's sister went to fetch him out of the villige, he was living alone in a seperated tiny place in an isolated farm. Bugs and dusts were all over him. When people tried to talk to him, what came back from him was only fear in his eyes. His sister took him to Kazo, where KICVOP was and is still located. She found Mac after her husband started to treat the whole family badly because sending Timothy back to where he came from would mean a death sentence on his future. KICVOP at the time already had many orphans on register, but Timothy was still accepted. Mac went to the local council saying he was willing to take care of the boy on a personal level. KICVOP then started to look for sponsorship all over the world and finally settled on a lady from Isreal who treated Timothy as an essential part of the family. She came to visit him once and is coming back again by the end of this year. She wants to take the boy to travel around the country and bring him back from the fear he had possessed all through his life. Fortunately, Timothy is HIV-negetive, which means he could have a bright future if we work harder on his future. And luckily, he had met such a brilliant sponsor. However, there are more tragic stories. we have currently 24 HIV-affected children on register, but only 2 are properly sponsored and 2 are partly sponsored. Next Tuesday, I am asked by the local school where Timothy was sent, to evaluate another child who, for all sorts of reasons, has stopped receiving education and been left idle. I know that the child would be then put on register and waiting for sponsorship which would take sometimes too long to keep any hope alive. I know we cannot help the child instantly, but we have to start somewhere. And it is the start which makes all the difference.

On our way back, we went to meet a member of local council. He is also a very prominent man regionally. He has done many constructive things in his life such as promoting health care, education and improving infrastracture of the community. The important part of the story is that was diagnosed with HIV thirty years ago and there was no sign of unhealthiness due to the consistency of taking medication which is subsidised by the government. He understands the HIV, he lives with it. And because of this, he understands life more than others. He has a successful family, cherishing everything that is good for the society. He has a successful career. Even at his age, he is still wanting to start an opposition party locally to fight for free education and healthcare. When we shook hands for the first time we met each other, he did not let go of my hand until I was led into his house and properly seated. In the end, I wanted a photo with him and did not let go of his hands. I cherished that moment; a moment I will remember for life. Of course, I will go back to visit him regularly as I have to work with him to improve the community.

In the late afternoon, we finally made our way back to the centre. Mac said to me when we were in the centre, 'Landon, just to remind you, we are not supposed to work on Sunday' I smiled back. What else could I say?