Cecilia and her twins

Cecilia is a 28-year old mother, HIV-positive. She has 2 boys in the program: Yohane, sponsored by Harold & Susan Aurand and Petulo, sponsored by Greg and Janet Coppock. She has a toddler as well. Her children are also HIV-positive. Her husband recently died.  She told me she had a job with a local clinic doing cleaning work, but when they found out she was HIV-positive, they let her go. She has not been able to find work since.

Cecilia with her baby and the twins:  Yohane is on the left, Petulo is on the right.

She told me she couldn’t provide for her children without Miqlat’s help. “I thank the sponsors in America,” she said “for the clothes they are wearing, for the food they eat, and for the repairs last year on my roof.” She said her roof was leaking badly so Miqlat replaced the black plastic under the thatched roof to keep out the water. 

I saw Cecilia a few weeks later when it was clinic day at Kogoya. Both of the twins were suffering from high fevers. She feared malaria.  The onsite clinician immediately referred them to the local hospital. I was stunned to find out that Cecilia had to walk there with the boys, both who were unresponsive and feverish. (The Miqlat car that drove us to the center was nearly out of fuel, with barely enough in the tank to get us home an hour away. It was during a dry-spell with no fuel to be found anywhere. And as it turned out, we did run out of fuel on the way home!).

Cecilia and the feverish twins await their turn to see
the clinician at Kogoya Hope Center.

So, Cecilia, with baby on her back, carried Yohane.  One of the teens in the program helped her by carrying Petulo.  And off they went on a 45-minute hike carrying 8-year old, limp boys. Cecilia did not complain, but was serious, accepting, doing what just needed to get done.

A happy ending: The twins did have malaria and they were treated that day. We saw them healthy again at the Hope Center a week later, jumping, running, laughing.

The healthy twins are always a delight!

How can you help?  Pray for Cecilia and her children to remain healthy, that she may find a job as a source of income, that there will be food on the table tonight. Pray for funds that Miqlat can use to purchase a stretcher-like wagon, a “bed on wheels” that can be pulled behind a bicycle to more efficiently move those who are sick.