April 15, 2005 is a day that will not be soon forgotten in the village of Kipkaren as hundreds to thousands of men, women & children gathered together in a field for an HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign. The event began in the morning and lasted until late in the night and was evidence that God can & is truly replacing the fears surrounding HIV/AIDS with a new sense of hope within this community. The day’s theme was “Together we are Coming Against AIDS”; and throughout the day, those theme words were repeated in Swahili, “pamoja tunapinga ukimwi”, as people joined & lifted their hands together.
The day was filled with many activities- all with this underlying message: HIV/AIDS has & continues to steal to many lives, and it is past time for the community to join together & fight it. It is time to fight the stigma surrounding AIDS that alienates people. It is time to speak the truth about the realities of HIV. It is time to make wise choices that prevent the transmission of HIV. And for those already HIV positive, it is time to face the fear of going to be tested in order to gain the chance for treatment.
The activities of the day included the finals of a local tournament. It was amazing to watch these young men from surrounding villages come & play. There were no lines to mark the field, no scoreboard to keep the marks, and some even played barefoot; but it was very competitive and a lot of fun for the many who watched as well as for those who played.
In the afternoon, HIV testing & counselling was offered and dramas & songs by Kipkaren’s Home-Based Care caregivers were performed. As I watched men & women share openly & with passion about the topic of
AIDS, I knew it was a pivitol day in the life of the community as the vision for fighting against the spread of HIV & caring for those already infected was, by at least a few, captured.
One of the highlights of the day was witnessing 5 people from the surrounding area stand before the community & share that they were HIV positive. As I listened to one of the patient’s within our Home-Based Care share about his status & his life, I was reminded of sitting in his home just a few short months ago. He was so very sick & did not think he would live to see the new year. But on this day, as he shared there was a new found hope. He is currently taking HIV medications & growing stronger with each day. Upon visiting him, he often reminds me, “Mungu anaweza” which means God is able. As he stood before the people, he encouraged them to go for HIV testing & to face their fears. His testimony of what God is doing in his life was truly a miracle to experience.
The remarkable day was closed by an amazing concert by a band from Nairobi called “The Village”. Through music, this group of gifted Christian musicians powerfully proclaimed a message about the love of Christ and Kenya’s need to fight against HIV/AIDS. It was a night filled with singing & dancing as well as a time where people fell to their knees & asked God to bring healing to their land.
In a village filled with many struggles, I am grateful for the victories, great & small, that are being won. I am grateful for the relationships that are being made & the lives that are being empowered through the work being done. I am grateful that God has allowed me to be a part in what He is wanting to do within this community. And I am grateful for the ways God has used you, my family & friends, again & again to reveal His love & faithfulness. Your continued prayers & support enable me to live & work here in Kipkaren & bless my life more than I could ever express. So thank you.
