Zambia:The Challenge of Coping with HIV/AIDS

By Mike Mwenda

LUSAKA--This is a story of a young boy called Collins; his original name has been concealed due to various ethical reasons. Collins feels very brave and bravest whenever he is playing with his friends. But wonders why his mother gets scared because he has HIV/AIDS.

Collins who is so brave and often spotted with a shine sparkling smile said that, he doesn’t remember very much about his father’s death. Because he was quite small, and you don’t always remember what happens to you when you’re small. He thinks he suffered from bad headaches, and also he ran out of blood. When he was well, Collins said that, his father was very kind to him and would let him ride on his shoulders, or just let him sit beside him while he talked to other men. He was a police officer. He was very strong, when he wasn’t sick. He says that, he would like to be a police officer, too.

“My mother says the older I get, the more I look like him. My mother says he died of AIDS, so she tries to stop other people getting AIDS”, Collins states. “After my father died, his family came and took everything we had in our house, our furniture, and our money. My mother is trying to get everything back for us,but she says she needs money to go to court, and we don’t have money”, Collins said.

Meanwhile, Collins Uncle Mr. Joseph Mangani said that, he was threatened and forced to remain mute during the property grabbing. They said that they would bewitch him if he continued facilitating the court procession.

Collins, who is in grade five at Ngombe Basic School, is full of praise of Mrs. Anna Moyo, his favourite teacher. He said Mrs.

“My favorite subject is mathematics but I also like learning to read and learning about other places in the world”, Collins said.

He said that, they could play with friends all day long and never get tired of it. He said that nothing scares him even though some of his friends refer to him as “a boy with AIDS”.

“I’m very brave. I feel bravest when I’m with my friends”, Collins reiterated. “My mother gets worried, though mostly about money. She sells groundnuts and Lollipop sweets in the streets of Lusaka and she also sales red and blue ribbons only at KR5”.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Rosemary Mumba who is the mother of Collins has said that, the red ribbons she sells in the street are to remind people about AIDS. The blue ribbons are to remind people not to hit their children. She stops people on the street and asks them to buy a ribbon. Some days she sells a lot of ribbons and brings food home.

“I spend countless hours in the scorching heat, just to find food for my family”, Mrs. Mumba said.

Mrs. Mumba said that, there are many children under her care. She explained that they are children whose parents died, and they have no where to go. She further said that, every time when she is out for business in town, her mother goes out; she keeps on brining new children in the house. She said that she doesn’t know where her mother finds them all, and she brings them here.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Christine Malunga the village senior citizen said that, Rosemary’s hospitality to vulnerable children is admired by many people in the village.

She said that, Rosemary is a mother of everyone, a mother who believes that every child should be taken care of. Mrs. Malunga said that, if the entire people in their village can emulate her (Rosemary), the village would be a good place to live where children would be fed and find shelter.

Mrs. Mumba said that she gets stressed whenever she sees her son (Collins) losing weight. Now the challenge is becoming huge for her, because putting in consideration the kind of the small business she runs.

“I am scared that Collins is likely to die in the short period of time”, she said, tears welling in her eyes.

Collins remembers at a certain point of time, when he was telling his mother that he would soon lose weight, his skin would run pale and he would thereafter die.

“My mother collapsed after these words”, Collins said, wondering why his mother is scared and cries whenever he is talking about HIV/AIDS.

But Collins, who wishes to complete his education and at least to buy his mother a vehicle and a house, believes that he will get better and live up a normal life. He has challenged his fellow children who have the tendency of discriminating against people with AIDS to stop because they are human too, they need love and to be cared for. He always praises his mother for always being there for him.