HIV/AIDs is not a death sentence and neither is it a killer disease. People know of their HIV/AIDS status through different ways. However, for Phenny, a 26 years old woman living in Kibera, she came to know of her HIV status in a surprising way.
Phenny has touched the souls of many after her revelation on how she found out that she had HIV/AIDS. The 26-year-old discovered she was HIV positive 10 years ago while in high school.
Phenny recounts that her love for food led her into a revelation that she never imagined being true. She went to Asumbi Girls High School in Homa Bay County. At the age of 16, she was in form two. One day while in school, a certain organization visited her school seeking volunteers to donate blood.
She could not imagine missing on the piece of loaf and soda provided after donating blood.
“This time round they were giving a full loaf of bread. I did not really want to be tested, but I did not want to miss the bread,” said Phenny.
She collected all her courage and went for the donation. After it was done, she received her share of a full bread and soda. This was to be her enjoyable moment of the exercise only to turn out to be one of her worst moments in life.
Before leaving with the bread and soda, she was approached by one of the blood donation organization’s attendants. It was at this time that the sad news was broken out to her. She could not imagine what she heard and she had to ask for clarification.
Phenny was tested and the results came out. She was actually HIV positive. This news shocked her and she even left the precious bread and soda.
To make matters worse, her sister confirmed to her that her family knew of her condition as she was born with it. Her mother died of the disease while she was 5 years old while her father died later while she was 10 years old.
She was enrolled for antiretroviral therapy drugs that have since helped her live a healthy life to have two HIV negative children. She lives with her two children in Kibera.
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