Helen of Nakuru (Part I)

Who says angels are not to be found here on earth. The past week I spent time with a few that even Gabriel would be proud of. Meet Helen, she works as an ICROSS field officer in Nakuru, Western Kenya. Helen is part a great team of ICROSS field officers who provide support and training to the HIV/AIDS patients in and around Nakuru.

ICROSS has set up support groups in different areas around Nakuru for both HIV+ patients and volunteers. Most of patients have been abandoned by their family and friends and find refuge in their support group where they find other people like them, where they can share their stories, get love from them and the ICROSS volunteers. They are taught vocational skills, given medicine for their aches and pains and some diseases, but more importantly, the LOVE that they so desperately seek. The hug, the touch that they were longing for so long but no one was willing to give it to them.

Helen lives in Bondeini, about a 15 minute bicycle ride from downtown Nakuru. There, she heads a couple of support groups for both community volunteers and HIV/AIDS patients. She meets with the support groups once every week where she trains them on a wide range of things such as personal hygiene, nutrition, educates them on STD’s, proper use of condoms and how to make a living for themselves by making and selling necklaces and bracelets made of beads.

One of the many success stories at these support group meetings is MARY ACTIENG; she is part of the Bondeni group. She has been a member of the group for the past 2 years and was in good health and good spirits. Helen had found her 2 years ago in an abandoned house not far from Bondeini. Helen was out on a Home Visit to see another HIV/AIDS patient when the neighbours pointed out Mary’s house. Helen found a very weak lady lying on the floor unable to move anything except for her eyes. Mary had not eaten and drank anything for almost 4 days. Testing later on showed that her CD 4 (immune system test) count was way below the normal level. Seeing her in this state Helen started working her magic. She cleaned up Mary, cooked for her, stayed with her for a week till she got up on her feet. Helen got her necessary testing done, had her put on antiretroviral medicine and filled her house with food before leaving her. Then Helen contacted her family who had abandoned her, educated them on the fact that Mary is not different to them in anyway, she will not make them sick and finally convinced 2 of her children to start visiting their mother. Today, Mary was living the life of a reborn person and is very active in her support group as she feels that she can impact the lives of dozens of others patients like HELEN had done for her.

I accompanied Helen on her visit to the hospital in Nakuru where she met with a few of her support group members who were admitted in the hospital. (to be contd......)