HIV Ghosts

In Weaw's village HIV has long been a killer, I learned that both Weaw's uncle and aunt died of AIDS. Many people in her village have also died of AIDS most of whom had worked in brothels and bars. The disease was then transferred to others when the worker returned home.

Initially the people felt that the deaths were the result of ghosts and spirits. They did not understand the disease and were very frightened of those that were givin that death sentence. Weaw's Aunt was asked to leave the family home because her family was afraid of her, she was allowed to return later to die in her own village but no one would touch her.

The people have been educated and have learned from the experiences of the past they are now more tolerant and fear the HIV victim less. They have been educated about the real causes of HIV/AIDS. With new medications hopefully Weaw can have a long life. She even dreams of having children, her only fear is taking care of them, she feels her blindness would make her a poor mother. She did talk to me about one family that had 2 blind parents, so she hopes she can still raise a child.