Aidah N.

Aidah N. found out she was HIV-positive when she went in for routine pregnancy services at Kamuli General Hospital years ago. The staff assured her they would provide her with the medicine she needed not to pass the virus on to her baby.

I managed to deliver a negative baby. They supported my child not to have HIV.

When the health workers asked if she would consider becoming an expert client for the facility, she enthusiastically agreed. She owed it to the clinic.

I felt I had to support the other clients, especially the mothers.

I provide social support and counseling. I also encourage the positive people by saying they are not alone. These ones have been here, and it’s possible to live positively. I also extend the information to the negative clients about the prevention methods.

I also conduct home visits and follow ups to those who are lost. There are those who are in denial, who are affected by stigma. I encourage my fellow clients.

Because her work was U.S.-funded, Aidah was told to stop immediately after President Donald Trump’s administration paused all American support for global HIV programming. She has since received a confusion of instructions about what services have been reinstated and whether she will actually get paid if she does return to work.

I used to work every day, but since the stop-work order [from the Trump administration], it is not how the organization is doing. We’ve done some activities, but the norm is no longer the same. I try, but I am not sure if I will get paid for an activity.

Aidah didn’t draw much for the work – enough to cover her transport and to pay for some meals. But it is a struggle to cover those costs herself. When Joweria Kasiir, the head of Kamuli General Hospital’s HIV clinic, asked Aidah and some other expert clients if they would continue to assist, even just a few hours a week and even without the support of their organization, Aidah agreed. But she won’t be able to keep going much longer.

I want to serve the people. I have the passion to serve the clients. I feel bad not to support them. But if the funding doesn’t come, I can only push for three more months.