A few months ago a child-headed household came to
PASADA in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to seek some assistance. The eldest child
Mwajuma was almost 18 with four younger brothers and sisters ranging in age from
five to 15. The youngest of these children is also living with HIV. Both parents
died two years ago from complications due to AIDS. Despite incredible obstacles
from stigma and discrimination, this family survives together with support and
guidance from PASADA’s social work staff. This young family understands all too
well the dramatic consequences of HIV infection.

    Early one morning the eldest brought the youngest to
PASADA due to a cough that had been raging throughout the night. Mwajuma only
wanted help to "make the cough better." The majority of our clients are like
this: poor, honest and rejected by traditional community structures. They do not
seek the latest antiretroviral therapies. They do not seek extensive and
expensive laboratory monitoring that is standard for care in developing
countries. Mwajuma simply wanted to help her youngest brother’s cough, and if
possible, a small amount of rice and beans for a daily meal. She traveled almost
20 kilometers on foot searching for help, searching for dignity for herself and
her brothers and sisters.