Misery everywhere

There is so much misery in Togo; it is unbelievable!
I have visited several people at home and the stories I heard were of hardship. There was the women with HIV with all kind of physical problems and since she is very tired, she cannot work. Another women I saw was jobless as well. She used to sell used clothes and one day, after she sold the clothes she was robbed on her way home. Now she has no money to start all over again. Her husband has died of AIDS and she is HIV positive. She is afraid of having her two children tested, since she does not want to hear that her children might be infected too. Even her family does not know that she is HIV positive. She receives some money from her brother and maybe there is another aid agency which will give some support. Or the man who is working as a guardian at a school. He is there 24/7; and he is very tired and would like to have another job to support his 3 children. His wife divorced him when they found out about HIV. He used to make beuatiful paintings and he was showing a picture of the family in much better days. There was the mother with mental problems, who has been admitted to a hospital. Grandma is looking after the baby, but since they are very poor they cannot buy the right baby formula; so the baby of 10 months is malnourished. She was given a simple porridge which is lacking the essential nutrition for a tiny baby. She was softly whining and it breaks your heart. She was referred to the nuns, who give baby formula to the needy. Saskia was going to the nuns and she saw the baby there; the family has followed the advise of PDH, so hopefully this malnourished baby can get back to a healthy baby soon.

People are going around in circles and it is very difficult for them to get out of it. People with HIV are often without a job; sometimes the husband has passed away of AIDS, which makes the situation even more difficult. Many people are not telling family members that hey have been diagnosed with HIV; there is such a stigma, despite the big bill boards with the information that you do not get infected by meeting people. Sometimes the partner is leaving when a person is diagnosed with HIV. Many do not have enough money to buy food. They are living in very difficult circumstances in a tiny, often dirty room with often many people. Sometimes the partner is leaving when a person is diagnosed with HIV.

PDH offers a support group once a month, where many clients come too. They talk about all problems associated with HIV/AIDS and as an incentive they will receive a lunch. A group of women is cooking a lunch for 60 people. The lunch consisted of rice and chicken; I think the whole chicken went into the cookpot; only feathers were removed. Everyone received a bag with rice to take home. When they heard that our donation also bought bags of rice, we were thanked by many and actually I felt a little embarresed when that happend. The doctor also comes to the center on a weekly base to see patients and medicines are given to those who needs them. We have given some hair bands to the little girls with the typical african braids; all of a sudden there was a run on those: women wanted them for themselves and their children; men wanted them for their wives and children. They were gone in no time.

It is very difficult to understand how people make a living here. You see so many extremely small stalls where people are trying to sell their wares; peanuts, sweets, mangoes; linens, some soap, pots and pans etc. Basically you can buy everything you need on the street, but how can you make a living from selling a few bananas for $ 0,25 or a mango for $ 0,75 from from the mango tree in your own backyard???? Many clearly cannot. What we have not seen is people begging for food or money. Even in those difficult circumstances, people are smiling.