Miandoko, at 45 years old, is healthy and active.  He works two jobs, cares for his three children, and still has time and energy to play football whenever there is a game going on at the local field in Bulongwa.  But only three years ago, this was not the case.

 In 2005, Miandoko went through a terrible three months.  He was sick every day, experiencing pains in his back and abdomen.  He would be in and out of hospital every few days, without ever finding any solutions, or the root of his problem – that is, until the clinical officer at the Bulongwa Lutheran Hospital finally recommended he be tested for HIV.

Joining PIUMA soon after testing positive, Miandoko loves the sense of support he feels from being a part of this organization.  He says that before he became a member, people would shy away from him, fearing that if they touched him, they too would contract HIV.  PIUMA has thus given him a group of people with whom he can share his experiences, as well as a platform to raise awareness about the virus and its spread.  He even would like to send his “greetings to those in the rest of the world living with HIV,” and “to welcome them to PIUMA, Bulongwa, Tanzania!”

It is because of this pride and appreciation for PIUMA that Miandoko works every night as a guard at the PIUMA construction site, where a new office, Voluntary Counselling and Treatment center, and dispensary are in the works.  Still, he works every day on his small farm, producing maize, wheat and potatoes to support his family.  

Since he began his treatment for HIV, he has experienced none of his previous ailments.  In the three years since he was diagnosed he says that he has “had no problems,” and that “the medicine is great and effective.”  His only regret is that he had not found out sooner.  Miandoko’s wife died from AIDS and he strongly believes that the medicine would have saved her.

In order to promote HIV awareness and the healthy lifestyle he has been able to lead since getting tested and starting on his medication, Miandoko will be representing PIUMA in a soccer match next week, as they face off against Masufa, an NGO in Makete.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.