For K

Trip Start Sep 06, 2010

Trip End Jul 26, 2011

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Where I stayed

Tantebane Game Ranch

(Francistown hotels)

Flag of Botswana Francistown, Botswana
Friday, October 22, 2010

So here we are almost half way through our time in Botswana and in the last 2 days I have learnt an incredible amount and feel proud to be working with people that I am. On Monday we had a new camp arrive, a group of 10 year olds everything was fine and the kids seemed to be enjoying the camp. Then one of the girls, K, got sick. At this stage I didn't know what was wrong with her, it wasn't until she had to be carried to the car by another instructor that I knew something was seriously wrong. It turned out that this little girl was HIV positive, I have never known someone and known that have had the virus before this girl. Later on in the day she returned from hospital a little tired but looking and feeling much better. Later on in the evening we had to play games but she wasn't allowed to run so we adapted the games for her by either us running with her on our backs or running for her, despite some people thinking she should not be playing at all. Then we moved onto round the camp fire we were giving her lots of hugs and all the while trying to keep her away from the smoke and dust as she wasn't allowed to inhale it, which even meant one of us was meant to toast her marshmallow for her. I spent most of the evening with her and all I can say is what I will remember about this beautiful little girl is her gorgeous smile, the way in which she made sure that the instructors gave her friends attention too, she never once complained and even when she was told she couldn't play a game or do something even though it broke our hearts she carried on going with a smile on her face. There were so many other moments in these few days that touched me about this little girl, one of the most staggering being when, another instructor asked one girl, M why she looked so tired, her response was simply that her friend, K, had a headache and so she had stayed up with her all night. It was all I could do to hold back the tears that this person, not even, this child had such compassion and understanding that her friend needed support that even after a full day of activities and games that she would put herself out there for another person at the age of 10.
It was not until after the camp left that we were able to discuss what had happened properly and to hear the accounts of the people who had looked after her while she was sick. Religion out here is very important to people and being someone who is not quite sure what religion means just yet I make sure I listen closely every time I hear someone talking about their religion. On the first night of camp I was putting the girls to bed when I walked in to the last room all the girls were reading each other palms, they all had their favorite and they knew them by heart, then at the end they all prayed together I was so touched by this, by their faith and their devotion. It was not until later when I got to know the girls better that I found out that one of these girls was K. From that I could tell that her faith was important to her, but I was later told by the 2 instructors that looked after her that day about a prayer she said before she ate breakfast. Praying to god that her medication would work, thanking him for letting her still keep playing with her friends, asking him not to take her life just yet. It was this that got me, this girl who should be thinking about playing with her friends, about school, about being a kid was praying for her life. When she left us on camp we hugged her and kissed her on the forehead, the shock in her face that someone would touch her like that broke my heart, the way she cried and she cried when she left makes me question the way in which the world treats this little girl. Yes she has HIV, but first and foremost she is the beautiful little girl that needs love and support more than anyone. Some people refused to touch her, some said she shouldn't be on camp. But why, she didn't ask for this, its though no fault of her own that she has to take 12 pills a day that every morning she must pray for her life, that every time she coughs and wheezes she thinks 'is this the day I am going to die?'. Why in this modern age must we treat people like lepers, I would challenge you to look this little girl in the eye and for your heart not to break for you not to reach out a hand and say that some things are more important in this life.
I am, like I said not a religious person, but every night I pray for K, and every child like her, I would ask you to do the same, to which ever god you call your own, or if you don’t know just send one anyway because what I have experienced in the last few days terrified me beyond belief so I can't imagine what she is going through. So having seen the strength her faith provides her well beyond her years maybe, just maybe we can we can push harder than ever for the miracle she prays for each and every morning and be strong with her so one day no child has ever to go through what she and millions of others like her have gone through.
Thank you K.
God Bless x

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