Resettling Joshua and Mary.

Some time ago we have been talking about bringing some of the older children back to their relatives. Some of them are with us for a long time and our mission is to reunite the children with their relatives when possible. Simon has been talking with some of the relatives and when we got the results of their blood test back, which were all quite good, we felt to go ahead. Because it is now holidays, it would be a good time to do it now, the children can settle in their new surroundings and go to school for the third term on their new school. We have been busy with preparing the children for going home and Simon has been busy with preparing the relatives to receive them.

 We have been talking a lot about their HIV+ status, with books and video. We try to prepare them for the stigma that people will give them and to encourage them that they are beautiful children and that they have a future!

 Here we are playing a memory game about HIV and the children enjoy it very much.

We have a group talk about the game, it is amazing what question they ask. They really listen and think about it. Some of them are scared of going back home, they are afraid that they have to work very hard at home and that they will get sick.

 Talking about the ARV's have we done a lot those last weeks. To show the children that the ARVs are their life line. We have such a sad example, last year a 12 year old girl died, because of not taking her ARVs. The children understand how serious it is.

 Simon has also individual talks with them and here he plays UNO with them.

This morning I went with four girls to the Salon to shave their hair. In the village you don't see so much hair braided, so they felt that they would "blend" in better when they would shave their hair. So we went and they all got a turn.

And here we go... We are bringing Joshua and Mary home, they are the ones in front. They will live in Soroti, so the others joined us to bring them. Mary goes to live with her Grandmother and Joshua with his uncle. They will still stay on Harmony schools and will go to school with the school truck. We explained the medicines to the relatives and we wiull see each other in two weeks in the hospital, where they have to come for a check up. Strange to leave them behind, I think that Joshua is fine, but the grandmother of Mary is quite old... We will check on her next week...