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ABATAKA
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Birthday:
August 26th |
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| Dorothy Kampengele and
her husband were raising six children in
2004 when Dorothy became pregnant. As
doctors were routinely advising HIV tests
for pregnant women in her community, Dorothy
was tested, and learned she was infected.
She lost the baby in a breach birth at home.
She was sick and began taking antiretroviral
drugs (ARVs) but never told her husband for
fear he'd blame her for infecting him. Her
husband never talked about HIV but Dorothy
believes it's what caused his death, not
long after their baby's death.
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 Dorothy’s
mother knows her HIV status,
and tries to help her stay
on her medicines and care
for her children. Dorothy's
youngest child, an
11-year-old son, has been
tested and is HIV-positive;
her older children seem well
but haven't been tested.
Dorothy joined a clinic HIV
support group in 2004, and
has been working with the
beading project since 2007.
She also buys local beads
and makes small items to
sell herself. With her
earnings, Dorothy pays for
her children to attend
school. She has opened a
bank account and aims to
save enough to put her older
children in college.
Dorothy sees the impact her
work has made on her family:
"They are proud of me – they
thought I would die but are
proud of how I am living,"
she says. When people beyond
Africa read her story and
see the jewelry she makes,
she says, she hopes they
will think of her as their
friend.
Updated
information following
a visit to Zambia in August
2010:
Dorothy banked all the money
she has made since working
for Mary Fisher, as well as
working with the Abataka
Women Artisans Association
of Zambia.. She is saving
her money to cover college
costs for her children. Her
oldest daughter, 24, is in
her second year of college
now. Her younger children
will go to college as soon
as the first one finishes.
Dorothy is convinced that
education is their only way
out of poverty. Dorothy has
been one of the most active
women in the Abataka Women
Artisans Association at the
Arcades Market. The women
are selling jewelry made
from their local Zambian
beads. They have
incorporated the designs
they have learned from Mary
and create many unusual and
beautiful bracelets. Dorothy
has been in charge of
recording sales and
maintaining the money for
the women whose jewelry is
sold each week at the
market.
When you buy
jewelry from The ABATAKA
Collection you befriend African
women on a journey. With your
help, they will rise from
poverty to empowerment; from
AIDS and despair to health and
hope. |
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ABATAKA
Website
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Shop ABATAKA
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ABATAKA on FaceBook
Back to ABATAKA Main Page |
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