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ABATAKA
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Birthday:
April 17th |
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It was bad enough,
Dorothy Ngoma says, to learn she was
HIV-positive in 2004, when she got tested
because she seemed always to be sick. She
managed the news as best she could: She
urged her siblings to be tested; two
brothers and a sister now know they are
infected and are seeking treatment. She had
doctors test her four children, born in
1988, 1985, 1991 and 1995; only the eldest,
a daughter, tested positive and is under
doctors' care.
But for all her efforts to protect her
family from HIV/AIDS, Dorothy worries that
it's threatening them again – this time, her
7-year-old daughter. Dorothy says that a few
months ago, when she came home after working
long hours at a volunteer job, her daughter
behaved strangely, refusing to eat or to
come in the house. Seeking answers, Dorothy
took her daughter to the clinic where, she
says, the staff confirmed the girl had been
raped. The child broke down and told Dorothy
that a neighbor man had lured her to his
home and assaulted her, but threatened to
beat her if she told.
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 Dorothy
says she went to the police,
they questioned the neighbor
man, and he denied
everything. Because Dorothy
had the doctors' report, she
says, police opened a rape
investigation. She has gone
to court for hearings -
expensive for Dorothy and
harrowing for her daughter –
only to find them cancelled.
She knows if she fails to
attend a hearing, the case
will be thrown out. She has
heard stories of endless
delays and paid-off judges –
but she has not missed a
court date.
For now, Dorothy's
7-year-old daughter gets
regular HIV tests. So far
she has tested negative but
should she test positive,
more charges could be filed
in the case. Dorothy says
it's only with the support
of her friends at The
ABATAKA Collection project
that she is surviving this
ordeal.
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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