Asking for help.

Hi All,

Yesterday I had a discussion with the girls about asking for help and making empowering choices. I have been really pushing that getting tested for HIV or taking a pregnancy test after having unprotected sex should be something they become comfortable doing, not something they ignore until it's unavoidable. I have had 5 girls ask me to take them to get tested, which is great! There is a place in town that we think does free testing, but they weren't very nice to me when I tried to ask.

There is a nurse here at Daraja 3 days a week, and she has agreed to give the girls the option of getting tested here. So today I'm going to head into town to find out how much it will cost to get these pregnancy tests and HIV kits. I realize that I come out here and offer these girls options they SHOULD have, in the US you can get a free test in almost any city. But getting them tested here costs money no matter what, whether it's a taxi for $20 to get to town, or paying for a pregnancy test at the local market.

If you are interested in helping these girls get test, click on my paypal account to the right of this post. These tests aren't expensive, but getting 50+ girls tested is!

One girl asked me yesterday what will happen if she comes back positive. The answer is Daraja will cover all her medical costs (part of a girls scholarship money). We have a counselor here prepared for whatever outcome. HIV is not a death sentence, and I'm trying to teach these girls that.