Coming Home

Joshua was orphaned at the age of 2 and adopted by his aunt, Maharo Peshence. As a young boy, he was bullied by neighbors, who informed him that he is not his aunt’s biological child and that he is HIV-positive.

Confused and hurt, Joshua started questioning why he had to take drugs. He felt unloved. 

“I became aware of Joshua’s [HIV] status … shortly after the passing of his mother,” says Maharo. “He would refuse to take his medication because he observed that his siblings were not taking any. I struggled to explain the situation to him, and he often run away from home.”  

Eventually, members of the community found him and turned him over to the probation officer in Kisoro District, who took him into her home. Through the ViiV Breakthrough Partnership project, staff from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) equipping the probation officer with essential knowledge regarding antiretroviral therapy and its importance in managing HIV. 

But this was only a short-term solution. The probation officer is a working professional, so she struggled to supervise Joshua’s medication consistently. He was left in the care of various housekeepers, leading to inconsistent medication intake and failure to achieve viral suppression. Recognizing this, the hospital team counseled Joshua’s aunt. 

Mahoro welcomed Joshua back with open arms, showering him with love and support.  

“When he was discriminated by other children [previously], I would shield him from the truth; I would tell him that he was asthmatic,” says Mahoro. But now, she disclosed his status to him with love and linked him to counseling.  

Understanding his condition and the importance of his medication, Joshua began to take his drugs regularly.  “I set for him an alarm and when he hears it go off, he comes and reminds me to give him his drugs,” explains Mahoro.  

Today, Joshua has not only achieved viral suppression but has also been linked to the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program which pays his school fees and supplies his home with nutritious flour. 

Joshua, now 12, has come home. 

*Why do we use illustrations? Sometimes people agree to share their story but are uncomfortable with also sharing their image due to stigma and/or privacy concerns. In these cases, we use illustrations to help tell the story while protecting the privacy of the individual. Illustrations are not meant to depict a specific person.