Oo Oo Oo You AIDS

AIDS has decimated much of Sub-Saharan Africa, and the communities around Lake Victoria are no exception. Ruth Achieng lives with 40 other children, all orphaned by AIDS, in Lalmba's Ongoro Children's Home. (1400 other orphans are supported through our RCAR program.)  Below, Ruth delivers a dramatic reading of a poem she wrote about losing her parents to this dreadful disease. 

 AIDS

Better to start from nowhere and go to somewhere,

but we started from somewhere and go to nowhere.

Oo Oo Oo You AIDS

What does a child need in this world?

Education,  

Health care, 

Protection 

Food,  

Shelter, and most of all....

Parental love,

 but you stole that from us!

You you AIDS.

One day, I cannot remember when,

a visitor came in our house and said that it was the time

He must separate us.

Oh Oh Oh You AIDS.

Our questions came flying

Who are you?

Where are you from?

Why do you separate us?

Where do we go?

What will we eat?

Who will stay in our wonderful house?

But we could not get the answer.

Oo Oo Oo You AIDS.

You You You AIDS

Why?

Why did you decide to take our parents to the grave

And ordered us to go back home

To start from Zero with our grandmums.

Oh Oh Oh You AIDS 

You must be ousted!

By: Ruth Achieng