Diary Prequel Package — page 87

traffic and the hotel road had a truck full of soldiers. On my floor (room right next to TGT) there were 3 armed police throughout the night. Next day we went by plane to Kisumu, Kenya to tour the HHS Kisian facilities run by CDC and Kenya Medical Research Institute. We had a nice lunch at the Kisumu Yacht Club on the shores of Lake Victoria. Uganda (Dec 4-5). Flew to Entebbe on Dec. 4, then drove to Kampala to join rest of delegation. During takeoff from Nairobi Airport, pilot Chris made a very sharp and steep turn to the right an up to avoid any possible surface-to-air missiles. Had casual dinner and exchanged stories in Sheraton Hotel. Dec. 5 was clearly the highlight of the trip. Drove to Tororo (4 hour drive) to visit the TASO Program of Home Based AIDS Care (HBAC). We broke up into more than 20 groups of 3 to 5 people and were led into the bush by a lead community person ona motorcycle. We followed in a van. Our lead cyclist was a beautiful 25 year old Ugandan named Irene Athiene. She took us to 2 homes (mud and/or brick complexes) where TASO clients were in their first few months of ARVs that are delivered to them by Trene. In my van was Sabin Russell, Tom Ansfield (Univ. of Wisconsin Medical Center), 2 others and Alex Coutinho, CEO of TASO. Coutinho is amazing!! A true hero. He knew the details of every patient and their families and was truly a man of the land of Uganda. He was totally comfortable in the bush and the clients loved him She lived with her mother-in law and about 7 children. Note -- she was one of 3 wives of the husband who died last year of AIDS. One of his other wives died of AIDS and the other left for Kampala (HIV-status unknown). Of the 7 children only 3 ver and the others were from the husbands other wives. She had just lost her 1 year old baby to AIDS and 2 of the other children of other wives were infected with HIV. She was taking care of all of them with the help of her teen-age daughter. Her 17 yo son helped out by working. She owns 6 acres, 3 pigs and some chickens. Ugandan women cannot own turkeys. Her husband stone grave was clearly visible on the property. Her major concern was to stay alive long enough for her 17 yo son to become 18 so that he could inherit the land. It is tradition in Uganda, that when a man dies of HIV, when his wife then dies of HIV or anything else, the property goes to the brothers-in-law unless there is an adult male in the house. P| in-laws have been abusing her since her husband died and she did not trust them. The Ugandan government under Pres. Museveni is trying to change some of this. She was a wonderful and courageous woman who understood very well what HIV was, what her CD4+ T cell count was (10 cells) and how she would need to train her children to avoid infection. The myth that one cannot deliver treatment, prevention and care in rural Africa is just nonsense, particularly here in Uganda._The second home was that of a40 yo woman with a similar story to that of =_ She live in an extended family compound of 6 huts. She too had children (3), but none were infected. The "co-wife" moved to Kampala after the husband's death. Also living there is her brother-in-law who is infected, her mother-in-law and several children. lis very serious, but incredibly dignified. She is highly intelligent and knows all about her disease (CD4 count, etc. 179). TASO is working miracles here. Also, on ana were 2 graves -- her