This lovely young lady is just twelve years old. She lives with her mother, aunt and baby cousin in a one room apartment in the Claremont township. She should be out playing with her friends. She should be running, jumping rope, playing with dolls....she should be in school.
She is not. She cannot go. She cannot do very much. She lays on the bed. She cannot see. She is blind from Meningitis. She is also HIV positive. She has open sores all over her back.
Life should be good for her, she has food to eat, and she is receiving her prescribed medication, but it does not help much. She cannot keep her food and medicine down,...she throws up when they try to feed her.
She has AIDS. She did not contract it from her mother at birth. She was raped when she was younger - much younger. But she is only twelve now. Just twelve.
This girl is living proof of an ongoing myth, or superstition. In ignorance, some believe that they can rid themselves of AIDS by having sex with young virgins. This beautiful young girl, was raped. She is just twelve. She cannot see. She lays down on her bed, all day long, nauseous and dying. Only twelve.
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