Blind

She's a teen-ager and she is blind.

Blind because of her HIV.

It isn't meant to be this way.

Not in 2010 - almost 30 years after HIV first showed up.

Not with a substantial number of different interventions that we can do to help people who are living with the virus.

But for Tami all of that is too late.

She can barely see out of her clouded eyes.

The opthalmologist says that nothing other than a corneal transplant will bring her vision back.

Tami is the home-maker in her family. Her parents died to HIV. She has two younger brothers - and one older. One is in 6th standard. One is in 2nd. One who is 20 years old and working. Tami looks after them - and lives with them in a 'room' that is 8 by 10 ft.

Early in the morning she wakes up and make food for them. Then cleans the house. Then gets them up.

Money comes from the older brother who works. Some money at least. Tami looks after the 3 brothers and the whole family lives off the older brother's income.

Its heart-breaking to see these children looking after children.

But that's the way HIV continues to work its way through the population. The brothers are negative. Tami has the disease. The virus has now affected her vision. But the deterioration was also because no one was willing to come along with her for the treatments. No one followed her up.

Tami is blind. But so are all of us. She can't help her blindness. We can. We willfully blind ourselves to everything that is uncomfortable.

Lord have mercy.