TIHE LOQUITUR 50 Children orphaned by AIDS create new lives

VICKIE PAPAGEORGE COPY EDITOR VP724@CABRINI EDU

DIANA VILARES EVENTS EDITOR DVV722@CABRINI EDU

At the tender age of 8, Morris Chapa’s parents lost the battle to HIV/AIDS, leaving three young boys behind in their native country of Kenya. Their uncle, who was given primary custody of the boys, betrayed his nephews by stripping them of the property their parents had left and chased the boys away.

Left with a feeling of abandonment, the boys fled to their aunt’s home in hopes of receiving care.

Shortly after, Morris, along with one of the younger brothers, were tested positive for HIV/AIDS.

“Support a wish of some boy in Nairobi” to finish college and “become a responsible citizen. The plan of that child is kind of like a dream that is dead.” This was the plea of Robert Makunu, a native of Kenya and the deputy HIV unit manager of the faithbased organization, Catholic Re- lief Services. “His parents are not alive because of HIV.” Makunu visited Cabrini College in preparation for Cabrini’s observance of World Aids Day on Dec. 1.

Kenya has 37 million people and 1.5 million are children orphaned because of AIDS. They have lost both parents due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has been declared a national disaster in Kenya. Makunu told another story of a young girl in Kenya who was impregnated by a village chief. She faced the possibility of being infected of HIV/AIDS. She then faced the prospect of having her unborn child affected

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