Long before your or my time, a Roman philosopher, Secena termed “every new beginning comes from other beginnings end.”
The quote has been interpreted in a myriad different way. I understand it as the sacrifice of one person to ensure the survival of a generation.
Sometime in December of 2005, my parents came home from a hospital 60 kilometers away. Only this time, they didn’t have my brother. At the age of nine, I could hardly comprehend where Dan, my brother, was. All I remember was mom telling me they’d left him at the hospital for some time.
On Tuesday, 13th December 2005, Dan was laid to rest. His life had been cut short at only age 12. However, Dan’s departure ensured the survival of his parents and siblings.
Not long after he had passed on, my parents took me to a HIV testing Services (HTS) Centre. I tested positive, and so were my mother and younger brother. I was started on Septrin (cotrimoxazole) and later antiretroviral therapy.
Lea Toto was there for me even before I knew I needed them. Fortunate for me, it was not too late as it was for Dan. It was not too late like it was for countless others who met Dan’s fate.
One of my earliest memories is a counselor we called Flo. It was a Saturday morning; we were at Lea Toto and we were just about to have breakfast.
“Before we eat, who would like to pray for us?” asked Flo.
We were all kids at that point, none braver than the other. After no one volunteered, she glanced around, and her eyes locked on me. “Why don’t you pray for us?” she asked looking at me.
Well, I say she asked but it wasn’t much of a question as a coerced suggestion.
My life at Lea Toto was filled with such moments. The staff, they saw the potential we didn’t even know we had.
There I built my confidence, I built relationships, and I built an iron-clad immunity.
My experience at Lea Toto is not unique, if anything, it’s one of the privileged experiences you’ll encounter.
I had both my parents, and while my father was a mechanic and mother a stay at home mother, we had it better than most children in Lea Toto.
Lea Toto has eight centers spread through Nairobi and its outskirts. These centers are located in the slums. This is because most of the clients come from these areas. Some of them have one or no parents. Others can’t even go to school. Others still, can’t afford a decent shelter leave alone an education.
But, there’s a ray of hope. In Lea Toto, we got more than just medication. I remember when we would be given cereals, flour, and cooking oil. When our school fees would be paid and uniforms provided. When you went to Lea Toto, the harsh world outside did not exist. Life was bliss.
Today, I’m 23, I’m out of Lea Toto but Lea Toto will never be out of me. The life lessons I learned every third Saturday of the month still stick with me. The adventures we had visiting game parks, swimming pools, and animal orphanages.
Every so often, I try and volunteer what I have learned and the little wisdom I have gathered with the next generation in Lea Toto –including my brother.
I am not alone; numerous mentor alumni give their time to ensure every Lea Toto child has the same great experience we had.
My experience in Lea Toto has been nothing short of transformational. Unfortunately, my brother, Dan, did not get a chance to experience any of it.
I am grateful to what Lea Toto has done in my life. They gave me more than the ARTs, they gave me a chance at life. A chance to excel and to thrive.
And, they are still forging ahead. Empowering every child that tomorrow will be brighter. Tomorrow will be better.