HIV is Colour blind

Why should you throw away your youth or say that you don’t even care?
Maybe you should lend a hand to someone who could share your pain.
HIV does not care how old you are or what colour your skin is.
HIV does not see black, brown and white because HIV is colour blind.
If you want to fight HIV, join together, and you can win the battle.
HIV made himself King of the World.
He never gets tired of emigration, when that’s into the bodies of the people of the world.
We can stop him and end this
but how do we do that when people still choose wrong from right?
How do we do that when people still judge us, the people living with HIV?
We all share the same things in many ways
and HIV has such love for everyone.
He will come to you too if you don’t shut your door.
How do you know if he is not already there in your body
if you never take a test to find out?
I told you we share same things in many ways...
My HIV virus which I have controlled for many years was found in my blood.
The colour of my blood is red, just like yours.
The difference between us is that I am aware of my HIV status
and so this virus is now undetectable in my red blood.
Have you ever checked for it in your red blood?
Hurry to test so you can live in harmony
if you get treated in time, like I did.
Remember that HIV is colour blind,
even if he chooses the colour RED.
Be careful and be safe.
Peace,
Eliane

My Bonus Birthday

My name Eliane, I was born on 25th November 1976 in Gihanga, Burundi. These past few years I have been living here in the Netherlands. Although I did not come here as a refugee, it does not mean that I have no idea how it feels. Trust me, being a refugee in your own country is even harder than crossing a border.

Every year I celebrate my birthday, I think a lot of the night we had to run away, that night in October 1993 when civil war started in Burundi. We had to run from my village Murira, hiding between the trees. We slept in the bush for two nights, then we finally made it to the center of Gihanga where we could be protected by Soldiers.

That is the day I finally realized the hate between Hutu and Tutsi. As my parents raised me to be a Burundian citizen, they never thought that one day this war will crash! These were painful nights, I did not know how the future would look like for me. I did not know if I will ever reach my 40th birthday. In the refugee center we will wait to get food brought by the International organization called WFP.

We did not have clean water, no cloths. None of us took anything with us. So we got help on everything from abroad after a few days in the center. I am not going in details of misery of a chorela outbreak in our refugee center. How many people died on my watch. I survived it but nearly died as well. I guess God had a purpose for me so I would not die before I fulfill it! I was just on time to be treated! But every time in my thoughts came back the sound of people who were searching for us in Bush, saying "Tinga Ababaya", meaning search for bad people and I would see the light coming toward us.

I was dead scared and it took me many years to feel free even while I was in a safe country like the Netherlands. Sometimes the past does not stop hunting you down, you just need to stay positive and strong! I am grateful for this life, I was 17 years old when the war started and when I thought I would not grow older than 20. Since I am going to celebrate my 42nd birthday, I would like to dedicate my birthday to the refugees.There are now more than ever before!

These are my bonus years, and it would be great to make sure the unfortunate ones get help, just like me 25 years ago now. I've chosen to support Stichting Vluchtelingen because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope that you'll consider contributing as a way of celebrating with me. Every little bit will help reach my goal.

Peace,
Eliane