Jennifer remembers the year her mother died. It was 1993, and her mother was sick with HIV. She can't remember exactly when her father died, because she was too young. Jennifer, now 21 years old, is living with HIV. She was born HIV+, as was her only brother, who passed away a year before their mother.

After the death of her brother and mother, Jennifer moved from her home in Pader District, Northern Uganda, to Kampala, where she was taken under the care of her aunt. However, her aunt struggled to afford her school fees, forcing Jennifer to drop out of school just after beginning her first year of secondary school.

And then again, the very virus that infects Jennifer and claimed the lives of her father, mother and brother, would enter their lives again. Jennifer's aunt learned that she too was HIV positive.

In the face of more hardship, Jennifer began working in order to support herself and her aunt by selling crafts and working in a biscuit making factory. Despite her best efforts, there was not enough money for food or medication. Under the physical and emotional stress, Jennifer herself started to fall very sick and was eventually unable to work.  

Jennifer's story took a positive turn when a concerned neighbour, a member of the Needy Support Center, found that Jennifer had fallen very ill and encouraged her to join the organization, so that she could get support from other members of the community who were HIV positive. It is through Jennifer's membership in the Needy Support Center, a community-based organization partnered with CAP AIDS, that she was selected to be a beneficiary of the CAP AIDS's Sustainable Livelihoods for AIDS Orphans and Caregivers Program, to attend vocational training.

Jennifer now works in a salon thanks to successfully completing her training course in hair dressing. With her new skills, Jennifer is building her experience as a hair dresser and enjoying her new found profession. Through her continued membership with the Needy Support Centre, she is also continuing to get the care and support she needs to live positively with HIV.

The Sustainable Livelihoods for AIDS Orphans and Caregivers Program and CAP AIDS' work with the Needy Support Centre is funded through the support of CAP AIDS donors across Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).