I know Philista, I call her like shes my mother. I was sick when we established our home here. Then one day Philista took the time to come and visit and asked me, What is the problem, why are you so sick, sick so often, what is the problem? Can I help? After a while I opened up to Philista and told her the truth.

She helped me to find out my HIV status, and when I knew I was positive I started taking the treatment. Sometimes it was difficult, but she took me to the hospital when I was unable. I knew that without this process I could be dead now. There was even a time that I was so sick I was laying outside under a tree and I knew I was dying. I just called my husband and asked him to marry another woman because I could not make it. But my husband encouraged me, no, he said, just stay where you are, you are going to get well.

And because Philista was there for me, I did get well. Later, God remembered me, and I was blessed to become pregnant. Philista told me about how to stop my virus infecting my baby and she took me to the hospital when I was in labour. I took all the treatments she recommended and thanks to her our baby was HIV negative. We called him Gift. His real name is Emmanuelle Otieno, but to us he is a Gift.

Pictured: Client, Gift and Husband