Stamped on my hand, stamped in my heart

World Vision did something called Step into Africa and I will never forget the experience.It was held at a nearby chruch I got to go along with my church's youth group. World Vision made the gym look like a little African village. Each person had headphones and a voice recorder and became a child. As we went through each of the rooms the voice on the recorder would narrate. This was an event to raise awareness about children in Africa orphaned and affected by AIDS. I was a little girl named Babirye. The whole set up was impressive, but one I remember most. As Babyire, I went to a clinic because I was not growing and having health problems. My mother also is often sick. My father has died of a strange diesease. Do I have this strange disease? That was why I was at the clinic, to find the results of my blood test. As I went in I was told to wait on a wooden bench with others until my name was called. When my name was called I went up to the window. My hand was stamped with a big red +. As Babyire, a little nine year old girl, I was HIV positive. As I saw other people receiving a black -, showing their blood test came back negative, I was told to go to the other side of the clinic to sit on another bench, where the other infected people were. As I watched other people, who tested negative leave the clinic and looked at my bright red +, I almost really felt as if I was Babyire. Can you imagine? Can you imagine, you are now fatherless? And now, as a little child you find out you have AIDS. Your mother is dying from AIDS; will you have to suffer with this diesease alone? I cannot imagine having AIDS, much less being an orphan with AIDS, having no one to hug you, no one to comfort you when you are in pain.

The thing is, this is reality for so many children. Babyire is a real girl, her story is real. All the children's stories at Step into Africa are real. And there are many more like them. World Vision's website says that
Approximately 2.5 million children worldwide have HIV.
Right now, there are more than 15 million children who have lost one or both parents because of AIDS.
Every day, another 6,000 children are orphaned due to AIDS.

This is real. When I washed my hands the stamped washed off my hand, but not off my heart. I will never forget Babyire. I will not forget about the children orphaned by AIDS. How can you know and forget? And how can you know and do nothing?
I ask you, please do this one simple thing. Please visit this website and urge your senators and representative to keep fighting global AIDS. This only takes a few seconds; World Vision has already written the email, you just have to fill in your information. Please do this simple thing; please take some time to make a difference in the lives of others. And please keep the AIDS orphans in your prayers, and in your heart.