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20.10.2001
Matola (Mozambique)
The sad story of Speranza (Hope),
who arrived at the Nutritional Centre too late
So many dramatic stories appear everyday at the Matola Nutritional Centre. Speranza, a little girl of only 4 months, suffering from Aids and seriously undernourished, turned up at the Community too late. The doctors tried to save her in vain.
"Today we witnessed a very sad event. At Matola Nutritional Centre 2, Ester and Monica had to rush a baby to hospital, a little four month old girl, severely undernourished and with bronchial pneumonia. She was the daughter of a 19-year old girl, abandoned by everyone as her husband had died of Aids and people were afraid of the contagion.
Speranza, the baby girl, fought for several days between life and death only to die today at 3 o'clock.
Speranza weighed two and a half kilos and was severely undernourished. Only when she was tested at the hospital, was it discovered that she was HIV positive.
We did everything we could, gave her medicines, milk and whatever we could get hold of but it was too late.
We know that so many people here are in a difficult situation. Yet when you are directly involved and have to deal with a young life like that of Speranza , it is very painful. So much grief, anger for the time wasted, the dream which never comes true.
Speranza is dead. But we today feel more than ever the need to give new hope to the numerous undernourished and sick children we come across everyday".
Ersilia
Buonomo
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