Oscar Mogire has won RNW’s blog competition on HIV and children with 'The XYZ of Living'. The jury said his blog was written straight from the heart, in a personal manner, while having a broader scope as well.
The blog tells of Mogire’s young niece Tricia who has been growing up without the love of her mother, who earlier died of AIDS. He describes how her grandmother tries to get her to sip a soft drink. This image draws the reader into the story, as if present in the room where grandma is taking care of the girl.
Oscar will receive an iPad, which makes him ‘very very happy’.
Listen here to hear him celebrate:
Oscar Mogire lives in Kenya, 200 kilometres west of Nairobi. He works as a plumber at construction sites. The Icare blog competition on HIV interests him a great deal, since his sister died of AIDS a few years ago. “Since then, luck was not on our side.” His sister had hard times obtaining the ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) she needed to postpone her death. Now her daughter, Oscar’s niece, is the one the family is worried about. Oscar Mogire – who has listened to Radio Netherlands Worldwide for 15 years- went to an internet café to post his blog to the Icare website.
The Icare blog competition has been running since 15th December 2010. Radio Netherlands Worldwide asked media, journalism students and bloggers to post their stories on a mini-website for an international audience. Visitors to the website were invited to react and vote for the best-written stories that made the biggest impression on them. The aim of the competition was to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and children through blogs.
Other blogs that won prizes
1. Walk the talk – by Judy Wawira who wins a professional camera
“Very well-written, real-life story, from the perspective of someone who provides medical assistance to children with HIV every day.”
2. Kiza my baby – by Wangui Kiili who wins a professional camera
“Highest votes, moving story about positive lessons we could learn from children.”
3. Crumbs of hope – by Wordsynthesis who wins a laptop
“Good story, reads like a novel, full of emotions and hope.”
4. Who will fight for my rights – by Olivia who wins a laptop
“Touching, this blogs stays with you. A distressing story revealing the real-life problems children face when they have to fight for their future.”
As runner-up, the jury selected a blog sent in by Stanwick: 'They cared about their children’s orphanhood', because this was the only blogger who made use of the theme Icare. And it is a well-written story.
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i like to join hands and congrats to my brother mogire o machuki for this big wins congrats and it appears that this year you have started off nicely
whoever reads this blog truly will be touched on the kind of the message it carries. am a young brother to oscar o machuki and truly this is what the family has been undergoing all through and infact it is through this kind of doctors wh...o like dumping their patients for not disclosing what their patients suffer from that i decided to take a course in medical laboratory technology i just wanted to know what my sister died from infact it is my late sister who directed me to take this course she was the one who secured for me the chance in college .
YES IT IS TRUE THAT SHE LACked ACCESS TO ARVS.
CURRENTLY I WORK AS A LABORATORY TECHNOLOGIST AND ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO DIRECT WELL MY PATIENTS ON WHAT THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AND GUIDE THEM ON WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO SO AS TO CURB THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE.
AIDS IS THERE AND IT KILLS MANY LACK THE KNOWLEDGE ON THE SAME MANY DOCTORS ARE STIIL NOT INFORMING THEIR PATIENTS THE TRUE STORY MANY HAVE DIED WITHOUT KNOWING THE COURSE OF THEIR DEATH MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST UNFAIRLY.
TO ME HAVE ONE STORY THAT I MUST LIVE TO TELL PEOPLE.
IT WAS 2009 JANUARY 1ST THAT TIME I WAS ATTENDING A CHURCH MASS FOR THE NEW YEAR WHEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FRIEND OF MINE SEVERAL KM AWAY THAT HIS UNCLE IS UNWELL BECAUSE OF THE UKNOWN CONDITIONS AND THEY WANTED ME TO AVAIL MYSELF IN ORDER TO TRY AND DIAGNOSE HIM ON WHAT HE WAS SUFFERING FROM. I TRIED TO RESISIT BUT THE ALSO TRIED TO SAY THAT AM THE ONE TO ASSIST THIS MAN.
I OFFERED MYSELF TO ATTEND TO THIS MAN IN WHERE I WAS WORKING.
ON EXAMINING THE SAMPLE OF BLOOD OF THIS MAN AND URINE SAMPLE I FIND OUT THAT HE WAS SUFFERING FROM DIABETES TYPE ONE AND THE KIDNEY HAD SOMECOMPLICATION. THIS MAN WAS PUT UNDER DRUGS FR THE PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS BUT WITHOUTH ANY IMPROVEMENT HE WAS AGAIN BROUGHT TO TE HOSPITAL THE MAN WAS LOSSING KG ON A DAILY BASIS I CHECKED THE SUGAR LEVELS WAS OKEY AGAIN IDID LIVER FUCTION TEST AND THE RESULTS WAS NORMAL I WAS LEFT WONDERING WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG THE FAMILY DEPEND ON ME TO TELL THEM WHAT THE MAN WAS SUFFERING FROM,
SINCE I HAD THE SAMPLE OF BLOOD THAT I HAD COLLECETED FOR SOME TESTS I DECIDED TO RUN THE HIV RAPID TEST ON MY BENCH ALONE WITHOUTH ANYBODY NOTICING.
WAHAA THE RESULT TURNED OUT TO BE POSITIVE. HOW AM I GOING TO DISCLOSE THIS I NFORMATION TOTHE WIFE WHO ACCOMPANIED HER TO THE HOSPITAL I DECIDED THIS WAS THE BEST TIME TO TO SO.
HE WAS PRESCRIBED SOME MEDICATION AD LEFT TO GO HOME AND I PROMISED THEM THAT HIS CONDITION IS GOING TO IMPROVE SOON AND PROMISED THEM ONE DAY THAT AM GOING TO VISIT THEM IN THERE HOME TO CHECK THE PROGRESSOF THE MAN.
TWO DAYS LATER I DECIDED TO VISIT THE MAN WITH ONE AIM TO CONVINCE HIM TO BE TESTED ON HIV. ON REACHING THE HOME THE MAN WAS STILL BED RITTEN AND ON WITH MEDICATION AND SUPPRISINGLY THIS MAN HAD THREE WIVES ALL WERE THERE CARING FOR HIM.
I REQUESTED THEM TO LEAVE ME ALONE TO HAVE A PRIVATE TALK WITH THIS MAN. WE TALKED IN LENGHT ABOUT HIS PAST LIFESTYLE AND INFAC THE AGREED TO ACCOMPANY ME TO THE HOSPITAL NEXT DAY FOR A TEST THAT DAY I CARIED SOME ARVS FROM HOSPITAL THAT I LEFT THIS MAN TO USE AS HE AWAITS FOR THE TEST.
SHE COME FOR THE TEST FOR ME ALREADY I HAD ALREADY KNOW THE RESULT AND THIS MAN ACCEPTED THE RESULTS AND AGREED TO INFORM THE THREE WIVES THE RESULTS.
THE CD4 AND CD3 CELL WAS BELOW THE NORMALS INFAC TTHE CD4 WAS 81 JUST IMAGINE LIVING WITH THIS NUMBER.
I PUT THE FAMILY ON DRUGS( ARVS) FOR THE PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS THE NUMBER OF CD4 WAS NOW 210 WAHAA IT WAS WONDERFUL THE FAMILY WAS HAPPY NOW THIS MAN CONTINUED TO BE STRONG AGAIN BA CK TO HIS NORMAL DUTIES AS BEFORE HE IS ALWAYS GREATIFUL THE WIVES ARE DOING GOOD THE FAMILY ARE LEADIND A normal life like any body i know they will enjoy their life for years now.
AIDS KILL LET US BE AWARE AND TAKE NECESSARY CARE
dear rnw,
greetings from kisii kenya. A SUNNY MORNING HERE AND A COLL ONE.
I HAVE BEEN LOST OF SLEEP THE WHOLE OF LAST NIGHT SINCE YOU BROKE THE NEWS OF MY WINNING THE IPAD..THE CELEBRATION GOES ON UNPRECEDENTED. LOOKING FOWARD TO LAYING MY HAND ON THIS DEVICE. WILL HELP ME TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN CONNECTING TO MY FRIENDS LIKE RNW AT WHATEVER HOUR.
I would like to congratulate all the winners , myself included. You all did a great job. I would also like to thank Radio Netherlands for the opportunity to write and the prizes. Cheers
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