What is HIV and AIDS?

Although Xiao Gang liked school and enjoyed learning, he was relieved to leave
school when his parents could no longer pay for his school books. It all began a few
months ago. He overheard his teachers talking about some “strange disease” that
was affecting people in nearby villages. People were getting sick but no-one seemed
to know why. Some of the teachers debated on whether they had been involved in
“bad behaviour”. Xiao Gang walked away curious but thought nothing of it.
As the months went on, he watched as his parents became ill. At first, his parents
began to lack energy and suffered from more colds and flus. Over time, the family
realised that something was not right. Xiao Gang’s parents were not getting better.
They were worried. They visited their doctor who tested their blood. The results
showed that Xiao Gang’s parents were HIV positive. They did not tell anyone about
this.
Life continued for Xiao Gang. His parents were still sick and he helped at home and
on the farm as much as he could. Villagers were beginning to notice how ill his
parents were. He could hear them whispering about his family as he walked past. He
saw how his family’s close friends who lived next door became distant. Before they
had helped look after his siblings and helped his parents when they could. Now, they
no longer come into his house. They no longer cook food to share with his family.
They have told his parents that because they too are getting older, they cannot help
to look after the children.
The children at school have not been friendly to Xiao Gang. They have called him
names and have told him that they no longer want to sit next to him or play with him
because he is “dirty and diseased”. His best friend, Xiao Hu, is also afraid to be near
him. Before they used to share everything, food, toys, books, but now Xiao Hu will
not share anything. He will not touch Xiao Gang. He will not look at Xiao Gang. Xiao
Gang is sad. He doesn’t understand why people are acting like this. He doesn’t
understand why people are being so mean.
When Xiao Gang finally leaves school, he is relieved. His parents used to travel to
the provincial capital to get the medicines they needed but they can no longer afford
to do this and are getting sicker by the day. His days are hard. Xiao Gang tries his
best to look after his parents and his siblings. He works on the land to sell what little
they grow at the market but people have been talking and do not want to buy the
vegetables that come from the “diseased family”. They have very little money for
anything. Most nights, Xiao Gang is afraid and sad. He does not know what will
happen to him and his family. Who will help them? Who will look after them? He is all
alone.
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