Article by volunteer Katie Sewell

“How can we keep suffering for keeping silent?”

This was the question posed to me by Joyce the founder of MOCASO. On a loud bus called a Matatu, Joyce shared with me the story of how she founded MOCASO.

At a women’s clinic in Nairobi, Joyce and many other women participated in a research project that also determined whether they had HIV/ AIDS.  As woman after woman filed through the waiting area, the atmosphere became more and more quiet. Joyce thought to herself, “how can I can change this stigma?” It was in that waiting room where she stood up and announced that she had AIDS. “We were women with common problems and fears; we have children to support, little education, no job, no food. Silence kills,” she told me.

Joyce understood that HIV/AIDS and poverty go hand in hand. The only thing she could do in the face of these struggles was stand up. This moment was the beginning of a women’s support group which eventually became what we know as MOCASO. MOCASO now assists over 250 orphans and 300 adults living with HIV/ AIDS. Joyce stood and made a difference for hundreds of lives. I am proud stand with her.