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HIV-positive taxi driver takes the disease’s name and brands his car with the virus
Rather than hide himself from the public eye to avoid stigma, an HIV-positive taxi driver chose to change his name to that of the disease and then went on to brand his car HIV.
HIV-positive taxi driver takes the disease’s name, brands his car with the virus
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Karuru who plies the Eldoret-Chepkoilel route in the Rift Valley region of the eastern African country has picked up the pet name 'Virus', and that is what he is popularly called and he responds with glee.
"I actually respond in the affirmative when the name Virus calls me. The name has made it easier for me to spread awareness of the condition and how to protect oneself.
"Some people don't even know my real name, but at the mention of Virus, they will point me out," he said in an interview with Tuko.co.ke.
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His taxi which has the symbol of HIV/AIDS embossed at vantage parts also has messages of hope for people living with the disease.
He explained that his motive for branding his taxi with such messages is to encourage those with the disease while educating those without it to play safe.
"From my personal experiences, some of these people witnessed how I was fighting to stay alive; if only I had someone to educate me on healthy living before, maybe I would have saved my wife. I remarried after I regained my health," he stated.
According to Tuko.co.ke Karuru tested positive for HIV after he fell seriously ill in 2003, which lead to his immediate admission to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
He disclosed that treatment at the hospital was not encouraging, so his family decided to take him home for home-based treatment, a decision which he claimed has paid off.
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"I was almost walking into the hereafter. Miraculously, my health changed. The intense home-based care worked. That was a sign from God that I have not yet finished my assignment on earth."
Although he regrettably lost his wife after he infected her with the virus, Karuru said he wants to make the best of his life while he is alive.
"It is deplorable that my wife then Lucy Njoki died afterwards after she too tested positive. Depression took her away from me.
"I chose to live for my God and my children. I implored God not to let me die. The Psalms on the back of this vehicle reads, ‘I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done', and that is my anchor.
“After being introduced and joining group therapy, I started his matatu business with my little savings and a financial boost from a self-help group,” he noted.
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Karuru has married another woman who is equally positive with HIV after the death of his wife.
He now has two more HIV-negative children with his new wife Margaret Kiptoo through the prevention of the mother-to-child transmission programme.
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