The Founder

WHO IS  REBECCA AWITI?

The founder and coordinator of MOCHIWELA Ms Rebecca Awiti (second left) and Unicef staff including country director (third from right) during a press release following the Regional Consultation Meeting on Advancing Elimination of MTCT and synergies for improved maternal and newborn health in Eastern and Southern Africa. March 15-17, 2011 at Laico Regency Nairobi.

Rebecca Awiti is a mother of triplets born in 2005. She is the coordinator and founder of Mother to Child Welfare Association (MOCHIWELA). Rebecca tested HIV positive in 2002 at a hospital in Nairobi. She felt devastated and lost hope of survival. She however joined a support group of women living with HIV that helped her come into terms with the diagnosis.

She also started accessing HIV treatment with CD4 of 525 and was put on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. From the comprehensive care clinic and support from a support group, Rebecca realized that there was hope and that with the right medical care, she could give birth to a child who is free from HIV infection. 

Rebecca and her husband then decided to have a baby. While they were trying to conceive, they consulted with the doctors, counselors and nutritionist who helped them choose the best options to enable them have HIV free children.

Rebecca became pregnant in 2004 and went for regular antenatal visits at a clinic on the outskirts of Nairobi. 

In 2005 she enrolled in a Prevention of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) and started taking antiretroviral drugs. Doctors monitored her pregnancy every few weeks. Several months later in September 2005 she gave birth to quadruplets all HIV negative. Though, one passed on a week after delivery. Rebecca says she was fortunate to benefit from a PMTCT program that offered comprehensive and quality health care to women and children. Unfortunately, not all women in Kenya can access these services. 

When her children were two months old, her mother-in-law came visiting with some traditional concoctions that were to be taken by the whole family, claiming they were meant to cleanse the family to avoid any deaths. Being a Christian with strong faith and belief in conventional medication, Rebecca tried to persuade her husband that neither they nor the babies should take the concoctions and decided to throw them away. Funny enough, her husband reported her refusal to take the concoction to her mother-in-law. This resulted to hatred and total rejection by the mother-in-law. It also resulted to neglect by the husband who accused her of not loving her mother-in-law and their entire family. For two years her family was engulfed in constant marital fights and abuse that led to her separation from her husband till the husband’s death  in December 2007.

Rebecca has solely struggled to raise the triplets who are currently seven years old and school going. Her struggles and pain is what lead her to start MOCHIWELA so as to support other women with similar experiences.

Rebecca is a strong advocate for the women. She supports and helps them know that:

1. PMTCT services are available and highly effective in preventing HIV transmission from mother to child.
2. HIV treatment and care services are accessible to all women on demand
3. Women and children’s rights should be respected.
4. Cultural beliefs that negatively impact on women and children should be eliminated.
5. Maternal and Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) services should be scaled up and  made accessible to all women and newborns  to avoid pregnancy related complications and deaths of newborn deaths
6. Women should be empowered as they play an important role in the social economic development of the country.

Rebecca has therefore been involved in various forums with leaders of special programs and bodies to enhance her advocacy.

Ms Rebecca, UNAIDS Director Michel Sidibe and Wofak Director