When Gaudensia lost her oldest daughter to AIDS, she and her husband, Peter, took on the responsibility of raising their granddaughter, Maria. Only 4% of Tanzanians receive a pension, forcing them to depend on their children in their old age. The AIDS pandemic changed all that. The loss of an adult child is hard enough, but here it can also mean poverty for the elderly parents. along with the burden of raising orphaned grandchildren. Fortunately for Gaudensia and Peter, their youngest daughter is helping them. Although Maria had been HIV+ since birth, it wasn't detected until 2017, when Maria was four years old. She registered with Uzima Centre the following year, but it is the love of her grandparents that has made all the difference. We are grateful to the role that Gaudensia and Peter are playing in raising Maria.
