Helen is 42 years old. She is small, tall and she doesn't seem to be happy in life. She separated with her husband in 2003. She then tested HIV positive in 2004. By that time she was very sick. She is now taking AIDS medicines and her health has improved drastically although she continues to suffer from chronic skin rashes and eye problems.

Helen has four children and they all live in the village with their father who is a shop keeper. She is so worried about her children because the father is also weak and suffering from some disease.
She lives with her mother and the extended family, 21 people living in an old three-roomed house. These people are all her relatives who like herself are refugees from northern Uganda. If it is a rainy season, some parts of the house leak.