Isaac Dahn (37 years) is a very soft spoken, very humble pastor. He is also one of the only Liberians I know who has the guts to talk openly about living with AIDS He doesn’t try to cover up “I didn’t get any blood transfusions or injections so I’m sure I got it from sex with a girlfriend … I just don’t know which one. I looked up my old girlfriends still in Liberia - most were so vexed they didn’t even want to talk to me. Liberians are so discriminated against if they admit they have HIV/AIDS. People just don’t include you in anything. I volunteer as the National Chaplain of People Living With Aids in Liberia. The extreme cases of initial HIV shock I counsel either want to commit suicide or they are so angry they want to go out and infect everyone else they so everyone will be on the same level.”

On Nov 6, 2002 Isaac had such a severe headache he was unable to walk or speak. Our mission doctor friend Rick Sacra discovered he was strongly HIV positive. Isaac wanted to kill himself for months but through loving support from Christian friends found faith and new life in Christ. He knows God has kept him alive for just one mission: to save as many Liberians as possible from AIDS. Isaac needs $100 USD/month for the 60 DUOVIR antiretroviral tablets per month to keep him as healthy as possible. He has no regular income.
“Sometimes I half dose myself, like now, I can’t take any drugs because I don’t have enough after paying rent and food. I’m more interested in warning everyone I can about HIV AIDS than looking for a job I probably won’t get. Everyday I talk to school groups, church groups, people in the taxis - anyone who will listen.” We are trying to arrange to help support Isaac in his AIDS education and counseling work so that he can afford the expensive drugs he needs as well as continue his compassionate work. All of our EQUIP staff and our 1400 CHA volunteers use dramas, songs, focused group discussions and every other means possible including radio to help people prevent HIV. When ever I discuss it with a group I find tears running down my face as I see the lights coming on in people’s minds. Attitudes and behavior are changing very significantly. The HIV infection rate in Liberia is approx. 12% and still climbing. Over 35 million Africans are infected with AIDS. World wide over 50 million are infected. It has
become the fourth leading cause of death. In this region three women are infected with HIV to every one man.