My name is Josephine, and I am a young woman living with HIV.
If it weren’t for EGPAF, I wouldn’t be alive today.
When I was 10 years old, I learned that I was living with HIV. I had found a letter that my mother never intended for me to see, confirming that she, my father, my sister and I were all infected with the virus. Our family had been plagued with illness for many years, and before seeing the letter, I had never understood why. My mom was the worst. She suffered from pneumonia many times, and we both had bumps all over our skin.
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By My name is Zanele and I am 25 years old. One year ago, on World AIDS Day 2009, I lived with my husband, Mfanzile, and my one-year-old daughter, Phiwa,
My name is Zanele and I am 25 years old. One year ago, on World AIDS Day 2009, I lived with my husband, Mfanzile, and my one-year-old daughter, Phiwa, in Mkhulamini, Swaziland.
Life was hard. We lived in a one-room house with barely enough space for the three of us. We earned very little money; sometimes we did not have enough food to eat. Mfanzile and I were HIV-positive, and although we both took our medications, Mfanzile was often sick.
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My name is Agness. I’m 32 years old and live in Mtendere, a township in Lusaka, Zambia. In 2002, I received some devastating news: I was diagnosed with HIV. After learning my status, I felt very scared and alone. With a two-year-old daughter to look after I was worried what my diagnosis would mean for me and my family. When my daughter began getting sick, I feared the worst. My friends encouraged me to take her to the clinic where she was examined and tested for HIV. When her results came back positive, I felt like my family was falling apart.
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Less than a year after learning their status, Lucas Courtney and his brother Lee became confident speakers on behalf of EGPAF – sharing their experiences as HIV-positive children, prompting others to take action, and reducing the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. Today, they are healthy, active boys who enjoy friends, sports, and school. The Courtney family continues to support EGPAF's work, advocating on behalf of the organization at university “Up for the Fight” Dance Marathons and participating in EGPAF events around the country.
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My name is Marekelalitsoe and I am 22 years old. I live with my husband in a village in Mokhotlong district, Lesotho. My husband builds houses for a living and I am a housewife. I’m 28 weeks pregnant with our first child.
This morning, I came to the clinic at Mokhotlong Hospital for my first antenatal checkup. I was scared before I came. My family told me that the nurses would insult me because I delayed coming for so long. But that did not happen – the nurses and staff were good to me and made me feel welcome.
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Five years ago, when I was pregnant with my son Frechou, I went to the hospital for a consultation. I received counseling and agreed to be tested for HIV. The test was positive.
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I am Alice. I am 35 years old and live in Moamba, a district in Mozambique’s Maputo Province near the South Africa border.
When I got pregnant two years ago, I went to the health center for a pre-natal visit and I was tested for HIV. The result was positive. I was surprised and full of bitterness. I still remember how I cried after finding out — I had no will or strength to live. But thanks to a counselor that did not give up on me, I am here today.
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Zanele and Mfanzile Dlamini live at the top of a hill, on a winding dirt road outside Manzini, Swaziland. They share a tiny house with their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Phiwayinkhosi, whom they call Phiwa.
Zanele is 24 years old and Mfanzile is 28. Life has not been easy for either of them.
When Zanele was a child, her father was often ill and her family had little money. She attended school sporadically and her classmates often made fun of her because she had no shoes.
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I have been living with HIV for five years now, so it makes me feel happy to help children who are also living with the virus to cope with the challenges,” says 28-year-old Sam. Sam is a child mentor for the HIV child support club at Africa Directions, a Foundation-supported organization in Lusaka, Zambia.
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On February 2, 2010, Tanya passed away after a four-month battle with pneumonia and other medical issues. She was 26.
Tanya, a single mother to her son Damian, had been part of the Foundation family since the very beginning. She represented the Foundation as a Family Ambassador, and was a mentor to other children and young adults living with HIV.
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