Full Story
Four tales of courage shine light in the gloom
FOUR women living with HIV-AIDS - all members of the Tuyakula Self-help Group - tell their stories.
* INGRID (32) found out about her HIV status in 2001.
She is the mother of two sons, the elder of whom is a healthy
nine-year-old.
But her seven-month-old baby boy is also infected.
Her family know her status and has accepted it.
At first it was difficult for them but then she pointed out that
she is much healthier than her uncle who has cancer and her mother
who is suffering from asthma and obesity.
Ingrid is not taking anti-retroviral drugs yet but hopes to
start a course of them, supplied by the Ministry of Health and
Social Services, next week.
When she first found out she was HIV-positive, her boyfriend
left her and she lost her job.
She was very lonely and saw no future until she joined Tuyakula
where all the women have the same problems and can support one
another.
When she is nauseated or depressed they understand because they
go through the same things every day.
She is the group's head gardener.
Ingrid's message: "A person living with HIV has to always think
positive, and only then can we make a difference".
* REINHILDE (31) has a healthy boy aged seven.
But she became infected in 2000 during pregnancy, and her
three-year-old son is now infected also.
Among her family, only her husband knows her status and he does
not want his friends to find out so she is not allowed to go
public.
The husband works, says Reinhilde, but does not look after the
family as he drinks his wage away.
She is very weak and used to train the other woman in bead work
but now she cannot stand or work for long periods.
Reinhilde's messages: "Please help us so that we can become
financially independent and can buy food for our children". "We are
not helpless, we can do things for ourselves".
* ELISABETH (38) has five children ranging in age from five to
22.
The youngest boy is infected.
She was a babysitter and the family whose child she was looking
after asked her to go for the test in 1999.
She then found out she was positive but has told no one outside
the group of her status because she sees what happened to other
women in the group.
They got chased out of their houses.
Elisabeth is scared that her infected son will be maltreated and
not allowed to play with other children.
She is not on drugs because she is very afraid of them: someone
on drugs told her that if you drink or smoke while taking
anti-retroviral drugs you will die the next day (which is not
true).
Elisabeth's message: "Men don't want to work, they just want to
spread the virus".
* MARIA (32) became infected in 2000 and has a healthy year-old
boy.
When she first became ill, her boyfriend chased her away.
She left and went back to Ovamboland where her mother and sister
also chased her away.
She then moved in with her grandmother before returning to
Windhoek where she received counselling from Catholic AIDS
Action.
She then joined the group and has now found new friends who
accept her with her illness.
She still has no contact with her family, although her sister
looks after her son.
Maria is now searching for a place of her own so that her son
can come and live with her and go to school in Windhoek.
Maria's message: "I lost everything but now I have friends and
can think of my and my son's future," All these women are part of
the Tuyakula group, which means: "Help us help ourselves".
The group has 63 members of whom only one is a man.
All the members are infected with HIV-AIDS.
The group is divided into three sections: one is a support group
where members can share their problems and talk to people who
understand them.
The second is a gardening project where various vegetables,
tended by the members themselves, The vegetables are cooked at the
house and healthy meals are provided for the members and their
children.
Surplus vegetables are sold to raise extra income.
In the third section, women fashion crafts from leather and do
beadwork, which is sold at Penduka or at their house in
Wanaheda.
Tuyakula gives these members not only the strength born of
camaraderie but also dignity and the recognition that they are
needed and useful citizens.
She is the mother of two sons, the elder of whom is a healthy
nine-year-old. But her seven-month-old baby boy is also infected.
Her family know her status and has accepted it. At first it was
difficult for them but then she pointed out that she is much
healthier than her uncle who has cancer and her mother who is
suffering from asthma and obesity. Ingrid is not taking
anti-retroviral drugs yet but hopes to start a course of them,
supplied by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, next week.
When she first found out she was HIV-positive, her boyfriend left
her and she lost her job. She was very lonely and saw no future
until she joined Tuyakula where all the women have the same
problems and can support one another. When she is nauseated or
depressed they understand because they go through the same things
every day. She is the group's head gardener. Ingrid's message: "A
person living with HIV has to always think positive, and only then
can we make a difference".* REINHILDE (31) has a healthy boy aged
seven. But she became infected in 2000 during pregnancy, and her
three-year-old son is now infected also. Among her family, only her
husband knows her status and he does not want his friends to find
out so she is not allowed to go public. The husband works, says
Reinhilde, but does not look after the family as he drinks his wage
away. She is very weak and used to train the other woman in bead
work but now she cannot stand or work for long periods. Reinhilde's
messages: "Please help us so that we can become financially
independent and can buy food for our children". "We are not
helpless, we can do things for ourselves".* ELISABETH (38) has five
children ranging in age from five to 22. The youngest boy is
infected. She was a babysitter and the family whose child she was
looking after asked her to go for the test in 1999. She then found
out she was positive but has told no one outside the group of her
status because she sees what happened to other women in the group.
They got chased out of their houses. Elisabeth is scared that her
infected son will be maltreated and not allowed to play with other
children. She is not on drugs because she is very afraid of them:
someone on drugs told her that if you drink or smoke while taking
anti-retroviral drugs you will die the next day (which is not
true). Elisabeth's message: "Men don't want to work, they just want
to spread the virus".* MARIA (32) became infected in 2000 and has a
healthy year-old boy. When she first became ill, her boyfriend
chased her away. She left and went back to Ovamboland where her
mother and sister also chased her away. She then moved in with her
grandmother before returning to Windhoek where she received
counselling from Catholic AIDS Action. She then joined the group
and has now found new friends who accept her with her illness. She
still has no contact with her family, although her sister looks
after her son. Maria is now searching for a place of her own so
that her son can come and live with her and go to school in
Windhoek. Maria's message: "I lost everything but now I have
friends and can think of my and my son's future," All these women
are part of the Tuyakula group, which means: "Help us help
ourselves". The group has 63 members of whom only one is a man. All
the members are infected with HIV-AIDS. The group is divided into
three sections: one is a support group where members can share
their problems and talk to people who understand them. The second
is a gardening project where various vegetables, tended by the
members themselves, The vegetables are cooked at the house and
healthy meals are provided for the members and their children.
Surplus vegetables are sold to raise extra income. In the third
section, women fashion crafts from leather and do beadwork, which
is sold at Penduka or at their house in Wanaheda. Tuyakula gives
these members not only the strength born of camaraderie but also
dignity and the recognition that they are needed and useful
citizens.
