Testimonies by people living with HIV (PLHIV) at the signing of the Paris Agreement by City of Harare highlighted how HIV/AIDS education is paramount in ending AIDS by 2030.
Two per educators living with HIV recounted how their lives got saved from the epidemic at the occasion this month in the Capital.
Cecilia Ruzvidzo aged 43 said she tested HIV positive in 2003.” I was married at 18 years and my husband was abusive’, she narrated. “He was promiscuous and that lead me also to have sex with different people”, she added.
Due to the unfaithfulness between the two, she tested positive in 2002 and went in denial.” When the results came stating that I was HIV positive, I didn’t accept it thereby didn’t took the medication”, she elaborated.
In 2005, she became pregnant, tested positive and was given Verapin and Co-trimoxazole. A group supporting PLHIV called Regai dzive shiri talked to me about the goodness of taking medication. They had a programme titled Shamwari yerwendo”, she explained. At that time she had started her treatment on TB and ART. The group used to call her and ask her if she had taken medication.
In January 2012, her CD4 count which was 150 became 800 showing recovery. “In 2012. I started to take medication alone without anyone telling me to take it”, she said.
“I felt obliged to also impart knowledge to those in sex work like myself hence I became a peer educator. I want sex workers to know that if one becomes HIV positive, it doesn’t mean that you are about to die’, she said.
She is now a junior outreach worker CeSHHAR Zimbabwe with educating sex worker on the need to condomise and to be Antiretroviral treatment (ART). She is a mother of 4 and grandmother of 3.
Lloyd. A community adolescent treatment supporter in Harare district based at Sunningdale Clinic also gave thumbs up to HIV/AIDS education in his testimony.
‘I was born living with HIV and got tested at 6 years old’, he said.
He started taking Co-trimoxazole and was initiated on ART, year and half later. ‘’ I was just told that if I don’t take the medication’ I would die”, he said. At that time he despised taking medication thus putting his life at risk. He got sick writing his Grade 7 exams and was admitted at hospital.
His CD4 count was very low that he was near to death. At the hospital, he met a support group who helped him on the issue and on that time he was disclosed of his status.
He is living happy and is grateful to be on ART as this saved his life. He recommends HIV/AIDS knowledge to be imparted .
News Sport Online 