Personal Stories - Men's Programme

Here are selected stories by members of the men's programme.

Bulelani Mbem (Men's Programme)

Firstly I'd like to thank Yabonga for granting me this opportunity to write my HIV story.
To be hornets, it was not easy at all to handle my HIV status. I was not ill but I coughed for about two weeks and decided then to go to the clinic. It is where the doctor told me about VCT. I took that chance and went for a test. The result turned out HIV positive. It is where my life started to be very miserable because I had no where to go.

I told my wife even though it was not easy for her to cope she tried to understand and give me support. Bare in mind that by that time I was unemployed and having nothing to eat. But God sent an angle wearing a black T-shirt written Yabonga to me who told me to go to the support group but it was not easy at all.

When I got there, there were many people who also live HIV positive. The Peer Educators told me how to live a long life being HIV positive. They also supplied me with a meal and also a food parcel to take home to my family. I'm now training at Yabonga as one of their Peer Educators who wants to brake a silence because men do not want to talk about or deal with their HIV status. I wish I will have a long life so I can play an important role as a HIV positive man to be an example to other men.

Thank you.
Bulelani Mbem

David Baleka (Men's Programme)

I am David Baleka, it was 2001 when I was getting sick. I’ve got a problem on the body and the face. My problem was thrush. That year I was start doing grade 11 at Eastern Cape. Now I was supposed to drop out of school because of bad health. I came here to Cape Town on March 2001 to my father.

That problem still continued by the time I got here to Cape Town. Every week I was supposed to go to the doctor at Eerster River. They didn’t make me feel better. One day my father said to me there is another guy living at Nyanga who is a Xhosa Traditional Healer. This guy gave me Xhosa medicines and then we had to buy red brandy. You mixed this brandy with Xhosa medicines that you drink three times a day. After I drink medicine I didn’t feel better. I feel worse. I threw away this Xhosa medicine.

One day I decided to go to the clinic because of many times I’m using special doctors and traditional healers who cannot help me. That day I was going to the clinic I told th doctor I would like to know about Aids. The doctor told me that first I must do the counselling before the test.

I was said it’s fine. That day I was test HIV positive. The sister took my blood and she said after a month I must come back and get my results. The results said my CD4 count is 14. The sister told my there is a container from Yabonga. I came inside that container and meet some people dressed in black T-shirts written Yabonga. I got more support and knowledge on HIV. In 2005 14th February I started ARVs at Tygerberg Hospital. I was felt so much better since I started ARVs - till today!

Thanks.