Personal Stories by Peer Educators

Here are selected stories by peer educators at Yabonga.

Patricia Njozela (Peer Educator)

Yabonga has helped me to gain strength and gave me hope.

The Ladies from Yabonga made me realise that life is not always about me: they taught me to take care of myself and trained me to look after those who are also affected by this pandemic and infected with the virus.

Yabonga has brought back meaning to my life as I regained self-respect and confidence. I have learnt skills that encourage me to have a positive impact on those who are not strong enough to deal with HIV and AIDS.

Yabonga has opened my eyes and made me realise that even though the pandemic is real – life can go on and it does. I dream again and look forward to my life, always being one step ahead.
I am living my live positively with HIV - and I am proud of it.

Thandi Nyovane (Peer Educator)

Before Yabonga: I saw the changes in people who were HIV positive in the Yabonga support group, and became open about the status and then they started talking about being HIV positive in front of all those people. I decided to follow their example. I disclosed my status but I did not accept it. I was drinking a lot and there was no chance that I would do those things as I said 'who am I to stand in front of an audience and talk about my HIV status?' but I joined Yabonga and now I can. I help other people to understand, as I did.

With Yabonga: I am very proud working for Yabonga. Yabonga put a light on my table in my house, it opened my mind and brought back my self-esteem. I learnt to live healthy with my status and be proud.

The more I work for Yabonga the more I learn, every day but especially on workshops. I didn’t know about workshop and what they are, now I know they can wake up your mind and make you think really hard. I experience that a lot. Thanks to Yabonga.

Nomvuyiseko Mzoyi (Peer Educator)

I'm Nomvuyiseko Mzoyi, I knew my status in 1990 but I never got a safe place to disclose to like Yabonga. I was always unhappy and stressed. I met 3 Yabonga ladies at the Mfuleni Clinic, I was pregnant by then. I wanted to come closer to them but was scared to be associated with them since they were wearing T-shirts with HIV/AIDS slogans. I listen to their education session on the importance of using condoms and the transmission from mother to child.

I decided to join the support group afterwards and that is where I was equipped with a lot of things like knowledge on the symptoms of STI's. I thought I was going to die with my child but here I am, still alive. Yabonga has helped me to come to terms with my status. I am a happy and strong mother because of Yabonga. I now have got courage to do the same thing to other newly diagnosed. I encourage everyone to come to Yabonga to get a better life and hope.