Personal Stories by Team Leaders

Here are selected stories by team leaders at Yabonga.

Nwabisa Blossom Nolokovane (Team Leader)

I was four month pregnant when I lost my appetite and then a lot of weight. I was tired all the time and had pains in my left belly. I had medical aid at the time and so visited a private doctor but he did not know what was wrong. Then he asked me to do an HIV test, I agreed so he performed a PCR and told me to come back to get my results. The results were HIV positive, my CD4 count was 14.

It was a shock! I asked myself: why me? What have I done? A week later I passed out in front of my house and was taken straight to Groote Schuur Hospital. By then my CD4 count had dropped to 8! And I had TB. I treated my TB, started Nevirapine and AZT a month later. Four months later I gave birth and my baby was HIV negative. I am married to a Tswana guy, when I disclosed to him he was behind me all the way. My family also supported me.

I later joined the Yabonga Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission Programme, that is where I gained confidence. Later I joined the Yabonga family and was trained to be a Peer Educator. I am now a Team Leader. Yabonga helped me to grow personally in a way that I never thought possible. I am now more confident than ever. I am now taking Effivenz in a combination and today my CD4 count is 685. I am and feel healthy and beautiful.

Vuyiseka Elspeth Majikela (Team Leader)

I am Vuyiseka Elspeth Majikela, I live in Khayelitsha with my parents, my sister and my 11 year old son. In October 2001 I was diagnosed HIV positive. I was pregnant with my second child. My life changed dramatically that day because I thought I was going to die. Even at home things changed a lot. I was drinking a lot, thinking that I was going to die anyway. I didn’t know anything about support groups or people who were also infected with HIV. I felt like the only one who was HIV positive.

I gave birth in December 2001 and I started attending a support group to get formula milk for my baby. I was praying every day that my baby was HIV negative but unfortunately in August 2002 she was diagnosed HIV positive. All this time my family didn’t know about my status because I thought they will find out when I am dead. But knowing my status alone haunted me; whenever I turned on the TV, radio, or read pamphlets and newspaper – HIV/AIDS was everywhere! I lost a lot of weight. Even so much, that people started thinking that I was bewitched. But since my family members are not believers they ignored the talk.

My baby Wona died on the 27th of April 2003 and was buried on the 3rd of May. She was one year and four months old. I had already disclosed my HIV status to my family and also my baby’s. As difficult as it was, I knew that I had to! It was not easy for them to accept it. As I was not educated about HIV I could not answer some of their questions. That is when I decided to join a support group.

I went to two different support groups but I didn’t find what I wanted – which was information on HIV/AIDS. Instead I came home with a food parcel, but I was still blank, not knowing more about HIV. I heard about Yabonga when I was staying with relatives in Philippi and joined the support group. In 2004 I went train as a Peer Educator. While doing the training I felt so strong, standing in front of an audience, speaking about HIV and AIDS and about my own status. By that time I had gained a lot of weight and people would not believe me that I had the virus. Even in my community people would come up to me, asking anything about HIV and AIDS. And now I can answer their questions.

In 2006 I was promoted as a Team Leader to assist at Mfuleni Support Centre. I was very happy, thinking where I started and how my life would have been like if I hadn’t come to Yabonga. I have lots of sisters and brothers in the Yabonga family, I feel at home and it is easy to share your problems with anybody at Yabonga because we know each other so well.

Now I have my Support Centre at Wallacedene in Kraaifontein. I started here at the end of June 2007. My family is very proud of me because of all I have achieved. In 2007 I was nominated as the best Team Leader twice - in October and December.

I want to thank Yabonga for everything they have done for me. If I hadn’t come to Yabonga, I don’t know where I would be today. I am where I am today because of Yabonga and I know that I am still going far!