ONE of the greatest challenges in the fight against the HIV and Aids scourge is the stigma associated with the disease.
Own Correspondent
Most people diagnosed with the condition usually elect to become closet sufferers, which means they hide away from the public and keep their illness a big secret.
Rebecca Chiroodza (36), who had been living positively with HIV since 1999, is one of the very small number of people countrywide who decided to break this trend and go public with their condition in the hope that their experiences would help others similarly infected.
Although she still does not have full-blown AIDS since testing HIV-positive 13 years ago, she was among the first people to disclose their status and participate in anti-stigma campaigns. Since 2003, she has been moving countrywide, in workplaces, churches, homes and through the media, radio and television, teaching people on HIV and home-based care.
She uses her own testimony as a lesson to other people and this has helped so many people countrywide to change their behaviour and attitudes — if they are negative and also if they are positive — so they can continue living a healthy life.
When Chiroodza got tested in 1999, HIV was still an enigma and she could not tell anyone — even her close family and friends, because she feared how people would react. She describes this as one of the most difficult times in her life because she needed someone to confide in, but the fear of rejection was so great she chose to keep quiet.
In 2001, Chiroodza decided to join a group — New Life Support Group — and every Saturday they had meetings. In 2003, Chiroodza volunteered to participate in an anti-stigma campaign by Population Services International (PSI).
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This was triggered by her sister’s death whom she believes, would not have died if she had opened up and sought treatment. Instead, because she was afraid of being stigmatised, she never got treatment and this resulted in her untimely death.
Working with PSI, they mounted an advertisement which was very popular on ZTV where there were four or five people that were revealing their statuses on national television.
Chiroodza was among these people and her message was Handina kuroiwa, ndirikurarama ne HIV (I was not bewitched. I am living positively with HIV).
The advertisement saw the beginning of Chiroodza’s project because after this, she started getting many phone calls from people who needed help.
PSI then introduced her to what they called a “workplace programme” and she started moving countrywide with their officials making presentations to people in workplaces. She was on the road all the time — even going as far as Beitbridge. From that time to date, Chiroodza has become a source of inspiration for many people infected and affected by HIV.
Chiroodza is involved in workshops and training. She teaches people the stages after getting tested, denial and hatred towards those that one thinks might have infected them.
She also teaches people how to overcome these emotions and move forward. Stress management, protected sex and healthy eating are also some of the processes she emphasises and cites them as the reason her HIV has not developed to AIDS even after so many years.
Chiroodza also works with PSI whenever there are campaigns, workshops or training to be conducted and it is all on a voluntary basis. With their workplace programme, she has visited a number of big organisations all over the country such as Telecel, ReNaissance Bank, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Afre Corporation, Mazda Wllowvale, and so many others.
Occassionally she goes to Wilkins Clinic, Harare, to counsel patients free of charge and to give support. She also trains homebased care practitioners.
Two months ago, Chiroodza was on Star FM, on a show called Kind of Love presented by Lee Kandiero and Beatrice Tonhodzai. Chiroodza was given this platform to educate people and inspire them with her testimony and experiences.
Among her achievements since she joined the campaign against HIV and Aids in 2007, Chiroodza was given a GIEPA certificate — Greater Involvement and Empowerment of People living with HIV and Aids by PSI.
She is the only one in Zimbabwe to ever get such recognition and receive such an award. This was in appreciation of the great impact she has had in Zimbabwe as a whole.
There is no funding for this project, Chiroodza’s uses her own funds to travel except when she is working with PSI, which provides transport and food. For all the work, she does not get any payment except an occasional token of appreciation from the people she offers support to.
A huge number of people have had their lives changed due to Chiroodza’s project. In Chitungwiza, she has worked with more than 500 people, in Domboshava more than 100 people and lots of other people in so many different places.
At Wilkins Opportunistic Infections Clinic, she has also helped over 500 people.
