Tanzania: Coping with stigma

I am a male aged 29 born in a rural village in Karagwe. I have lived with HIV since 2002 when I got tested. This was after I suffered from herpes zoster. I shared the test results with my family hoping for support and compassion but their response was negative. Instead, I lost all my friends and my own family evicted me from the family house. I got courageous and moved to Dar es Salaam where nobody knew about my situation to start a new life.

After two months’ stay in Dar es Salaam, I joined various local support groups like Kimara Peer Educators where I received counselling. I also attended training in stigma education from Lamara and Muhimbili. Since then, I have been educating my fellow youth on stigma awareness. It has been very difficult to convince my family to accept my situation but some of them have accepted my condition.

I now visit various centres to talk to youths on the importance of disclosing their status for those who have tested; and for those who have not tested, to go and take an HIV test.

I now live with great hope since I have managed to cope with the strong stigma I faced.