Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - October 17, 2004

I am living with HIV

My parents are HIV positive

My parents are HIV positive

Many, many people in South Africa are affected by HIV and AIDS. Some people are HIV positive, others have family members who are HIV positive, others have lost friends and relatives who have died from AIDS.

Like Thapelo, Sipho has parents who are also HIV positive.

"I am Delisile.

I am the mother of three children. I was diagnosed HIV positive in 1998. At first I was not really worried because I did not know what HIV was. But I began to find out more and then I began to be afraid I was going to die. I did not know anyone else with this disease.

Then I found a support group and I joined it. I realised I was not the only one who was infected. The group helps a lot. We support each other and encourage each other. I have one friend from the group that I talk to a lot. We share our feelings and compare our problems and when I talk the problems seem smaller.

I am now healthy and strong. I try to take care of my body by eating healthy food. I have accepted that I am HIV positive and this is not the end of the world, I am not going to die now. In fact, when I go to the clinic they cannot believe I look so well because I have been infected for some time now. When I tell people, they do not believe me. They say, "You look so well."

I think one reason I stay well is because I have accepted that I am HIV positive. I can help people better now because I am positive. I help a lot of people around here. I want to start a project with young children who are infected or who do not have parents. I have one child I am looking after. I know I am capable of doing this.

I would like to say to children who are reading this that if they know someone who is HIV positive they must not reject them but support them because you cannot be infected by touching someone. You can play with her or his children because if a parent is infected this does not mean the child is. I wish everyone was open about HIV and AIDS. I wish everyone who is infected would just come forward and talk. You can live with it if you believe in yourself."

"I am Sipho.

I am 11 years old. Both my mother and father are HIV positive and my little sister is too. I sometimes think about what will happen to me when my parents die. Who will be left with me in this world? I worry that people will abuse me every day when there is no one to take care of me. I worry that I will become like the kids on the street that smoke glue.

Even now some people treat me badly because my mother is sick. My mother is not always able to confront the people because she is sick. My father thinks we should not talk about AIDS in our house. He thinks I will tell other people who are not supposed to know. But my mother does talk to me about her sickness. She tells me about my grandmother who died and that this will happen to her too but she will be sick first. I feel sad but also happy when my mother talks like this. I feel that she loves me.

I am happy at other times too. I am happy when playing with other children. Sometimes I play a game with my mother. I like playing with my mother. She likes playing with me too.

I am also happy when I go to the Bambanani group. This is a group for children whose parents have HIV and AIDS. It is good to talk about our problems and how we are feeling. Sometimes we cry and Sis Nobesto gives us a hug. We help each other to feel better about our mothers and fathers."

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