Ntombekhaya's Story

I am 38 years of age.

I live in Grahamstown.

Writing About HIV:

I find HIV disease when I was 33 years and I find out when I see limps side of my thigh, it called shingles.

I speak out with my status after I heard I’m positive. At first I was doubt its me have positive and I was shocked. I was told my family. First the members of my church and my friends. The reason that I told the people that are mentioned above is because I was need support from them and advice so I can not take my life to doing wrong things.

I live with my three year old daughter.

The sickness is not an issue in my life. The importance of my life is all the dreams that I have before I diagnosed. I still have them. Nothing can change that, and my life is going on more than before.

As I’m not have pension and I must eat my treatment everyday and I can’t eat without food. Raphael Centre help to give me breakfast and lunch. At the end of the month I have small food parcel at least for a week, but I have once a month. We learn how to survive with positive life and respect yourself.

For myself I think if I followed the instruction and listen the counselors when they teach us how do you live with positive. My dreams become true.

I want people to look me like a human being not a positive woman. There is a wonderful life after you know who you are.

I have two children, a boy and a girl.

I’m not married.

My boyfriend is have the disease as I am but my children are negative.

My Story:

I’m Ntombekhaya Patricia Adam. I’m a single mother of two children. I live at the city of Grahamstown. I live with my little daughter she have three years. Her name is Msindise. My son is 22 years and he live at extension seven at his father’s home.

My son live with me when he is doing standard five because I have no job to do when he want fees for school. I give him. So we decide he go and live with his father.

In 2003 I was diagnosed with HIV and I’m going to speak about this with my family. I was not ready to tell my son about this, but sister of my mom was all ready to do so. I was so worried when she told about this because I know my son very well. I was questioning her, “how he is react?” She said, “he was too painful for him and he was crying because ehe think his mother is going to die soon.” But with the power of God and trust my son is alright now. When he see his mom he see a normal, negative mother. The mother that he had before.

Now I have a 3 year old beautiful girl after I know my status. And I hope is going to be a old girl in front of my eyes. Nothing can change that because I know God is always there for us , every step we take at our lives. I’m not scared to talk about my status. From everywhere in the world I see many people in papers and magazines with HIV/AIDS. They are look healthy and they are beautiful, nothing wrong about that. So, what is going to stop me to look like them?

Written in English, but Ntombekhaya's native language is Xhosa.