Lebogang
Brenda Motsumi is a 25-year-old HIV positive mother of one. The HIV activist,
who is now working towards an Aids free generation shared this inspiring words
on Facebook:
"Good
morning, my name is Lebogang Brenda Motsumi aka African Queen. I am NOT HIV, I
am LIVING with HIV. I am not the virus, the virus lives in me. I am not defined
by HIV, but I define HIV" Brenda found out she was HIV positive in 2009
after she read an article by a popular guy whom she dated.
In
the article, the man revealed his status and said he was sick. She got tested
and was diagnosed with HIV. However, she lived in denial until 2011 when she
finally accepted her status on discovering that she was pregnant. She took ARVs
to protect her child.She went back to partying and drinking after the birth of
her daughter. "Since I was not looking sick I thought there was nothing
wrong so I went back to living my life until I got very sick in August and I
came to the decision that HIV is real and its for you to move on for my family
and daughter. It's for me to accept it and live positively. I then joined a
youth support group and I noticed that I wasn't the only one living with HIV as
there were also some young people living with it." Her daughter is HIV
negative. She disclosed her status to her family and later made it public.
Brenda now has a foundation and her message to the youth is "BE SAFE. If
you can't stand condoms then ABSTAIN"
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