26 Mar 2017

 Learning that you are HIV positive can be one of the most difficult experiences one can go through in life.
But that was not the case for Mr Baipone Theti who says he did not struggle with accepting himself and moving on with life.
Having HIV/AIDS is not the end of the road; this is the message Mr Theti (28) a peer educator at Centre for Youth of Hope (CEYOHO) office in Tlokweng exudes every day. His bubbly personality hid all the feelings of a person affected by perceptions usually associated with people with HIV/AIDS.
He is so welcoming and at ease despite the fear that came with the thought of one’s life being put out in the open for everyone to read about.
Mr Theti said HIV did  not have to stop one living a long, happy and fulfilling life. This was all evident in his face which was dazzling and he looked very healthy.  He also said that it was possible to live as long as the average person.
Mr Theti who was diagnosed with HIV in 2005 said that even though HIV infected people were still being stigmatised in other countries, in Botswana there was change concerning stigma and discrimination.
He further said that when he disclosed his status, he never felt rejected, explaining that his family and friends supported him.
“Gone are the days when people with HIV/AIDS were discriminated, this is because many Organizations are formed such as CEYOHO to spread the message about the disease and clear the misconceptions that people have about HIV/AIDS. Government is also playing a major role in supporting people living with HIV/AIDS; The month of March is designated the month of youth against HIV/AIDS in Botswana that says a lot,” he added.
Mr Theti said CEYOHO helped him to heal as he was working closely with others who were living with the virus, as it empowered him to deal with self-stigma and having the comfort to know that he was not the only one dealing with affliction.
Moreover he said he had been involved in creating HIV and AIDS awareness, volunteering his time, participating in HIV/AIDS causes through all venues, noting that it gave him satisfaction knowing that this would help to bring hope to people infected that they too could live a long and healthy life.
He encouraged men to go for HIV/AIDS tests.
For her part, Ms Nisha Magosi, another CEYOHO peer educator said that people often internalised the stigma because they assumed that no one would accept them.
She advised people to come to them for counselling and said that they were working hard to reach out to people to go for testing and accepting their status. ENDS