Fight ignorance, kill stigma.

Fighting stigma of any kind has never been easy. It calls for extra boldness from the stigmatized person and more understanding of the one stigmatizing. However, those who have never been victimized think that it is easy. “I just ignore them and continue with my life!”, a friend once told me when I disclosed to her how my HIV positive status has caused me embarrassing moments. But when I narrated my story, she only shook her head and said no more.
When I moved to the city I got a good house within the estates. My next door neighbors looked kind and good. I thought it prudent to disclose my HIV status to one of them in case of emergency illness or anything that would have required my ART clinician. But word went round in the compound faster than I had intended. My intention was received with great indignation.
This Saturday was a pleasant day. I had decided to make myself a good meal and spend the whole afternoon making my house tidy. I bought chicken and wheat flour in preparation to coat the chicken in the oven. Of course the aroma was so attractive that a bachelor next door knocked and wondered why I was not inviting him for lunch.
“Welcome!”, I exclaimed ,of course happy that I would have company for the delicious lunch. I told him that I would signal him as soon as the food was ready. True to his word, he came as soon as I gave the signal but apologized that he would come with another friend since he had got an unexpected visitor. The food was more than enough so I embraced the idea. If anything, the other person would protect our single egos.
No sooner had I served my two guests than I heard a bang on my door. “We won’t watch you infect every man in this estate with AIDS!”. A woman threw open my door and menacingly wagged a finger at me. It was the wife of my second visitor. How she had known that her husband had been invited to my house remains mysterious. She upset the plates spilling all the food on us before dragging her husband out of the house amidst HIV related insults.
My afternoon had been spoiled but I would not take that lying down. The following day which was a Sunday found me in the local church where I requested to meet all the sisters after the service. My request was granted and I organized an impromptu seminar on HIV transmission and prevention. From the questions the women asked, I realized that ignorance reigned in their lives. I was so sorry that I had allowed myself to be upset by the previous day’s ordeal. The woman has acted from absolute ignorance. I sympathized with her instead.
I took another step and looked for her cell phone number and called her. She was still wild at me but agreed to meet me. We met at a restaurant and I offered a cup of coffee. I got a chance to explain to her that HIV is not a moral issue but a viral infection. She did not look convinced at first but gradually she got my point. A friendship ensued thereafter and she would accompany me whenever I had a motivational chat.
Today, she is a HTC counsellor. She had to train to understand HIV better. But it takes boldness to fight stigma, especially through public speaking. Extra strength is required to enable people to start living with HIV infected people without suspicion.