By Nomonde
Just like any other TedTalk enthusiast, I thought that mine was a topic that would easily be accepted, but I was wrong. This rejection just gave me more determination to press ahead with my story - 2023 would end with me having gone public with my HIV status! It was clear that this was not going to happen through TedTalk, so I sought another opportunity to do so - Asande Mchunu’s upcoming World AIDS Day campaign.
Although the conviction to disclose my status was very strong, I had to deal with a lot of internal conflicts before disclosing publicly. I knew that I had to check in with my family because they would be affected by this. My discussion with my uncle about my intention to publicly disclose my status made me realise that if I was to own my truth, then I should be the person to “break the news” - and this is what I did.
I then knew people were viewing my story and talking about it.
One random evening in November 2023, I waited for midnight, posted about my status, put my phone on airplane mode, and went to sleep. To my surprise, when I woke up, life was still the same. I had expected to wake up to many 'unfollows' and 'DMs,' but life was just—normal. I immediately took to Instagram and later to TikTok, making reels educating people about living with HIV. This was when some of my friends who didn’t know about my status started to take me seriously by expressing their “disbelief”. I then knew people were viewing my story and talking about it. This gave me a mini-anxiety attack, but I already had a coping mechanism which I developed in the earlier years of my journey - writing.
As part of my coping mechanism, I would write poems and letters to myself to help me process all what I was feeling - fear, shame and misunderstanding of my HIV. Social media provided me with an opportunity to reach out to my audience and start “compassion conversations”. I asked young people to write letters to their peers - whether HIV positive or not, I encouraged them to be open about what they want their peers to know. The aim was to encourage openness and to let young people living with HIV know that they are not alone and that there are supportive people in our communities. This was the birth of ‘Heart to Heart’ - a collection of poems and letters from girls (some HIV-positive), to their peers.
I continued to raise awareness on social media. My work and continued involvement in this space later led me to become an ambassador for a movement working to support adolescent girls and young women across selected African countries. It was also through this platform that I was able to secure funds to publish ‘Heart to Heart’. As I reflect on my grandmother’s smile and her observation that I seemed happier and more purposeful since disclosing my status; I know that I made the right decision. Presenting my parents with a copy of the published book has become a profound source of pride and joy for all of us!
As I continue with my work to advocate for young women and girls I hope to influence change at a global level. Addressing the UN General Assembly in September 2024 and administering Charlize Theron’s Instagram page on World AIDS Day of the same year are just a few steps in the right direction.
UNFPA empowers young people like Nomonde by providing them with the tools and mechanisms to address sexual and reproductive health issues, enabling them to reach their full potential.
