We are introducing a segment – “Living with HIV” where our team will be sharing the stories of people living with HIV.
Learning that you are HIV positive can be one of the most difficult experiences for you to go through in life. We have created this platform to give space to our sisters and brothers to share their personal stories (at will) for the sake of creating awareness about the realities of living with the virus.
We would hope to humanise the way we interact with people living with HIV. Our goal is the creation of a platform for inclusive dialogue, destigmatisation of our association, and information of policy.
The storytellers may be anonymous, if they wish to be.
If you wish to have your story shared, contact the editor via e-mail.
Please treat these stories, and the storytellers, with the grace and respect that they deserve.
Love and light,
The Editor – Ntha
P.S. You may subscribe to our website (at the end of this article) to receive those stories directly in your mail-box.
This is the lifestory of Chisomo Shaba – an MSCE holder, 22 years of age, from Malawi, Mzuzu who was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 7.
Iyi ndi nkhani ya moyo wa Chisomo Shaba – yemwe analemba MSCE, wa zaka 22, kuchokera ku Malawi, ku Mzuzu amene anamupeza ndi ka chirombo ka HIV ali ndi zaka 7.
Inali 2004, September, pamene ndinayamba kudwala.
Ndinali Ku school poyamba, ndipo ndimangomva mutu, komaso kutentha mthupi mpaka ndinafika pa point yosanzika m’class ndikupita kunyumba.
Nditafika kunyumba, ndinangofikira kugona, and that was my last day kuona kunja,chifukwa zinthu zinafika povuta kwambiri.
Ndinakhala ndikudwala osatuluka mnyumba for 5 days, ndipo anayesa kundipatsa mankhwala – achina buffen and panado but samagwira ntchito. Tsiku la number 6, ndi pomwe timapita Ku chipatala ndi amayi anga.
Titafika kuchipatala, ma doctors ataona momwe ndinalili anandipanga admit. Atayeza vuto poyamba, sanalipeze. Ankangopeza asthma, chifukwa matenda omwe ndimadwala pamenepo amaonetsa kuti ndi asthma.
Ndinapatsidwa treatment ya asthma, but zinthu sizinasinthe – mpaka anatengaso magazi kukayezaso, ndi pomwe amazaziwano vuto langa.
Panthawi imeneyi sanandiuze kali konse kokhuzana ndi vutolo. Amayi anga ndi omwe amaziwa Basi. Ndinakhala mu chipatala for 3 weeks.
Atanditulutsa pa monday, anawauza mayi anga kuti lachitatu azapite nane ku rainbow. Sananene zomwe tikapange kumeneko.
Poyamba, amayi anga nawo ananyalanyaza osapita nane. Anazapita nane patadutsa 5 days.
Titafika ku rainbow, ndinali odabwa kuona kuti kunali anthu ambiri. Kenaka, kunabwera nurse yemwe ananyamula ma chart omwe anayamba kuphunzitsa zakamwedwe ka mankhwala, komanso mmene tingakhalire. Still more sindimaziwa vuto lomwe ndimadwala, ndipo atamaliza kuphunzitsa, anatipatsa mankhwala oti ndizikamwa. Anawauza amayi anga kuti tikabweretso after two weeks.
Nditayamba kupezako bwino, ndinayambiranso kupita ku school. Kuchipatala ndimapita, ndipo mankhwala amandipatsa a one month. Ine poyamba, ndimaona ngati kuti ndi mankhwala a asthma, because ndi zimene ndinauzidwa ndi mayi anga pomwe ndinali Ku chipatala. Chodabwitsa chinali chakti mayi anga samandilora kuti ndizigwira book langa lakuchipatala, and kuchipatala amandiperekeza nthawi zonse.
Nditafika standard 7, ndinayambano kupeza bwino ndipo sindimadwalaso. Ndinawauzaso amayi kuti ndizipitano ndekha kuchipatala, koma chodabwitsa chinali choti sanavute ayi. Anangondipatsa book, ine osapanganso check kungopita Ku chipatala. Nditafika kuchipatala kuja ndinapezaso anthu ambiri mbiri. Kenaka kunatulukiraso nurse yemwe amazafusa mafuso. Anazafunsa funso:
“Kodi tonse tikuziwa chifukwa chomwe timamwera mankhwala?”
Tonse tinayankha kuti “eeeeeh”.
Nurse uja anafuso kuti, “Ndi chifukwa chani?”
Abambo ena omwe anali kutsogolo kwambiri anayankha, ndipo yankho lomwe anayakhalo linandizunguza mutu. Anayankha kuti, “Timamwa mankhwala chifukwa tili ndi kachilombo ka HIV mthupi mwathu, and mankhwala omwe tikumwawa akumatithandiza kuti kachilombo kasamachulukane mthupi mwathu, komaso tisamadwaledwale”.
Ndimaona ngati ndili kutulo ndikumva mawuwa. Kenaka ndinapange check mu book mwanga, ndipo ndinapezamo mwalembedwa Arv number, komanso munalembedwa tsiku lomwe ndinayambira kumwa mankhwala.
Kenaka ndinalowa mu room yomwe ndinakatenga mankhwala ndikumapita kunyumba.
Nditafika kunyumba ndinawafotokozera amayi zonse mom we ndinayendera kuchipatala, and ndinawafusa kuti, “Ndi zoona zoti ndili ndi kachilombo, ndi chifukwa ndikumwa mankhwala?”
Amayi sanapite patali, koma anavomereza, ndipo anandiuza kuti akhala akundibisira chifukwa zikanakhala zondiwawa kumva za nkhaniyi.
Kuchoka tsiku limeneli, ndinayamba kukhala ndi nkhawa kuti zinatheka bwanji kupezeka ndi kachilombo ka HIV, chifukwa pa nthawi imeneyo anthu amayankhula zoti amene amapezeka ndi kachilombi nde kuti ndi hule komaso amagonana ndi anthu mosadziteteza.
Mutu mwanga maganizo amandichulukira kwambiri nthawi zonsezi ndikakhala. Ndinayamba kukhala moyo ozida. Sindimakonda kukhala pomwe pali anthu, chifukwa ndimadana ndi zomwe anthu amayankhula zokhudzana ndi anthu omwe Ali ndi kachilombo ka HIV.
Ena mwa azibale anga anadziwa zoti ndinali ndi HIV, ndipo anayamba kundisala. Samalola kuti ndidye nawo mbale imodzi, komanso kugwilitsa zinthu limodzi, kuopa kuti ndingawapatsire matendawo. Moyo wanga unayamba kukhala ovuta kwa ine.
Nditalemba mayetso a standard 8 ndipo ndinakhonza, komabe moyo wanga unali ovuta kukhala.
Little by little, ndinayamba kumachivomereza za momwe ndinalili, ndipo ndinayamba kukumana ndi anzanga omwe nawo anali ndi status ngati yangayi. Tinayamba kuphunzitsana ndi anzanga za momwe tingakhalile pa moyo wathu wa tsiku ndi tsiku. Pano, ndinalemba mayeso anga a MSCE, ndipo ndikukhala osangalala kuposa kale. Komanso. I can do everything ngati ena, ngakhale anthu amayankhula zambiri zokhuza anthu omwe ali ndi kachilombo. Ndizovutadi kuchilandira mwa achinyamata, but what l believe is that having HIV is not the end of life.
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