March 29: Parliament, Cape Town, South Africa
It is strange what happens when I am very nervous. I think a million things but as soon as I sit down and see those faces staring backat me, I realize they are only human...aside form all the politics. I stopped caring that they were ministers of this and ministers of that.
I was there just to talk about my story, not to talk about politics. Knowing that makes me free to say what I want to say.
Many thoughts were still racing through my head. Would people take me seriously? After all, HIV/AIDS is the daily bread in South Africa, and these people must be tired of talking about it. What made my story so interesting
At the same time, I felt that this was different. Not because my story was different but because they had me face to face. There I was telling the big people in my country that there is a bright side to all of this. That HIV/AIDS is a challenge, not a death sentence and discrimination can only cause death.
You should have seen the response. People laughed and cried and made beautiful comments. They introduced themselves as if I was one of them, a big person in government. It was an honor. The Speaker of Parliament said that, "I have a future." Hearing that from someone so high in Parliament made me happy because people look up to her and by saying that she was looking up to me. I felt special in a way I never had before.
All of this made me think that something is changing in South Africa and that by the look of their faces at least I helped that change a little bit. There are seeing that there is a big problem and only with seeing can there be action.
The next day I opened up The Sunday Independent Newspaper and read something like:
Thembi's presentation in Parliament was "compelling" and a "step in the right direction" for a country that has been "grappling for years with institutional silence on AIDS."
I don't know about all of that, but I know that my story is the story of every South African, and I think those big people saw that in me that day.
Masipumulele Township
Masipumulele is a township outside of Cape Town. It is similar to my township, Khayelitsha. Many people in Masipumulele are infected but the people are afraid to disclose and speak out. Sometimes when the community finds out you are positive, the discriminate against you, tease you and make you feel worthless. The same day I addressed the big people in Parliament, I went to address some of the most at risk township teenagers of South Africa.
Masipumulele High School is going through big problems with discrimination against positive people. Teachers asked me to come and speak because a 16 year-old was seen at a clinic and word spread that she had HIV. Everyone at school harassed her and the young girl even tried to commit suicide.
The reason why I accepted to speak here was because I could see myself in that girl. I could feel what she was feeling and I know that when you find out you are positive you want to die, and any bit of support can help you want to keep on living.
I was welcomed with songs, laughter, posters and 900 students. I have never addressed so many teenagers at the same time! What I have learned from speaking with young people is that you can only make them listen if they know that you are putting yourself in their shoes and speaking their language. You will not get them to understand by being stiff and acting because they will only yawn and stay in their ways.
Once they think you are hip and cool and you have their attention, then you tell them the truth. "You see me just like you, hip, cool and partying. Well, I have AIDS." I told them that having AIDS is not nice and that instead of teasing they should find out their status first.
Especially in township communities, we are all at risk and they must see this. I want to make them see that while they tease and discriminate, they do not know that tomorrow they can be discriminated against too. When I found out I was positive, I left school because I was afraid kids would discriminate against me. Nobody should have to leave school because of that. I wanted to make sure that they knew what power they had.
When they began asking questions, I maintained the full attention of all of them. I knew their questions and doubts because they had been my own. We were all township kids from the same city. I know their language and know it's power. They shouted, clapped and we talked about family, love, growing up, township life and living positively. I know that they understood and that I changed how these 900 teenagers viewed HIV/AIDS.
After the event two girls from the township came to find me. They asked me, "Is it true that you are sick?" I said, "Yes, it's true." They did not believe me! She said if you have AIDS, you are supposed to be thin and sick... I tried to make her understand, but as we said goodbye I could tell she thought I was lying.
Making people think that I am not HIV positive and seeing me healthy is probably the best thing I am doing for South Africa. Because I am attacking the stigma and I am making people feel differently about their country, about young, black teenagers, about township life, about HIV/AIDS.
This was a great way to end the tour!
