UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

Chapter 5“I let people seethat I’m not anHIV statistic buta dynamic youngwoman full of lifeand with dignitywho happensto have HIVinfection”.119In Uganda and manyother countries, mothersdying from AIDS-relatedillnesses create memorybooks for their childrenPanos/Alfredo CalizA cornerstone of the Forum was the principle that people living with HIV are themselves avital asset for creating any such ‘social immune system’ 13 . A young, positive woman, CharlotteMjele, said: ‘If you treat yourself as a shameful HIV victim, others will be happy to treat youthat way as well. But if you treat yourself as a positive role model, they’ll accept you andrespect you. I let people see that I’m not an HIV statistic but a dynamic young woman full oflife and with dignity who happens to have HIV infection’ 14 .13Ibid.14Ibid.