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Due to a few difficulties with our website, we're not able to provide you the stories in as much detail as we'd like. You're visiting this blog because you want to read more!! Thank you!! 

Today's 'Why we do what we do' story comes from Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust. It is a story from Lungile (name changed for anonymity), who tells of her struggle with TB and the stigma she has faced since her HIV diagnosis.
Her story shows the situations people face in South Africa, and why we believe it's incredibly important to continue supporting people and communities there, and elsewhere in Africa, where HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact.

‘I am 33 years old and have two little children who live elsewhere with different family members. I became sick in 2008 when my tonsils and head started hurting – I was tested HIV positive back then. My own family - my mother and stepfather and the aunt on my mother’s side - didn’t accept my illness and chased me away from home because of it. At first I went to my Aunt on my father’s side and they let me stay. After that I started living by myself in a room which is lonely. It makes my heart and head hurt knowing I am not accepted.

During that time I was really sick and had no-one to look after me. In 2009, I got better slowly once on the medication for the HIV and the social worker - who I was put in contact with - organised a job for me. But then I became sick again and in August 2012, was admitted to the Hillcrest AIDS Centre because my Aunt had heard of this Respite Unit.

I was diagnosed with TB and gradually I got better with the good care and medication treatment they gave me – they made sure I took it in the right way so that it would work better and found the right one which worked for me.

I left HACT a lot better but time passed and then my health started to be up and down. I also felt very lonely and I felt so angry that my own mother - who is still alive - won’t have anything to do with me. This pain I feel doesn’t make me any better. The social worker tried to contact my family – my mother and stepfather – but they didn’t want any connection. I also visited my clinic but they gave me medication which didn’t work and said there was little they could do. I spent many days on my own crying.

In February this year I came back to the Respite Unit - I weighed just 30kg when I was admitted. At first I felt scared to ask to come back because I know I had been here before and I was nervous they would not let me back a second time. But also, I know how caring they were back then so I made contact.

Now I am 43 kg and I feel much better. I am on some different medication. They care for me here and I love going to church. At Easter I went to church nearly all day ... It was so great. I like chatting with the people here in the Unit, we do exercises to get strong and I feel happy with the love and care here.

But the sadness about my family is still very hard to feel. No-one from my family visits me here like they do the other patients. People ask me why I don’t get visits.

 I would love to get fully well again and go back to work – I was working for an orphanage as a cleaner. I enjoyed it seeing the children. My dream is to have my own place and my children with me but I don’t have enough money to do this.

I would tell others in my situation to make sure if you are sick to take your treatment and to keep taking it according to the doctor’s orders. I will tell people like me to not give up hope. If you are HIV positive it is not the end of the road – there is help you can get.”

This year, GAGA have been able to sponsor a bed in HACT's 24 bed respite unit. 

To find out more about Hillcrest AIDS Centre, please visit their website by clicking here.