My lovely people, have I already told you how glad I am to be open about my status? I get to know more and more fabulous people in our HIV community wherever I go.
HIVstigmafighter's blog
Wonder Woman, don't let HIV stand in your way! Continue to live positively, like many of us are already doing for ages. WE are strong and Powerful. I am sending my love and positive vibes to you, wherever you are in this World.
This month I had the opportunity to participate in the 'Stories from HIV Long-Term Thrivers' forum where I gave a spoken word performance alongside an amazing and inspiring panel. The forum was organized by ViiV healthcare. How did I give this spoken word performance? I decided to share my 5 ways to thrive! Even today, to many people HIV is still seen as a disease to be ashamed of, they consider it as a big challenge while actually you can live a perfectly happy and healthy life. Here are my 5 ways to thrive for those who missed my performance: Trust (again) In 2003, when a doctor told me to...
On Saturday 4 December 2021, I helped Inyambo STARS to organise a local event to celebrate World AIDS Day. This was a day to show their community why they are true talents, showing their fashion skills AND committed to helping their community, especially supporting vulnerable people living with HIV in Gihanga, Burundi. Inyambo STARS, RBP+ ( Reseau Burundais des Personnes vivant avec le VIH) with indonongo.org support, organised a total of three activities. And as large gatherings were not allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they really had to show their improvisation skills this time around...
My birthday month, November, had a great start by doing what I like most, giving my HIV activism a boost. Between 4-7 November I was in Istanbul for a face-to-face 'Skills Training to Empower Patients' (STEP-UP) and networking weekend organized by the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) Training Academy. After more than a year of online training because of Covid 19, I got a chance to finally meet my fellow European and Asian HIV activists and advocates. Everyone was dying to meet and finally get to know each other more and share our experiences because in the end it is really about community...
This month Akira, my youngest son of 13 years old, and I travelled to Antwerp for a filmshoot for the 'Undetectable equals Untransmittable' (U=U) campaign in Belgium. Whilst in the train towards Antwerp I asked how he felt to be part of this campaign, since this was not his first time participating in campaigns related to HIV and AIDS. He was also part of the 'coming out of the closet' (HIV uit de kast) campaign, the short movie 'people from the HIV association', the Amsterdam 2018 AIDS Conference welcoming campaign, and now U=U. Akira's answer was; "Mom, I am proud to help out. I believe what...
As a woman and mother living with HIV how do I see ageing? A lot of people are afraid of ageing, yet for me it is a very exciting journey and I am actually looking forward to getting older! So, let me share with you why I see ageing in a positive way. The whole of my adult life, only based on my appearance, people often assume I am still very young. This despite my double trouble of HIV and diabetes. In my life this has led to many embarrasing situations. When I took my first born for her first vaccination to the clinic 20 years ago, the nurse told me to call my mother. When I told her that I...
Whilst we are nearing the end of a rainy summer, I would like to reflect on my summer time. It was actually very enjoyable no matter how I look at it! It started excellent by hearing news from my diabetes doctor that I was allowed to stop 3 more pills of my medication. Then there was Mandela Day on the 18th of July where we shared our Stories of Hope through a photo exposition, and I had a great celebratory closing party with my heroes! A few days later I celebrated my kids’ birthdays which all of you know happen for all three of them within 4 days! My oldest daughter turned 20, one of my sons...
As an African artist living with HIV in the Netherlands for more than 15 years now, I continue to experience a lot of stigma and discrimination based on me being open about my HIV and my beautiful colour. I realized that for many people with a migrant background stigma is indeed still a major issue. So, in April this year I launched Stories of Hope which aims to inspire people to share their talent as a positive way to deal with and raise awareness about stigma. On 18 July, Mandela Day, together with the other 'Heroes of Hope' we shared our stories with the world! Sharing our stories on...
My lovely people, can you explain to me why white people coming to Africa are quickly called "experts", but people of African descent in Europe are often called "refugees, migrants, or illegals"? After I married my husband, in the different countries in Africa we lived in I became the "expert's wife", Mrs. Becks. Although I always felt this title to be wrong, at the same time at all these places I was also recognised for my talents as an artist and appreciated as a human being, part of society. The talented Mrs. Becks in South Africa The ugly divide that the color of a skin can cause became...