TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Emily Freeburg's blog
Thembi's radio diary offers powerful HIV positive youth testimony
About this event: XVII International AIDS Conference

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

With her doll-like face, she hardly looks her 23 years, but Thembi has learned a lot about life. After she was diagnosed with HIV at age 16, she started taking a tape recorder with her everywhere to capture her life.

At aidsdiary.org, listeners travel with her on her first visit to the doctor, hear firsthand about the decline of her T-cell count. The diary covers her progression to full-blown AIDS, starting ARV treatment, and finally having a daughter.

Presenting her story at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, she talks about how keeping a diary empowered her. “Ever since I knew my status my life has changed for the better. Ever since I started my diary I have felt more confident and comfortable and I am an inspiration to other young people.”

In a conference or thousands of experts, the most powerful presentations still come from personal testimony. In one of her entries, she reflects on the future.

”I’m just imagining what a world would look like without me in it. I’m not scared of dying but of leaving my baby behind. I want to see her grow a little bigger. HIV will try to rule my life on the inside but outside I will be boss. I want to study and have a good job, I want to go on with my life.”

Beyond the radio, Thembi also writes a blog http://thembisaidsdiarytour.vox.com/.

A recent concert hosted by the South African government, she reflects below on how AIDS messages still don´t effectively reach young people at risk.

”I felt like those images on those big screens with infected people had nothing to do with me. It reminded me of high school. When they would show pictures of thin, poor orphans that look like they are dying, and try to scare you out of having sex. But it never works because young, South African, at-risk kids do not see themselves in those images. They cannot imagine that it can happen to them.”

Her has been used as a teaching tool all over the world and aired on National Public Radio in the U.S., and in the U.K., Australia and Canada, reaching more than 50 million people.

August 5, 2008 | 12:31 PM Comments  0 comments

Tags:
You must be logged in to add tags.


Emily Freeburg's Profile

Emily Freeburg's Friends


Latest Posts
Crossing boundaries,...
lets face it, drug...
Crossing boundaries,...
Thembi's radio diary...
Thembi's radio diary...

Monthly Archive
January 2004
September 2005
October 2005
December 2005
August 2006
September 2006
July 2007
December 2007
March 2008
April 2008
August 2008

Change Language


Tags Archive
abc abstinence activism africa aids arvs climatechange condom creativity digitaldivide faith flipvideo hiv ict international kenya peace pharmaceuticals reconciliation religion rwanda sex technology toolkits ungass unitednations youth youthcaucus youthleadership youthparticipation

Filter By Type
Events
News
Travel
Topics

Friends
Susanne Thalacker


28089 views
Important Disclaimer