A 25-year-old HIV endowed mother of one, Lebogang Brenda Motsumi, a
HIV activist, who is now working towards an Aids free generation, has
taken to her Facebook page to share some inspiring words.
"Good morning, my name is Lebogang Brenda Motsumi aka African
Queen. I am NOT HIV, I am LIVING with HIV. I am not the virus, the virus
lives in me. I am not defined by HIV, but I define HIV," she wrote.
Brenda found out she was HIV positive in 2009 after she read an
article by a popular guy whom she dated. In the article, the man
revealed his status and said he was sick. She got tested and was
diagnosed with HIV.
However, she lived in denial until 2011 when she finally accepted
her status on discovering that she was pregnant. She took ARVs to
protect her child. She went back to partying and drinking after the
birth of her daughter.
"Since I was not looking sick I thought there was nothing wrong
so I went back to living my life until I got very sick in August and I
came to the decision that HIV is real and its for you to move on for my
family and daughter. It's for me to accept it and live positively. I
then joined a youth support group and I noticed that I wasn't the only
one living with HIV as there were also some young people living with
it," she wrote.
Her daughter is HIV negative. She disclosed her status to her
family and later made it public. Brenda now has a foundation and her
message to the youth is "BE SAFE. If you can't stand condoms then ABSTAIN."
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