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Champions Champions Faghmeda Miller
Champions Champions Faghmeda Miller
Faghmeda Miller |
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 Faghmeda Miller, the first Muslim woman in South Africa
to disclose her HIV status, helped to found Positive Muslims, a non-profit organisation initially dedicated to helping HIV-positive Muslims, but now supporting people of all faiths. She says, “It all started when I became infected with the AIDS virus in 1994 while happily married to my Malawian husband and living in Malawi. It was discovered only after his death that I too, like him, was infected.The first thing that went through my mind when they told me I’m positive was the shame I had brought on my family. I, therefore decided to keep this information to myself, after all it wouldn’t be long till I die. Death, however, was not happening. I realised something was very wrong, no one told me that there is a difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS. I went back to the hospital looking for answers and was told that I can live a long productive life being HIV positive if I took good care of myself. I received counselling on a regular basis and slowly built up enough confidence, acceptance and courage to live.
My life and attitude as well as my personality changed. I had a mission and purpose to become a spokesperson for Muslims living with HIV and AIDS. I disclosed my status on a community radio station. It was met with mixed feelings as well as denial and often people would state that as a Muslim one could never contract this disease. However, nothing anyone has said or done could stop me from talking openly about my status and HIV/AIDS. It’s been a long and often lonely road for me, but I will never give up. I believe that eventually the Muslim community’s eyes will open and their attitude change. That they willsee the need for AIDS awareness and education programmes in our society.
I had three dreams and am fortunate to say that after living with HIV for the past eight years I’ve achieved all of them. After many years of struggle my dream of starting a support group for Muslims living with HIV/AIDS was realised. I am so grateful for everyone who stood by me and supported me in getting the support group going. I decided to disclose my status not only for myself, but also for all other HIV-positive Muslims who suffer the discrimination, stigmatisation and disrespect in our community. I have seen many HIV-positive people die and often it would feel like a part of me is dying too, but my will to survive and live positively is strong. I don’t just help run the support group in our organisation Positive Muslims, I also do home counselling and awareness programmes in different communities. Often people in my community don’t want me to talk about my hardships and rejections suffered in the first few years of my disclosing, perhaps out of guilt, but what they don’t know is that I am fighting harder, trying to change the mindset and behaviour of people, to allow those who want to disclose to have an easier acceptance in society than I have had. Today I no longer believe that HIV/AIDS is a curse from GOD like some religious leaders led me to believe. I, in fact, see it as a blessing as it has given me an avenue to help others no matter what the obstacles, and I appreciate life like I have never before. My second dream to write a book about my past eight years as an HIV-positive woman and though I have completed this, it’s not been published, as I feel the time is not right for this yet. My last dream was to fulfil my holy pilgrimage to Mecca and this I completed with pride, showing that one can achieve anything you set your mind to, regardless of your HIV status.
I’ve done several television programmes locally and internationally, appeared in various magazines, newspapers, pamphlets and documentaries and on all radio stations in Cape Town and Johannesburg. I have my own documentary “The Malawian kiss” right on the top of my list. Yet I still feel that I haven’t achieved enough to encourage people to talk openly about their status, even though one magazine referred to me as the lady 'Setting the lead to save a nation' and I received the Femina “Women of Courage” Award in 2000 and was nominated for “Women that made a difference” in their community.
People often compliment me on my good health and although I am a picture of good health I often experience problems like fevers, swollen feet and hands, but still nothing stops me from jumping up when another PLWA needs help or advice and often I escort them to their doctors. But I still remain at the end of the day, the shy girl my family knows best………..but with the sole purpose of being as outspoken as humanly possible about HIV/AIDS.” Faghmeda can be contacted on 082 822 1505 or by email faghmeda@gmail.com. For more information about Positive Muslims see the AIDSbuzz Directory entry or go to www.positivemuslims.org.za
Acknowledgements and thanks for this article to Positive Heroes, a non-profit organisation formed to tackle the fear and silence surrounding the HIV epidemic in an imaginative, constructive and innovative way. It does this by showcasing the stories of people who are living openly with the disease and therefore helping to remove the shame and stigma associated with HIV disease. See the AIDSbuzz Directory for further information or go to www.positiveheroes.org.za or email Gavin Reid gavin@positiveheroes.org.za |