AIDSbuzz

Pholo Ramothwala is a fortunate man. While he is HIV-positive, he decided a long time ago that his disease would work for him and not against him. At 27 years, he became Limpopo’s provincial co-ordinator for the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), and was responsible for informing a widespread rural population that HIV and AIDS can be managed.

Pholo tried to create an environment which empowered people living with HIV. His job was to support TAC community programmes, like Treatment Literacy, workshops on HIV and the law and HIV treatment, so people can understand that living with HIV is all about looking after themselves.

Limpopo was the last province to implement Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) and Pholo worked hard to get the Department of Health to increase the number of hospitals supplying treatment in the province. Being a large rural province, it was hard to reach all the people. “I like it in Limpopo,” said Pholo in 2005, “I was born here and now live in a little village of about 3,000 people called Matoks, and hope I won’t be moving on anymore.” 

Pholo was also involved in mobilising young people to get involved in HIV prevention, stressing the importance of staying negative. And for those that are positive, he used himself as an example of how to live a full and successful life with HIV. He said, “I learned of my HIV status when I was 19, and I am an example to students that they can still live their life, finish school, go to work and do all the normal things healthy people do. I have proved that by looking after myself, I can live without too many problems. Being in good health can help deal with the emotional side of being HIV- positive too.”

Pholo admitted that it had been a long journey. When he was diagnosed as HIV-positive, he was at Stellenbosch University and kept quiet about it at first. Then he met Zackie Achmat (founder of TAC) and started to understand more about living positively with HIV. He had support from his family and friends and today has a family with two children. While he still fears that one day they will see him sick, he doesn’t have time to feel too sorry for himself, because so many people rely on him. The knowledge that he can continue to help so many people gets him up in the morning and keeps him going.

Pholokgolo Ramothwala is now a journalist and field researcher with the AIDS Law Project. The AIDS Law Project, formed in 1991, seeks to promote and advance the rights of people with HIV and AIDS through: effective legal assistance and litigation to protect human rights; research; advocacy; and the production of resource materials.