“I spoke about it and this strengthened me!”
Kagore Ali is mother to three girls and two boys (all HIV-negative). She had just given birth to her youngest child when she learned that she and her husband are HIV-positive. Soon after she began receiving HIV treatment, she also joined a support group that met at the clinic each week. Kagore says that in the support group, people could share openly about their status, the experience of living with HIV and the challenges they were facing. Group members also had the opportunity to learn about important HIV-related topics from the medical team at the clinic.
The group at the clinic grew to be so large that it eventually split into smaller groups that could meet in local villages. Since 2016, Kagore has had the opportunity to lead her own support group of 24 members. She is now recognized as an expert client! That means that when people learn they are HIV-positive, they are referred to Kagore so she can encourage them and link them to a support group in their village.
“I realized silence can kill.”
While she was initially scared to learn of her status, Kagore says she has been able to move on thanks to good adherence and support from her husband and support group. She says, “I always stay positive and try to speak out stress and other things that can make my situation worse. I also speak on behalf of my group members and this is very important to me because I realized silence can kill. That’s how I have managed to live all these years.”