Tema Mkhonta is a young leader from Eswatini and a member of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's Committee of African Youth Advisors (CAYA) programme. Even though she faced stigma after learning about her HIV status when she was 15 years old, she never gave up hope and started working for a local community centre, where she now helps other young people overcome the stereotypes and challenges that people living with HIV often face. "I educate people about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and antiretroviral therapy and tell them with the confidence that I've earned through advocating for others that, "now things are different,"" she said.
Tema believes that to effectively help bring about an AIDS-free generation, it's important for young people to be engaged in HIV prevention efforts. Through her involvement with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, she has found that digital communications tools such as social media have helped reach young people, teaching them about HIV prevention and treatment and fighting HIV stigma.
"Cell phones and other forms of digital communication like the Internet and social media are key tools that can be used to adapt models of health-care service delivery for people living with HIV in rural communities," she said. "These platforms can help foster communities in hard-to-reach areas around the world and are critical to helping empower young people like myself who are working to end HIV stigma while also fighting for an AIDS-free generation."
Hoping to help more young people living with HIV, Tema enrolled as a nursing student at the University of Eswatini with the hope of one day becoming an epidemiologist. As an epidemiologist she wants to learn more about infectious diseases and gain an expertise in HIV. But even in an institution of higher learning, Tema heard stigmatizing sentiments. "Some of professors said that people living with HIV could not live healthy and fulfilling lives and were automatically sentenced to death," she said.
"Through my role as a CAYA member, I work every day to correct the negative perceptions that people living with HIV face. I develop advocacy programmes for young people living with HIV with the goal of overcoming harmful stereotypes. I strive to encourage other young people to live their lives without shame and emphasize the importance of social support and treatment adherence," said Tema.
As a CAYA member, Tema has contributed to technical, advocacy and research efforts to optimize programming for adolescents and young people living with and affected by HIV across the programmes supported by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Last year, she co-presented a poster at a conference showing the benefits of cross-learning between international committees of young people.
Tema is also a passionate advocate and creative spirit and hopes to one day share her story with a broader audience by becoming a published author. "Through my poetry and work as a CAYA member, I want to be a change in the world to end HIV stigma and inspire other young people living with HIV both in my community and globally," she said.
