Evelina's message of hope is one of eight inspirational messages that form part the of Positive Heroes' vendor trolley campaign in Adderley Street, proudly sponsored by Metropolitan Health Group.
Positive Heroes CEO, Dr Reon van Dyk, believes that living with HIV doesn't stop one from living a full and happy life.
Dr van Dyk says, “There are many ordinary people leading extraordinary lives out there. We want to share their stories of hope to balance the fear, misinformation and stigma that exists about HIV.”
Others who have added their voice to the campaign include Faghmeda Miller, the first Muslim woman in South Africa to have disclosed her HIV status in 1994; Brett Anderson, founder of Sizwe Sonke Quilting Project and LifeLab, as well as Zintle Mobbs, who survived TB, pneumonia and who weighed only 35 kg in 2004 to become a Health Promoter at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
“This campaign will be a huge success if it encourages one person to get tested and/or receive their medication or is able to disclose their status to a friend,” Dr Van Dyk adds.
Metropolitan Health Group will partner with Positive Heroes for six months as part of their commitment to encouraging South Africans to live positively and manage their HIV status.
