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Tsa-Botsogo - Community A.I.D.S. Project |
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Masi with Phinde (2
1/2 years old) on the day of her mother Binky's funeral |
| Masi Makhalamele and Binky
Tsotetsi are two women whose lives followed similar paths. Cousins who grew
up as sisters, they sang in the church choir, skipped rope and playing
tennis in the street in front of the house in the Meadowlands area of Soweto
in South Africa. Binky, two years older, became a mother at age 21 and
Masi's son Thabang was born in the same year.
Both would become infected with the HIV Virus. However their lives
diverged with each woman's response to her diagnosis.This week Masi will be
in Barcelona at the 14th International Conference on AIDS as an invited
speaker, Binky is gone. |
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At Wandies in
Soweto, Tsa-Botsogo staff and supporters from Mott Foundation |
| She passed away on
Wednesday, May 1st of this year. It is a story
both common and uncommon. Common in the frequency with which AIDS has
shredded families in this part of the world and uncommon in the strength
shown in the face of such adversity. Masi, who was diagnosed HIV positive
with the birth of her second child in 1992, became the first South Afican
woman to speak out about her status. Binky, the breadwinner of her family
kept quiet about her disease, continuing to support her family with her job
in a clothing factory until she became too ill to continue. Her second
child, Phinde, two and a half years old, has yet to be tested for HIV. |
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Portrait of Peter
Mathipa, Masi, her son Thabang and Mama Victoria |
| These days Masi rises early
has breakfast with her mother, Victoria, and Thabang, then drops her son off
at school on her way to her office of Tsa-botsogo, the community training
center she founded to offer services to youth and women in the community
affected by the crises. She is a striking looking woman, of medium build and
complexion, and short cropped hair. She is in perfect health and keeps up a
schedule that would wear out all except the most energetic,often staying in
the office late into the evening. She is in demand as a speaker and
advisor. The philosophy behind Tsa-botsogo( which means reawakening in the
sotho language) comes from her life's experiences. |
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Drama performed by
youth program run by Tsa-Botsogo at Thakisa Primary School |
| Masi lived silently with her
diagnosis until inspired by the excitement of the upcoming elections in 1994
decided she also "wanted to be free". She recalls "the first thing I did was
tell my husband" his response was to beat her and throw her out of the house
which resulted in the loss of her job. Rather than return she chose to
become a live in domestic worker to provide for her children and from this
low point in her life she found the freedom and strength within to speak
out. "I was earning a salary in that house." she recalls "Empowerment
programs and education programs ultimately won't stop the spread of HIV in
Africa because women are dependant on men financially and otherwise." Now
she could say my Virus "is mine and mine alone and if any man comes close
and they don't want to wear a condom they must march". |
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Drama performed by
youth program run by Tsa-Botsogo at Thakisa Primary School |
| Tsa-botsogo started out in
the garage of Masi's parents home. Her father a well known jazz musician
would perform to raise money. Treatment was as simple as touching and caring
for the ill. "The politicians are struggling with
whether they have to give us treatment" she stated "in the meantime we have
to find solutions women can do". So Masi and Tsa-botsogo brought youth
programs to the schools, providing AIDS education as well as common ground
where HIV positive youth could share experiences. These programs are
continuing to expand and are now including more and more schools. In
December of 2001 Tsa-botsogo has taken a giant step forward. Office space
in downtown Johannesberg was donated.Empty except for two chairs, a return
visit now finds it up and running with the help of a young energetic staff.
Peter Mathipa, has been a volunteer at Tsa-botsogo since its founding
explains that with unemployment very high, obtaining a job after graduating
from school is difficult "Rather than sit around doing nothing, many young
people choose to contribute to the community and get work experience with a
n.g.o.". |
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Youth from Thakisa
Primary School enjoying the photo op, revealing their exceptional spirit |
| March 2002, marked a
milestone for Tsa-botsogo; the organization was granted non-profit status, a
vitally important factor for fundraising efforts. And in April 2002, the
Mott Foundation based in the United States, provided a grant that led to the
purchase of a house. Painted purple now and fulfilling one of Masi's long
held dreams, the house stands on busy Roodeport road, visible to thousands
of passersby a day. It is staffed around the clock and open to all seeking
help. The new house has an alternative exam room and basic treatment is
offered. An African woman, Dr. B.M. Matoaane, m.d. is seeing patients. the
greatest problem now is a lack of funds. Though Tsa-botsogo has come a long
way it's greatest problem remains a financial one. Self funded and without
government support, the organization still struggles to keep the phone lines
open and the power on. |
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Funeral of Binky
was held at her house in Soweto |
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Having faced her disease and
used her personal experience to broaden AIDS awareness in her community,
Masi is now presenting her knowledge to the wider world.
This week in Barcelona, she will be speaking on several panels
including one on thedevestating effects the stigmatization of AIDS and the
discrimination against those who are HIV positive has had on life in
Africa. It was that stigma and the shame that kept Masi's cousin Binky
from admitting that she had the disease until just two days before she
died. By then it was too late to do anything more for her other than bring
her to a hospice. Perhaps it was because of that stigma that not one of the
speakers at her funeral entioned AIDS or her silent stuggle. |
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Lowering Binky's
coffin into the earth, surrounded by family and friends |
| Masi
will also be seeking to build meaningful partnerships with anyone interested
in helping her continue her work. She will be challenging the policy-makers
there to view those who are HIV positive as partners in the dilemma, able to
contribute as productive members in creation of policy, not as mere passive
victims. Also on her agenda is to challenge those who are HIV positive to
focus on their own responsibility not to spread the disease further.
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Portrait of Masi |
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