Demetria Hambulo
Tusyome Support group – Chipembele

I am Demetria Hambulo a divorcee of 49 years with six children. In 1996 I started feeling unwell having all sorts of infectious diseases, which affected my job and I was pruned from work.
            Then one of the PALS came to visit me and encouraged me to go for VCT at HBC. As he was talking I knew that he was heading to the issue of HIV&AIDS and  I hated him therefore. At that time I still had stigma and self denial. Two weeks later I made up my mind to go for VCT at Chikuni Parish HBC where I was found to be positive. It took me three months to accept my status. Sometimes I hated myself for that and could not tell my own mother and my children. It also made me to hate my husband because I knew that the virus came from him as he had a lot of extra marital affairs.  I know God loves me for I always prayed to him day and night. I believe that even if I am infected with a virus God still loves me.
That made me relax my mind and I joined HBC- Tusyome support and I realized how important it is to accept my status that I can look after myself and my children well.
            In 2005 HBC selected people from the community to be trained as psychosocial counselors and I was one of them. I was helped by this training because I learnt more about how to overcome stigma and keeping confidential.  Being counselors I have made a lot of friends and I am able to encourage others to go for VCT.
 Through the knowledge I gain from the workshops organized by Chikuni HBC I am able to maintain myself so that my CD4 count does not go down.
Therefore I am thankful for the work of HBC and its Sponsors.