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HIV-positive actors promote HIV testing, prevention and disclosure
Community Mobilizers Become Stars
Photo: EGPAF\ Mathews Maruva
Blessing (left), Clemence and Tinashe
(front) in front of their home.
“Disclosure of HIV status is still a problem in our
community and we hope
that through this film,
people will appreciate the
benefits of disclosing one’s
status, especially to your
spouse,” said Blessing, an
HIV-positive mother and
community mobilizer
Blessing and Clemence Kanukai, husband and wife, play
two of the lead acting roles in a USAID-funded film aimed at
encouraging disclosure of HIV status between women receiving
prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services,
their partners, and other significant people in their lives. But, the
Kanukais aren’t actors, they are community mobilizers who are
both HIV-positive.
Blessing was first tested for HIV in 2000 when she went to a
clinic for prenatal care. She was found to be HIV-positive and
enrolled into the PMTCT program. Six months later, Clemence
was also tested and was found to be HIV-positive. Blessing
gave birth to a baby boy, Tinashe, who is now six years old
and HIV-negative. In 2002, Clemence and Blessing became
full-time PMTCT community mobilizers in an urban area called
Chitungwiza.
The film that has made Blessing and Clemence stars is entitled
Ndizvo Zvandiri (That Is What I Am) and was developed and
performed by local Zimbabwean community mobilizers. All
actors in the film are graduates from the PMTCT program.
“I have spent the last several years teaching people in
Chitungwiza about HIV/AIDS,” said Blessing. “But now we have
the opportunity to teach the whole world about HIV and AIDS...
Tinashe is still too young to understand anything about what I
do. He thinks mine is just a job like any other. But thank God
for this film because I’m going to put it into our memory box and
when he grows up, he is going to learn about HIV and AIDS
from his parents first. Hopefully the film will teach him to avoid
getting HIV-infected. It’s the best thing I could ever do for him
and the many other children who have been orphaned through
HIV and AIDS,” Blessing said.
“Disclosure of HIV status is still a problem in our community
and we hope that through this film, people will appreciate the
benefits of disclosing one’s status, especially to your spouse,”
Blessing said. “Clemence is now my best friend and he
encourages me to look at the brighter side of life always. I wish
the same for every courageous mother we brush shoulders with
every day.”
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