says Mrima Tsuma Mrima is a HIV positive man living in Chonyi Division, Kilifi District on the Coast of Kenya.

This was  Mrema  motivation when he explored ways to help his community and reduce the effects of stigma he faced.  He attended and completed  SCOPE/USAID APHIA II training and he now educates his community on how to prevent infection, the importance of knowing your status and how to live positively if you are positive. “Whenever I meet with the community, I always talk to them about HIV/AIDS.

I show them that even though I am positive, I am still healthy and can still live my life.” he says.

The training and his positive approach means that people in his community see him as the ‘go to man’ on HIV/AIDS in his community. He provides support for 14 other positive people local to him and ensures that they are still taking their medication.  He often meets families who ask him for help with one of their family members who are sick.

“When one of my support group died, I went to SCOPE to ask them to provide support for the funeral and helped to arrange for transport.  The community saw and heard of my efforts. Afterward, a family came up to me and asked me to speak to their daughter, Lydia Mwanzi Kubwa.  She was very sick and did not know her status. She refused to believe she was positive and was living in denial.  I spoke to her and counseled her, showing her that I was positive and with medication I was living positively.

“She agreed to go Jibana Health Clinic in Chonyi and take a test.  She was tested positive but she received medication and I give her support and counseling.  Now she is working and living positively, her moral has increased.”