I could see people’s shadows on the wall, their fingers pointing to me

Yes my neighbours discriminated me… Sometimes when talking to them or helping them I could feel that I am not welcome. There was a moment that I had to go out for sun rays and I could see people’s [shadows] on the wall, their fingers pointing to me. I could feel that they are not saying good things; they are talking about my health condition.

As I had TB associated with HIV and we went to hospital everyday to take tablets, I could hear people saying “a Mr. so-and so died. And that one is waiting for the day to die” or “this is not a person any more.” This always happened but as nothing could be done we just closed our ears.

…one of the things I have done to change the discrimination situation is to do what I learnt – not to hide that I am HIV positive. Sometimes when I am with people who talk about HIV I ask them what it is and how it is transmitted. And I ask them if I told them that I am one of them would they accept. And they say that cannot be, it is a lie. I try to make them understand that we cannot discriminate HIV positive people. We have to support them. No one knows his real situation. I tell them that I am HIV positive. They will not have a way to discriminate me.

Andrade Buque, male, 34 years, Mozambique

River of life activity, oral testimony workshop, Mozambique

Every day from the 1st of July until the 21st of July we will be sharing extracts from 21 oral testimonies of 21 men and women living with HIV in Swaziland, Ethiopia and Mozambique. We’ll share these extracts here on this blog – with daily links on twitter and facebook. On the 21st of July, our partner the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) will launch a publication of these testimonies at the International AIDS conference 2014. Read more about 21 stories 21 days. Read more about the project