We don’t call each other for the coffee ceremony… They won’t enter my home…  we don’t even borrow a flame

“I don’t have any close relation with my neighbours as a result of appalling stigma and discrimination. We don’t call each other for the coffee ceremony or for other social involvements.

They won’t enter my home even if I invite them. My close relation is with our members who are HIV positive. We don’t even borrow a flame… We use own matches when we need fire, nothing else at all.

What I want to stress more is stigma and discrimination should be avoided. Children who are HIV positive must get care and support. They must be kept from stigma everywhere, in school, neighbourhoods, residential areas, playing fields and other places.

People must avoid this terrific stigma and discrimination and support us. The involvement of people living with HIV in any social activities like developmental participation should be strengthened… because we can do what others can do.”

Mekides Tariku, female, 38 years, Ethiopia

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