Lisungu Chieza from Zimbabwe was 26 when she was told in 1996 that she was HIV+. "This started my long journey of coping with being HIV+. My husband died in my arms at home eight months later." Not only did Lisungu have to cope with her own illness and losing her husband, but her husband's family also wrongly blamed her for his death. They came to her house, took away his things, and said, "If those children of yours get sick, don't even call us. We won't have anything to do with them or you." They would not even let her go to her husband's burial. "I gave up a college course I had planned to do. All I thought about was death. I neglected my children and myself." But her mother supported her. Lisungu began to find hope again and joined an HIV support group. Then she started to help others who were also HIV+, and took a college course about HIV-AIDS. She spoke at HIV meetings with the young people in her church. She believes that it is ver...
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