How living with HIV inspired my love for advocacy

“I was born with HIV, but my status has not at any point interfered with my life. My social, academic and career lives have all remained positive,” says Collins Onyango.

The 21-year-old peer educator at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital says knowing his HIV status at the tender age of 11 changed his life for the better.

Until 2014, Collins says he viewed people living with HIV differently due to the myths and misconceptions he had heard about the virus.

He had, however, failed to understand why his mother would take time to teach him and his sister how to live a healthy life.

She would emphasise why his sister needed to avoid isolated places with men and the need to abstain or use protection when engaging in sexual intercourse.

The same message would be preached to him. All this time, Collins says he did not take the lessons seriously.

“I also remember how every evening; my mother would hand me drugs to swallow before taking supper. When I asked, I was told the medicine was for tuberculosis.”

But a simple altercation with a classmate one afternoon after picking his monthly dose at Lumumba Hospital in Kisumu changed his life.

Collins says it was his role to pick his antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) on each appointment date at the health facility.

He recalls arriving at the facility, where the doctor handed him the pills in an envelope. The doctor also asked him whether he knew why he was taking the daily pills.

TB drugs

“I innocently told him that my mother had said the drugs were meant for TB.”

The doctor told Collins to ask his mother, yet again, what the drugs were meant for.

He left the hospital and headed back to school, only to engage in a fight with a classmate, and the envelope slipped out of his hands.

The drugs dropped on the floor, and his classmates started asking what they were meant for.

While Collins maintained he was on TB treatment, some of his classmates found it hard to believe. It was his class teacher who saved the situation and asked the learners to go back to their seats.

The teacher took Collins for counselling and escorted him back to the health facility for a fresh supply of drugs.

He was then excused to go back home. Instead of asking his mother about the drugs, he went straight to bed.

A few days later, his mother visited the school and had a lengthy talk with teachers. Later that evening while having dinner, his mother broke the news that he was HIV positive.

“I learnt that I was born with HIV. My mother said she learnt about my status when I clocked three years because I was always sickly.

 “Mum also told me that my father died of Aids when I was only one and a half years old. After knowing his status, he defaulted on his drugs due to fear of stigma.”

Collin’s mother also took time to explain that one could still live a long healthy life if only they religiously took their ARVs.

At first, the then 11-year-old was very bitter. He failed to understand why his mother did not protect him from the disease just like his older sister, who had tested negative.

“Taking the pills daily was also not easy. The thought of taking them daily for the rest of my life made me sick,” he says.

The next time he visited Lumumba Sub-county Hospital for ARVs, he was keen to ask one of his age mates whether he knew why he was taking the medication.

To his surprise, the young boy was aware of his HIV status. He even took time to explain to Collins how he could still lead a normal life.

Since then, he would have random chats with the young boy, and every meet-up would uplift his spirit.

 To the young boy, Collins and other people living with HIV were only playing host to the tiny virus.

“I started viewing myself differently. I also wanted to have an impact even if it meant changing the mindset of just one person living with the virus,” says Collins

When he joined a nearby day secondary school, Collins happened to learn that some of his classmates were also on ARVs when attending a healthcare outreach.

He came back to school and while speaking with them separately, they all agreed to form a support group composed of three men and two ladies.

They also approached the school head and made their HIV status known to him. The teacher was willing to support the learners. 

Within a few months, the principal introduced Collins and his friends to other learners who were also living with the virus.

During class breaks, they would have talks on how each member was fairing on with their ARVs while also reminding one another when next they should pick their drugs.

They would also take time to explain to learners how the disease is transmitted; and how they could protect themselves.

“We also agreed among ourselves to be carrying our 7am and 7pm daily ARV doses to school since we would report as early as 6.30am and leave some minutes to seven in the evening.”

The support group inspired the school to come up with a guidance and counselling club. The school head also asked the group founders to find a way to incorporate learners who were battling with other health conditions such as diabetes. 

Back at Lumumba Hospital where he would pick his medication, Collins also joined a peer lead group and was elected their president.

After clearing secondary school education in 2022, Collins hopes to pursue a course in Operative Theatre Technology but is yet to enroll to any college due to lack of funds.

He also currently works as the adolescent and young person Health champion in Kisumu County. His new role allows him to work closely with the Ministry of Health and non-government organisations fighting HIV /Aids.

From his time to time engagements with the youth, Collins says he has realised a major gap in the poor health seeking habits among men.

“We can be having meetings but out of a population of 80, only 15 will be men.”

He adds that the same has been witnessed in the number of HIV positive young couples seeking healthcare services.

“Most of the young pregnant mothers living with HIV always come to the hospital without their spouses. The truth is that we need both parents to protect newborns from getting infected.”

In an effort to bring more men on board, Collins says he recently launched football tournaments in Kisumu Central.

During the sporting events, together with a group of peers, they take time to educate both the young and old men about HIV/Aids.

He adds that he is planning to work on a programme that will bring together young couples living with HIV in awareness campaigns.

“As we mark World Aids Day, my message to the young people is to get tested and start taking ARVs as early as possible. Being HIV positive is not the end of the world,” he says.

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