Thembi Ngumbane, AIDS Activist in Cape Town
Posted on Jun 15, 2009 under Health | No CommentThere is no doubt that five-star Cape Town hotels are among the most beautiful and luxurious in the world. Considered by many to be one of the most gorgeous places on the planet, the hotels here live up to their fortunate location. With a heady combination of natural habitats for some of the most fascinating animals on Earth, amazing beaches that are more stunning than could ever be described or photographed, and a rich urban bustle that speaks of a lively global culture, Cape Town is one of humanity’s original hotspots.
With a fascinating and troubling history, South Africa is a living document of the human drama as it continues to unfold. Just as it would be difficult to speak of Cape Town without mentioning the history of apartheid, it is also hard to overlook the HIV virus. Just recently, hours ago as I write this, AIDS activist Thembi Ngumbane lost her battle with HIV. She had been diagnosed with drug-resistant TB earlier this week; she was 24 years old. Diagnosed with HIV when she was 19 years old, she has been outspoken and rather fearless in bringing light to HIV/AIDS issues in South Africa, as well as globally. She was given a microphone, and recorded her experiences with the illness, in an audio diary which has caught the attention of the globe.
She was chosen to be one of the participants in Imagine Afrika, a reality tv show which chronicled the lives of 12 people and their experience with HIV. Although this certainly brought her national attention, it was her sensitive diary entries in audio form that earned her the ears of international leaders such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. On her tour of the US, she was extremely outspoken about the grave spread of the illness, and the need for international attention so that education and outreach could help the growing situation. This global tour apparently gave her the courage to become more outspoken in her native South Africa. Thembi Ngumbane was not afraid to speak of her experience with the disease, documenting some extremely touching life events, such as telling her father about her HIV positive status. And though she was barely under five feet tall, she stood as a giant and spoke truth to power, a legacy that will live on.
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