Faghmeda Miller, a HIV/AIDS activist is running a support group called Positive Muslims for Muslims living with HIV/AIDS. She started this support group way back in 2000. Positive Muslims is the only group of its kind in the Western Cape. It counsels 40 people through support meetings and a buddy system. It also conducts awareness talks at schools. She is the first and only Muslim woman in South Africa to have disclosed her HIV status.

Faghmeda was diagnosed in 1995 and disclosed in 1996. Her story started a way back in 1994 when she became infected with HIV/Aids. She was living a happily marriage with her Malawian husband in Malawi. The disease was discovered shortly after her husband's death.

It was very difficulty for Faghmeda to talk about her status as she comes from a Muslim community. She decided to keep the information to herself. She thought that anyway she was not going to live for long as she believed that she was going to die soon. She waited patiently for her time to die but death was not happening. She realized that she should go back to the hospital and acquire more information about this disease.  She received counselling on a regular basis and slowly gained self confidende again.

The only thing that was left for Faghmeda to do was to disclose to her family and friends. That was not easy for her because she was not expecting any positive response from them. She thought that they were going to curse her away because of the stigma associated with the disease. Her family was very supportive and she came back to South Africa. Unfortunately for her there were no support groups for Muslims.

She joined one of Christian people who were very supportive. She wanted to be with her own people but she couldn't find anyone and it was heartbreaking for her. This time she decided to go to a local Islamic radio station to talk about HIV/AIDS. She received positive response as she gave her telephone number for people in need of support to call her. Since then her phone has never stop ringing.

Faghmeda decided to start a support group to help the others living with HIV/AIDS in her community. She realise how difficulty it was for a Muslim to come out and talk about his/her status. In spite of all the difficulties she encountered, Faghmeda opened a way for a better Muslim community living with AIDS. Every time the radio station calls her in to give a talk about AIDS. She has done several television programmes locally and internationally. She had appeared in various magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, documentaries and on all radio broadcasters in Cape Town and Johannesburg. She has her own documentary "The Malawian kiss" right on the top of her list.

She also wrote a book about her past 8 years as a HIV woman the book has not been published yet but it is finished. She also does home counselling and awareness programmes in different communities. Faghmeda also had a dream to fulfil her holy pilgrimage to Mecca and she completed it with pride in 2000. Through her hard work, Faghmeda received the Femina "Women of courage" Award and was nominated for "Women that made difference" in their community.

Sources:-

• Positive muslim
• Health-e
• Cadre
• Aegis

Page Updated: 7 December 2011