The Courage to Share: Doreen Moraa's story of living positively while positive

In a country where there is still stigma attached to living with HIV, which makes many hold back from making their status known publicly, it continues to affect millions of people.

However, behind every number is a story - a story of hope, resilience, and courage.

One such story is that of a young woman who was born with HIV - Doreen Moraa Moracha.

Despite the challenges she has faced, Moracha refuses to let her diagnosis define her.

Instead, she uses her experience to educate others, fight stigma, and make a difference in her community.

Moracha was born as one of two out of five siblings with HIV. Her other sibling with HIV died.

When she joined primary school, Moracha said she started feeling unwell often and struggled with opportunistic diseases and that is when she found out that she had the virus.

 “Doreen, you are HIV positive, and you will start a new medication called antiretrovirals (ARVs) that you will take for the rest of your life."

These were her doctor's words in April 2005.

Moracha said she took the news positively and instead of thinking about the effect it would have on her life, she thought, having to change her lifestyle meant "I would get to eat nice food."

She said every time her mother took her to hospital, she would treat her to fries, soda, and chicken - her favourite meal.

During her primary education, Doreen was in and out of school due to falling sick regularly.

She said many teachers did not like her, and they said she was lazy and did not like school.

However, they did not know that she had HIV, and all they knew was that she had a "heart condition."

According to Doreen, it's easier to tell someone you have a heart condition than HIV, as "it's easier to lie than to come to terms with it”.

 Doreen says that many schools lack privacy, and when she was in secondary school, people found out about her status.

“My positive mindset towards my HIV status changed just a few years after my disclosure after I joined high school. Our school, just like all high schools, has shared amenities, and I couldn't hide my antiretrovirals (ARVs) from my peers. I had to lie that I had a heart condition because I thought nobody would stigmatize me for having a hole in my heart. They empathized, they loved me, and they cared for me. I dreaded telling them I was living with HIV because I would get a different reaction,” Doreen tells Wananchi Reporting.

She went on to further her studies in community work and during her internship, she says she recalls one day when she was given an assignment to go help test students for the virus in different schools, but not many people showed up. When her boss, who knew her HIV status, suggested she try being open about her status to help people feel less stigmatised, Doreen said she was still not willing to do so as she had not fully accepted her condition.

As she got older, Doreen became more involved in advocacy work. She began speaking out about HIV and AIDS, sharing her story with others and advocating for greater awareness and understanding.

Despite the challenges she faced, she was determined to make a difference in her community.

Doreen's story is a powerful reminder that HIV is not just a statistic but a human experience.

As Doreen signs off, she says, "It took me so much time to feel free, accept myself, and go back to seeing HIV the way I first saw it. Since then, I have been thriving positively, living beyond those two lines (+) that declared me HIV positive. Don't let what people say about HIV be your walking stick. That is them, and this is you and your life. HIV hasn't stopped you from living. Do not let "what will people say" stop you from being the fantastic and incredible individual you were always meant to be!”.