Positive Heroes is a novel educational, awareness and self-help action campaign that draws on the huge power that positive role models living with HIV have to change people’s minds, and their responses, to a dreaded epidemic of silence and shame.

About us

Positive Heroes is a South African non-profit organisation, founded in 2007, with charitable status with the South African Revenue Services (SARS).

Our Vision

Positive Heroes’ vision is to reduce the fear, misinformation and stigma that still surround HIV. Positive Heroes raises the profile of South Africans who are living positively with HIV, from a wide variety of communities and walks of life both urban and rural, in order to encourage people to manage their HIV and live full, rewarding lives.

Our Objectives

By identifying and widely publicising how ordinary people from all walks of life who are living with HIV and leading extraordinarily fulfilling, healthy and positive lives, Positive Heroes is:

  • Providing positive role models who encourage and inspire others living with and affected by HIV, with their powerful messages of hope.
  • Redirecting the purpose and energy of all people living with HIV to rise above disheartening circumstances, take responsibility for their lives and move towards achieving their full potential
  • Promoting healthy lifestyles
  • Reinstating the dignity and personal empowerment of those who are living with HIV
  • Sensitising and mobilising communities to create a shared vision and commitment, addressing the current challenges of HIV, especially those of stigma and discrimination.

Our Goals

By raising the profile of positive heroes we:

  • Provide positive role models for those living with and affected by HIV
  • Increase understanding and acceptance of HIV
  • Increase personal empowerment around all issues relating to HIV
  • Increase HIV testing
  • Increase HIV disease management
  • Increase anti-retroviral (ARV) medication uptake
  • Increase willingness and ability to discuss HIV
  • Increase the personal relevance of HIV
  • Increase understanding about the difference between HIV and AIDS
  • Decrease fear, shame, discrimination and stigma around HIV
  • Decrease the myths and confusion that surrounds HIV

Our Motivation and Rationale

Underlying the tragedy of HIV in South Africa is a debilitating blanket of silence, denial, stigma and discrimination. Whilst there is almost universal awareness of HIV, HIV remains widely stigmatised. Stigma and discrimination constitute one of the greatest barriers to dealing effectively with HIV in a multitude of ways:

  • They discourage communities and individuals from acknowledging or taking timely action against HIV
  • They deter individuals from finding out about their HIV status.
  • They also inhibit those who know they have HIV from sharing their diagnosis, taking action to protect others and from seeking treatment and care for themselves.

 

Too many South Africans who are living with HIV are suffering and dying needlessly because they have given up on hope and life. Currently 1,000 people die every day in South Africa from HIV.

Our Approach

It is widely acknowledged that people living with HIV are uniquely situated to understand one another’s circumstances and that they are often best placed to support one another. The personal experiences of people living with HIV can be translated into helping to shape a response to the pandemic.

 

The GIPA principle (Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV and AIDS) forms the backbone of the interventions of Positive Heroes.

 

While our heroes may already be known in their communities, Positive Heroes promotes, publicises and raises the profile of these heroes to reach a broad variety of communities in both urban and rural settings. South Africans will be able to engage with role models from a wide range of racial, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds who are managing their HIV and living full, rewarding lives.

 

In this manner carefully selected role models who are living with HIV are involved in a wide variety of activities at various levels of the fight against stigma and discrimination. These activities include appearing in national media campaigns, bearing personal testimony, participating in seminars, educational and awareness campaigns in schools and communities, supporting and counselling others with HIV.

 

We aim to create strategic alliances and joint ventures with other organisations wherever possible in order to pool collective resources, share knowledge and to enhance impact.

Our Beneficiaries

Positive Heroes is about saving lives.

 

Our target audience encompasses the entire population whilst focusing very specifically on all South Africans living with HIV to give them hope and remove fear and shame.

Key Outcomes for Beneficiaries

Key outcomes for beneficiaries include:

  • Understanding that HIV is a chronic manageable disease and that treatment is available
  • Achieving a renewed sense of purpose and have positive life goals
  • Managing HIV infection positively and effectively
  • Pursuing healthy lifestyles and taking responsibility for one own’s health
  • Growing numbers of people voluntarily requesting HIV tests and being tested
  • Growing numbers of people in possession of accurate facts and engaging with HIV

 

More people living longer, healthier, more productive lives and attaining their goals. The benefits will have a positive impact on virtually every aspect of South African life from restored relationships and stronger communities, to long term benefits for health care, social services and the national economy.