Positive Heroes https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/ Ordinary people living extraordinary lives Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:06:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 A Message from the Directors https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/message-directors/ Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:00:04 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2728 Kids on beach PH t-shirts:older kid in fore 2008 copy_2We have achieved a lot in five years – and are proud of being part of a movement that has seen people living with HIV become role models both in their communities and nationally.

Positive Heroes’ approach of solution-focused messaging highlights hope and decreases stigma and fear. With your support the charity has helped to ensure that those marginalized by HIV are better equipped to respond to the challenges they face.

Given the on-going financial environment and the difficulty in attracting reliable funding, without moving to a model of operation that requires a heavy allocation of time and resources to administration and fundraising, we feel this is the right time to down-scale our efforts. With this new focus we will no longer be accepting funding nor actively pursuing new initiatives as we wind down our formal operations; but we will still be there for anyone seeking information or support. We will maintain our website and answer every request for help that comes directly to us. Positive Heroes will be just an email away.

Thank you for being such an instrumental part of Positive Heroes and we hope that you are as proud as we are, of all that we have achieved.

We could not have done any of this without you – thank you for being our Heroes!

Reon, Brooke, Gavin and Sue

Evelina Tshabalala laughing on beach 2009-005570 copy_2

Evelina Tshabalala, our founding Hero.

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2012: Consolidating the Core https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/2012-consolidating-core/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:29:27 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2615 full sizeFebruary – December: Move! Magazine published six articles detailing specific challenges surrounding living positively with HIV including Healthy Nutrition, Pregnancy, ARVs.

IMG_3821_2March:  Partner with the Metro South Education Department in HIV/AIDS workshops held at 12 schools that reached over 4,000 young- and 400 adult- learners and teachers.

April: The Ultra Marathon Team run the 2 Oceans Marathon undertake media and outreach work

untitled-2303_3April: Partner with Surfer NGO Waves for Change to create an anti stigma surfing lesson. WFC teaches underprivileged teenagers about HIV, self-reliance, peer support and stigma. The kids taught our Heroes to surf, the Heroes told the youngsters about positive livingPH_DAy1_Low-30_2

April: Hosted an Easter party for Yabonga Paediatric HIV/AIDS clinics and treated children to Easter teddies and goodie bags of crisps and sweets

IMG_3967_2May – December: created three unique inserts with the Dr Mol Show on SABC 3 National TV. Our six Heroes tell their personal stories of managing the virus.

Gallery Nothando Positive Heroes Support Group

September: Form the first Positive Heroes support group in Zimbabwe – in partnership with All About Love Trust Zimbabwe. Add five Zimbabwean Heroes to our website.

264222_4541711511085_494485483_nSeptember: Visit Johannesburg for the Bonitas City2City Marathon. The runners cover  a wide range of media interviews and speak to 300 employees of the Holiday Inn Group about the effects of Stigma and positive living with HIV.  They visit Positive Hero Simphiwe Ngamone’s clinic in Witbank where the Heroes told their stories of living Positively. The team and a group of Gauteng-based Heroes visit the Constitutional Courts as guests of Positive Heroes’ Patron, Justice Edwin Cameron.

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September: UltraMarathon Team participate in the Bonitas City to City Marathon – running in “HIV+ Runner” Vests. Positive Heroes create a water station hosted by Johannesburg based Heroes and local volunteers.

October: The Dr Mol Show broadcasts a 15-minute segment detailing the Bonitas City 2 City marathon and the team’s achievements

IMG_5326October: Develop an after-school sports program for the children of Bergsig clinic, with local Hero and UltraMarathon team runner Willie Englebrecht. Sporting equipment purchased with Donation made by Spinsista Mitzi and her Gay Pride Team

November:  In partnership with SAB, we install intercom systems at Bergsig and Nqkubela HIV/TB clinics. Provide the medical teams with loudhailers for Community outreach work.

December: WORLD AIDS DAY Hero Thabo Moloi speaks at Exxaro Mines, Sue Wildish speaks on stigma at SAB, we cover interviews across the media

HIVDecember: World AIDS Day – Barbara Kingsley and Sue Wildish spoke with The Western Cape Department of Labour on living positively with HIV and the effects of Stigma.

December: WORLD AIDS DAY – Barbara Kingsley and Dr Reon Van Dyk speak at Medi-Clinic on the current State of HIV in SA and Experiencing Stigma

December: Support ‘Mohau oa Bophelo’, an NGO run by Johanna and Shalom Ncala – Sisters and Positive Heroes by providing T-shirts, pamphlets, information and buttons for their Women Against Violence Event

IMG_3947_2December: Partner with with Medi-Clinic and Daddy’s Deals to fund and provide gifts for At Risk Children NGO Dibanani’s annual Christmas Party.

Inca Poster A3December: Hosted a Fundraising Cocktail Party and raised R10 000 in core funding

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2011: Community and Connection https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/2011-community-connection/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:28:09 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2622 Positive-Heroes-266-(latest)--(1)February – December:  Ongoing Campaign of Hope with double page spread articles on HIV, Stigma, Disclosure and Heroes’ stories appearing in Move! magazine – readership 1.85millon weekly

IMG_3148_2March: Willie Robertson and Sue Wildish speak about Stigma at the Bergsig Clinic Annual HIV/TB Day
um-eam-sinenjongo-high-school-tshirt-winners-and-staffApril: UltraMarathon team run the Two Oceans Marathon and do extensive Media Work round Stigma
um-team-easter-bunny-kidzpositive-2011April: UltraMarathon Team and the Easter Bunny hold an Easter Party at Groote Schuur Hospital’s Paediatric HIV Clinic – handing out 120 knitted teddies Easter goodies.
um-team-sinenjongo-high-school-easter-2011April: UltraMarahon Team visits Sinenjongo High School in Joe Slovo Township as guests of a Special Assembly where they tell their stories about living with HIV

May: UltraMarathon team appear National Television: eTV News – Saturday night ahead of the Comrades watched by 11 million viewers

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May:  UltraMarathon Team run the Comrades Marathon and do extensive media work

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May: UltraMarathon Team do outreach at: WozaMoya HIV Support Group and Income Generating Beading project, Hillcrest HIV/Aids Respite Care Centre, Sizimisele Combined School and Mafumbuka High School

May – July: Redesign the Positive Heroes Website. Introduce 12 new Heroes.

June:  Masibulele Gcabo plants the Positive Heroes Support Group Trench garden in Buntingville, Eastern Cape

IMG_0016August:  Health-e TV reporter Fathima Simjee wins “Vodacom Best TV News” award for her short film on The Ultra-Marathon Team at the 2011 Comrades Marathon

September: Launch a global online t-shirt competition to design a shirt that inspires courage at the fashion show

Positive Heroes VolunteersNovember: Host a fashion show for 500 at the Civic Centre: raising R130 000 in core funding and ticket sales –  covering our operating costs for 2012.  50 Heroes, take to the runway in the winning T-shirt design

November:  Barbara Kingsley appeared on Siyayinquoba, Beat It on Sunday 29th – SABC1 at 12.30 for WAD.

IMG_3090_2November: UltraMarathon Team run the Winelands Marathon and visit SAPS Robertson plus Bergsig and Nqubela Clinics to tell their stories.

December:  World AIDS Day – Sue Wildish, Barbara Kingsley and Evelina Tshabalala do a wide range of TV and radio interviews.

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2010: From Strength to Strength https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/2010-strength-strength/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:27:27 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2669 January – December:  Move! Heroes Campaign into 2010 – introducing a new Positive Hero to South Africans over a double page spread, every 6 weeks.

April: The Ultra Marathon Team welcomes new members Barbara Kingsley and Kenneth Methula. They complete the 56km Two Oceans and substantial interviews in local Cape Town and national print, radio and online media.

UltraMarathon Team with Dan PlatoApril: Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato personally congratulates the team on their great work during a photo call arranged for Cape Town Newspapers

May: The Team travel to Kza-Zulu Natal to run the 2010 Comrades 89km Ultra marathon – each turning in best personal times. They do media interviews in Kenneth Methula’s home province KZN.

May: The Ultra Marathon team visited Kearsney College and addressed 600 learners during a special assembly dedicated to Positive Heroes.
They hold the boys (aged 12- 18) spellbound for an hour.  Kearsney boys lined the marathon route outside their school holding orange balloons to show their appreciation and support.

June: Nike sponsor the Team with new Running Kit for 2011

September:  SABC3 air “Beyond Positive” a series of 24-minute documentaries looking at positive living with HIV. They feature three Positive Heroes: Evelina Tshabalala, Faghmeda Miller and Terresa Frankenberg.

September: Marc Stanes & Jonathan Cooper donate a percentage of the sales from the exhibition Naked Sculpture, held in London: to Positive Heroes.
008-positive-heroes-fashion-show-ct-stationOctober: The second annual ‘Unique Fashion Event’ is held at the Cape Town Train Station. The fashion show and auction raise over R160 000 in core funding.

team-at-sabDecember:  World AIDS Day: Gavin Reid, Director of Positive Heroes talks to with South African Breweries (SAB) and Sports Sciences Institute staffers about the role of Stigma in the HIV Epidemic in South Africa.Positive Hero Brett Anderson Terry speaks at Liberty Life’s World AIDS Day in Johannesburg. His speech is satellited to both the Cape Town and Durban offices. Positive Heroes CEO Reon Van Dyk addresses the employees of the Cape Town
Medi-Clinic on new developments in the HIV/Aids field.

IMG_0132December:  The Ultra Marathon team take part in the Soweto Marathon – a first time for Barbara, Kenneth, Willie and Masi. They speak with local press and finish in good time depite the challenges of the altitude.

December: Luckyboy Mkhondwana and Teresa Frankenberg share their stories with Timiya on SABC1’s Talk SA – broadcast on National TV
beautiful-gate-christmas-party-2December:  Support Christmas Party held by The Beautiful Gate HIV/AIDS Paediatric Clinic in Crossroads by providing gifts/cooldrinks to 220 children.

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2009: A Year of Unprecedented Growth https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/2009-year-unprecedented-growth/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:26:24 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2618 Inspiring Stories

February – December:  Move! Magazine agree to devote a double page spread to featuring a Positive Hero and telling their story. Move! is  South Africa’s Number One Woman’s Magazine: with a reach reach of over 1.1 million readers every week

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March – December:   Billboards on Adderley Street – Cape Town’s main thoroughfare – feature messages of Hope by eight Positive Heroes

April:  Formation of Positive Heroes’ UltraMarathon Team – Evelina Tshablala, Masibulele Gcabo and Willie Engelbrecht run the 56km Two Oceans Marathon

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May:  The UltraMarathon team triumphantly complete the 89kmComrades Marathon – their first as a team

June:  UltraMarathon Team Captain Evelina Tshabalala is announced as the winner of Nike’s Gamechangers Competition.  She wins by an unprecedented number of votes – demonstrating that Positive Heroes “is an organization that uses sport to promote social change for women in South Africa”.

evelina-tshabalalaOctober:  Our ‘Unique Fashion Event’ – a fundraising fashion show and auction raises over R85,000 in core funding for 2010

October:  Standard Bank sign on to sponsor Move! articles for 2010 bringing Sponsorship funds to the organization.

December:  Richard Westoby and Steven Edwards hold an exhibition of Richard’s photographs and raise over R18,000 for Positive Heroes

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Our Campaign Of Hope: reaching South Africa https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/campaign-hope-reaching-south-africa/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:25:07 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2633 full size

Positive Heroes’ vision is to reduce the fear, misinformation, stigma and discrimination that still surround HIV in South Africa.

We do this by providing role models who encourage and inspire others living with and affected by HIV, with their powerful messages of hope. Our Heroes share their life personal testimonies of surviving and managing HIV – which counter-balances the fear surrounding HIV with messages of hope without telling people what to do

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 are then 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.

Evie Voice Article November 2012_2Our carefully selected role models who are all 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.

The Voice Interview- Barbara_2Positive Heroes receives hundreds of emails and letters through our website, facebook, media exposure and from Move! readers. People who are looking for support or wanting more information. We provide personal responses, and where necessary, a call from one of the Heroes. We also refer people to support groups and clinics and provide a crucial link to accessing treatment, care and support services. These personalised interventions work at a ground roots level – normalising HIV and diminishing stigma.

We call this our Campaign of Hope
reallives_april-1Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) is a measure that is used in both the Commercial Public Relations (CPR) and Non-Government Organisation (NGO) or Charity sectors to evaluate the benefit to an organisation of media coverage from a PR campaign. The measurement would combine the size of the coverage gained, its placement and media medium – and calculate what the equivalent amount of space, would cost if it paid for as advertising.

We establish Positive Heroes’ AVE by dividing the value of media coverage achieved by the total amount of money spent by Positive Heroes during one financial year. We use a conservative ratio of 1:1 as we feel this best reflects a real value.
Siphiwe Hilda Move! February 2011The readership/listenership or viewership figures provided by each media outlet allow us to evaluate how many people we reached per media inclusion. These figures reveal that the spread of media and nature of pieces allowed us to reach every South African over a period of 5 years.

Our AVE figures since we started the organization are:

  • 2008/9:   3:1 – 2 million reach
  • 2009/10: 2:1 – 4 million reach
  • 2010/11: 14:1 – 25 million reach
  • 2011/12: 8:1 – 35 million reach
  • 2012/13: 10:1 – 38 million reach

These results have been beyond our wildest expectations and have given us fresh impetus to do even more each year. We believe that addressing stigma is a key part of the solution to the HIV epidemic and this is what our Heroes do every day.

David Patient Move! March 2011We want to thank our sponsors and supporters all for the contributions you have made and continue to make. We will not stop in our work until we are all part of the generation that ends HIV/AIDS in our time.

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Positive Heroes 2009 – 2014: A Report https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/positive-heroes-2009-2013-report/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:24:49 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2734 hout bay Team copyFor a full report on our activities between 2009 and 2014 – please click on the link below.

PH 2009-2013 REPORT (final compressed)

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Lorraine “Lolo” Mashishi https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/lorraine-lolo-mashishi/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:04:45 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2607 IMG-20130323-00077Before I had even finished school, I met a wonderful man. He was everything I had every dreamed of having in my life. He was educated, caring and handsome.

I matriculated and we started to plan our future. Then, in 1994 during my first year of tertiary education, I fell pregnant and after nine healthy months, gave birth to cute baby boy. We were the happiest young parents in the world and then everything went wrong. After a few weeks my baby started to get sick and was eventually admitted in hospital. He ended up spending two weeks there.

Every time I would go in to feed him, I would see the nurses whispering about me. But they never said anything to my face. I couldn’t understand it.  My little boy was not getting any better – but still they discharged him. And they gave me a note to give any doctor that consulted on my baby in the future.

After few days my baby started to get worse and worse. Eventually his aunt decided to take him to private clinic. I took the note with me and gave it to the Doctor while he was busy attending to my son.  He said we must immediately return to where my baby had been treated before – and arranged an ambulance to take us back to the original hospital.

We arrived in casualty and then the first Doctor came out to see us.  I can still remember his name and his voice is in my ears, as if it was yesterday.  He shouted at us: “Why are you bringing this child back here?  He has AIDS and he won’t survive”.

I just stood there frozen, staring at my baby’s aunt. I could see she was shocked too … eventually I asked the Doctor: “How is this possible, How did my baby get AIDS”. And he looked at me and said “He got it from his mother”.

I felt like I was going to faint. My knees got weak. I couldn’t tell if it was from the news that I was going to lose my baby, or that I had AIDS. I wanted to be tested right away – but my boyfriend insisted that we should deal with our son’s sickness first.

I told my family immediately and they were supportive but I kept it from my stepdad. I did not know how he would react.

My baby died the next day. I can’t remember much of that time – and my sister took me to the Doctor because I was so stressed from the loss of my little boy.  When I was there, I asked the Doctor to test me for HIV. “Please,” I said – “I lost my baby”.

It was the longest two weeks of my life – in those days the test wasn’t immediate – the blood had to go to the laboratory. When I got the results I was told I had only three months to live. And my family should start to prepare for my funeral.

I lost interest in life and everything I liked. I became depressed and withdrawn. Nothing mattered. I applied for job at an airline, but when they told me at the interview that an HIV test was compulsory … I didn’t go back for the second interview.

My boyfriend died in 2000. He passed on still apologizing to me because he believed he had
infected me because he was older than me. I was angry at him at first but I had to forgive him because I realized he honestly had not known he was HIV positive. And, I felt I was also a not innocent – I had been raped. And I had been involved sexually before I went out with him.

Life wasn’t easy. I was depressed ..  and at one point I was bedridden. But I kept going. In 2004 I eventually started taking ARVs . And slowly I began see life differently. I got stronger and well. I was able to see a future.

I found myself a job and I have worked myself up in the company until today where I have senior post! I also have another lovely baby boy who is healthy and strong and HIV negative.

2013 is will bring my 20th anniversary of being HIV positive. I am going celebrate my two decades by throwing a big party. I want to thank God, my family and my friends for the love they have shown to me over all this time.

I want to encourage people living with HIV to remember that there is life after the diagnosis. And I want to invite you all to celebrate because with me.  I turned three months to 20 years!  And I am determined to get through another 20 years and I will see my son graduate.  Because I know –  if I did it once – I can do it again.

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Johanna Ncala and Terresa Frankenberg do Positive Heroes Proud on World AIDS Day 2012 https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/johanna-ncala-and-terresa-frankenberg-do-positive-heroes-proud-on-world-aids-day-2012/ Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:37:50 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2597 Our two Heroes discussed the power in living openly with HIV, and the effect of stigma on our lives with the Dr Mol Show.

 

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16 Days of Activism: One Inspirational Woman – Busi Maqungo https://www.positiveheroes.org.za/16-days-of-activism-one-inspirational-woman-busi-maqungo/ Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:32:48 +0000 http://positiveheroes.org.za/?p=2592

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