Drax

Malawi

Hi my name is Drax, and I am one of the people living with HIV in Dedza. I am a lady aged 41, with five children, two boys and three girls. I am a single mother, residing in Katsekaminga village, Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in the same district of Dedza. I got infected with this virus the time my husband abandoned us. He never supports us. I do all responsibility. This made me start sex work for us to survive and put food on the table. I didn’t stop there, in 2014 I went back to school because I dropped out from school when that man impregnated me, so I thought it was the end of my school. I continue my education while on other hand I do sex work to pay my fees and my son’s fees. He was in form three at that time. I finished secondary level in 2019 and I proceed with Education until I have Diploma in Nutrition, food security, sustainable agriculture, introduction to statistics and business communication. At that time, I was thinking to help people living with HIV and AIDS.

So, my work is going to the bar and doing sex work. I didn’t stop but the problem is as I said am 41 years so getting clients is a problem nowadays. In hotspots, they find young sex workers that may be 15, 16, 17, 18 so to be in competition with them doesn’t work.

Sometimes I go home empty handed, and due to covid-19 laws in my country it makes things change economically and financially. But I make sure to see that my children go to school and I support them because I don’t want my children, mainly girls, to follow my path to be sex workers.

As my journey as PLHIV in this world is so hard, with no job, no business it’s so hard, sometimes I have stress. How can I manage to take care of my family? Sometimes we go to bed with empty stomachs and that makes me feel guilty. Why did I bring these children on earth although the situation is very poor I thank God we are surviving. I am lucky to encourage my fellow PLHIV here in my country and other countries that to live with HIV it’s not the end of life. We can continue our life and live longer if we are taking our medication properly. ARVs boost our lives and don’t forget to check viral load and on the other hand protecting our partners.