A Voice for Young Positive Living
My name is Tlotlo Lillian Moilwa. I am a Motswana woman born in 1999. My mom passed on when I was six years old, and then my dad passed two years after that. Both my parents died because of AIDS. A few years after they died, I learned I had contracted HIV from my mother when I was born. In the year 2000, the government began rolling out the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Program, or PMTCT. Thankfully, very few babies contract HIV these days, though this problem has not been fully eliminated. Today, we have many more testing, treatment and prevention options than we did before. Likewise, the stigma around HIV is not as bad as it used to be. However, this does not mean that it is easy to be a young person living with HIV in Botswana today. I still encounter discrimination and I know many others who are reluctant to test or go on treatment for fear of being stigmatized. Yet, I am living openly and positively with this virus. For me, living positively means following my passion for inspiring young people, especially those living with HIV. I am the right person to speak for these HIV+ youth because I have faced and am still facing what they are. I have committed my life and my voice to advocate for all those who cannot speak for themselves. I am a member of Sentebale, a program founded in 2006 by the UK’s Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso. Through Sentebale’s Let Youth Lead program, I have met with political leaders and other youth living with HIV from many countries. In my role as a youth advocate over the past two years, I have represented the voice of young people in Let Youth Lead‘s global forums. As youth advocates, we describe the challenges faced by young people living with HIV and advise government officials and international donors how to support us to live positively and to prevent new infections. Most recently, I attended the 2018 International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This conference was truly a life-changing experience as I met and exchanged ideas with dozens of young people from all across the world. I had a private meeting with key influential leaders in the global HIV response, where I spoke on how to design health services that best support young people. At the same conference, I also spoke at a symposium hosted by Botswana’s Ministry of Health and Wellness focused on how our country uses local data to create innovative programs for youth. At UNICEF’s symposium entitled “SHE is the Future: Engaging Adolescent Girls and Young Women for a More Effective HIV Prevention Response,” I advocated for increased consultation and inclusion of youth in decision making on matters relating to girls and young women. My message to my fellow youth is: “Stand up and let your voice be heard!” To our leaders, I say, “Let's engage young people because without us, it's not about us!'