Madonsela is touching lives through support group

Phindile Madonsela is a motivational speaker, HIV/Aids activist, professional traditional healer and founder of Sinhlanhla Support Group.

Madonsela works as a speaker at events hosted by Gerald Fitzpatrick Home, based in Bertrams.

She told the EXPRESS that being an activist means advocating for people living with HIV/Aids.

“This includes fighting for our rights to dignity, medical treatment, information and our reproductive rights. My journey started in 2001, four years after being diagnosed with HIV. Actually, I wanted to fight the stigma and discrimination I encountered in my community. I wanted people to accept people living with HIV/Aids and to educate them about the virus,” she said.

Madonsela said she was devastated after finding out about her status.

“I was a regular blood donor. I was given a letter that informed me they could no longer accept my blood and that I needed to consult a doctor. I went to a local clinic and I was advised to do an HIV test.

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“I was confused, but I was certain that I was HIV-negative. I did the test and got the results two weeks later. It wasn’t easy after finding out. I was still confused. I went back home and the only thing that I was thinking about was my children, who are still young.

“I took a decision to keep my status to myself for four years. I thought it was the end of life for me as there were no treatments during those times. It wasn’t easy at all, but what kept me going was my children as I didn’t want them to grow up as orphans. I told my mother, my close family and friends after some time.

“I lost friends and some family members after revealing my status, but my mother supported me. She is a domestic worker and she would often bring cooked vegetables so that I can eat healthy food. She also attended many workshops in order to support me,” she said.

In 2001, Madonsela joined the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).

“It was the only organisation I knew back then that fought for people who are living with HIV/Aids.

“We attended workshops that educated us about the disease and what the treatment would do if we won the battle to save lives. Through the campaign we fought for treatment through marches, sit-ins and civil disobedience in order to put pressure on our government to provide antiretrovirals (ARVs) to people living with HIV. Our first victory was to win the case of prevention of mother-to-child transmission at the Constitutional Court. If it wasn’t for the campaign, people would be still dying because of Aids.

“HIV/Aids is not a killer disease anymore. We have access to ARVs. People must test and know their status to avoid spreading the virus. People think that when you have HIV/Aids, it means you were sleeping around. I only had one partner,” she said.

Madonsela told the EXPRESS that she did not have an easy childhood, and as a result she was unable to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.

“I passed my matric at Sydney Maseko Abet Centre in 2010 at the age of 38. In 2011 I enrolled for a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of South Africa (Unisa). Immediately after receiving my study material, the calling of becoming a traditional healer caught me and I couldn’t deny it.

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“It became difficult for me to concentrate on my studies and traditional-healing training at the same time. At Unisa I only passed psychology with distinction and failed other modules, but I didn’t give up. In 2014 I studied Early Childhood Development at Sydney Maseko Abet Centre and I passed with distinction,” she said.

Through Sinhlanhla Support Group she teaches people about HIV/Aids.

“The support group is for anyone who wants to learn more about the disease. I hope to make a difference in someone’s life,” she said.

For more information about the support group, contact 081 385 5366.