Pretoria - To mark Youth Day, the Thabiso Seema Foundation held an HIV awareness campaign at Mandela Stadium in Hammanskraal.
The campaign targeted the youth in the area to educate them about HIV and how to prevent infections.
Thabiso Seema, who founded the foundation, said this was one of his ongoing campaigns to remove the stigma associated with HIV.
“Being positive does not mean it is the end of the world. We taught and reminded people that they needed to take their ARVs.”
He told a story of peer pressure, which he said did not only affect teenagers, but also adults.
He said this was his downfall when he was a full-time taxi driver working between Soshanguve and the Pretoria CBD.
Seema said he contracted HIV while working as a taxi driver and after testing positive, he decided to turn his life around for the good of society.
He opened Seema TV and the Seema Foundation to raise awareness and educate people about social issues.
“I have been taking my ARV medication since January 2020. I took it upon myself to educate men and boys about HIV and how to live healthily after being infected or affected by the virus.
“The foundation was started in February 2021 and it is a non-profit organisation,” he said.
Seema said more awareness campaigns were needed in rural areas.
“Gauteng is seen as the land of riches and everyone wants to come here. Imagine if a guy comes to Gauteng, lives his life then contracts the disease, then goes back home only to infect women in his community.
“Those women will also infect men in that community. We need to educate them about such things and where to get help,” he said.
The foundation’s goal is to break the HIV stigma to encourage more people, especially men, to get tested and to live healthy and balanced lives.
The foundation also encourages people to talk openly about the virus.
They also want to teach people the importance of taking their medication on time, and to educate children to be responsible.
Seema said he had received a lot of support from people on social media.
He now works with Mosima Makgopa, of the University of Pretoria, who said the target group for the Youth Day event was boys. However, girls were also included.
“Seema tested positive for HIV. We are trying to teach the community that there is life after testing positive for the virus as long as we live healthy lifestyles and take medication,” Makgopa said.
At the event, there was an HIV testing centre and counsellors were available.
The event also featured gospel artists Mynah Rams and Tebogo Motaung.
It was also used to collect donations of sanitary products that would be distributed to schoolgirls.
Pretoria News