
Nonhlanhla Mazaleni, Community Health Worker, Tholulwazi Phakathi, Johannesburg, South Africa

Nominated by Lerato Nkwanyana, Tholulwazi Phakathi/em>
What Lerato Nkwanyana and Tholulwazi Phakathi had to say about Nonhlanhla Mazaleni
Ms. Nonhlanhla Mazaleni is a founder and a director of Tholulwazi Phakathi. Tholulwazi Phakathi is an NPO that provides psychosocial support to adolescents and young adults who were born/living with HIV. She also has programmes for adolescents who are not living with HIV, to help them to stay negative by educating them about PEP/ PrEP , condom provision, substance and prevention of teenage pregnancy.
Before I met her, I did not understand what was wrong with me. I had no support; I didn’t understand how to live positively with HIV. I’m now a peer educator. I educate my peers on how to live positively with HIV. When I’m at Tholulwazi Phakathi I feel at home. We support each other. I educate my peers on 95 95 95. Taking ARVs with other peers helped me a lot. I was very angry. Ms. Mazaleni helped me to cope with living with HIV. I’m glad that I met her. With the support groups, ARV-adherence camp and peer-to-peer support, I am healthy, and I am virally suppressed, and I can’t pass on HIV. Living with HIV is hard, it is worse when you are a child. I’m writing a book about my life. I advocate for children and young people who are living with HIV. I nominate her because my life has changed ever since I met her. She is passionate about helping young people who are living with HIV like me. Her program helped lots of young people who are living with HIV, and those who are HIV negative to stay negative. She also encourages them to know their HIV status.