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Instead of protecting har owna sista help mek har life a living hell 
One woman's sorrowful tale
published: Monday | September 22, 2008
Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter
Since Mary* found out she was HIV positive seven years ago, she had to put up with discrimination from both relatives and people in her community.After her relatives found out she was positive, her sister told everyone in her community. This has subsequently made her life a living nightmare. She was thrown out of her home with her children but a good Samaritan rescued them.
"She put me and my daughter up but not my son because she said she also has daughter, so my son went to stay with his grandmother, but he had to sleep on the floor," said Mary.
With the assistance of another good friend, she now has a place to call home, but she still has to put up with unkind remarks and scorn from people.
Last year, a man kicked her down and called her 'AIDS gal' after she confronted him, because he made sexual advances to her teenage daughter. Nothing came of it. Now, she is faced daily with discrimination from individuals in her community.
Recently, she went to the health centre to get medication. But Jane, a woman from her community, told others at the centre that she is HIV positive. She said Jane has been a nuisance to her for months.
Jeering
"She and another woman in the community got together and started jeering me; they called mi 'AIDS victim'."
On one occasion, they began laughing and teasing her. She notes that they have been very unkind to her and her children. Her neighbour, Ms Lilly* has been very good to her. One day, Mary sent he daughter to Ms Lilly's house to take a bath because her bathroom was being repaired.
"Jane was at Ms Lilly's house and she run mi daughter and tell her a nuh public bathroom."
Jane also told her children that whenever they sit on a chair, they should wipe it off if Mary's children sat on it before. As she wiped her tear-stained eyes she said, "I don't know why this woman just tek set pon mi so. And mi nuh do har nothing. Mi nuh have nothing wey no one has to treat me with stigma and discrimination."
Mary is not a troublemaker. These women make a habit of bothering her. She notes that she cannot understand why people are so cruel. She told Flair that as a result of another woman in the community picking on her, they ended up in a verbal and physical altercation.
"You would not know how depressed I am. I could not even walk the other day because I was depressed. I told myself that I have to fight this. I cannot sit down and depress myself like this."
She has written to her member of parliament and the public defender about her situation. Plus, she has sought assistance from the police but they offer no help. Instead, they handle her unfairly because she is HIV positive.
Making a living
Mary also faces the challenge of making a living for herself; she sews comforters and curtain sets. But when she sews for people, they do not want to pay her.
"Them take me things and nuh want pay mi. Them cuss mi and call mi walking dead."
Lately, when the pressure of her circumstances bear down on her, she wants to stop taking her medication. "I just want to die. When I turn to everyone and get no help, I don't think living with HIV makes any sense. But after I speak to a friend, she encourages me to not to give up."
Names* changed on request
Send comments to: [email protected].
Source
One woman's sorrowful tale
published: Monday | September 22, 2008
Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter
Since Mary* found out she was HIV positive seven years ago, she had to put up with discrimination from both relatives and people in her community.After her relatives found out she was positive, her sister told everyone in her community. This has subsequently made her life a living nightmare. She was thrown out of her home with her children but a good Samaritan rescued them.
"She put me and my daughter up but not my son because she said she also has daughter, so my son went to stay with his grandmother, but he had to sleep on the floor," said Mary.
With the assistance of another good friend, she now has a place to call home, but she still has to put up with unkind remarks and scorn from people.
Last year, a man kicked her down and called her 'AIDS gal' after she confronted him, because he made sexual advances to her teenage daughter. Nothing came of it. Now, she is faced daily with discrimination from individuals in her community.
Recently, she went to the health centre to get medication. But Jane, a woman from her community, told others at the centre that she is HIV positive. She said Jane has been a nuisance to her for months.
Jeering
"She and another woman in the community got together and started jeering me; they called mi 'AIDS victim'."
On one occasion, they began laughing and teasing her. She notes that they have been very unkind to her and her children. Her neighbour, Ms Lilly* has been very good to her. One day, Mary sent he daughter to Ms Lilly's house to take a bath because her bathroom was being repaired.
"Jane was at Ms Lilly's house and she run mi daughter and tell her a nuh public bathroom."
Jane also told her children that whenever they sit on a chair, they should wipe it off if Mary's children sat on it before. As she wiped her tear-stained eyes she said, "I don't know why this woman just tek set pon mi so. And mi nuh do har nothing. Mi nuh have nothing wey no one has to treat me with stigma and discrimination."
Mary is not a troublemaker. These women make a habit of bothering her. She notes that she cannot understand why people are so cruel. She told Flair that as a result of another woman in the community picking on her, they ended up in a verbal and physical altercation.
"You would not know how depressed I am. I could not even walk the other day because I was depressed. I told myself that I have to fight this. I cannot sit down and depress myself like this."
She has written to her member of parliament and the public defender about her situation. Plus, she has sought assistance from the police but they offer no help. Instead, they handle her unfairly because she is HIV positive.
Making a living
Mary also faces the challenge of making a living for herself; she sews comforters and curtain sets. But when she sews for people, they do not want to pay her.
"Them take me things and nuh want pay mi. Them cuss mi and call mi walking dead."
Lately, when the pressure of her circumstances bear down on her, she wants to stop taking her medication. "I just want to die. When I turn to everyone and get no help, I don't think living with HIV makes any sense. But after I speak to a friend, she encourages me to not to give up."
Names* changed on request
Send comments to: [email protected].
Source
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