April 2011
Dear Supporter,
Imagine finding out you have HIV and feeling that your life is over. That is what happened to me.
Now imagine listening to a radio programme with uplifting stories from and about people living with HIV & AIDS and regaining your belief that you have a life worth living. That is also what happened to me, thanks to ActionAid and your support of The Next Step in Ethiopia.
ActionAid works with a local organisation called Propride, who work on HIV & AIDS prevention, care, and support. One of their activities is to run a radio programme called 'Yibecial', which in Amharic means 'Enough'. The radio programme is aired for 30 minutes, three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. An estimated 2.5 million people, in a 100km radius of Addis Ababa, are believed to listen to this programme. I first started listening to this programme about five years ago, at a time in my life when I felt that everything had turned dark against me and I was in complete desperation having been rejected by my father.
But first, let me tell you a little bit about my background. 'I was born in Sedika Arsi, a rural community in central Ethiopia, about 250km from Addis Ababa. I was brought up in a family where children are considered a source of labour, as is the case in most rural areas, and therefore we were not encouraged to go to school. My mother died when I was only eight and I had to carry out farming work which was far beyond my physical capabilities.
My father didn't want me to go to school but I really wanted to. So, I made an agreement with him that I would go to school in the mornings and work with him for the rest of the day. I did well at school, completed primary school and progressed to secondary school. But about five years ago, I was very ill for many weeks. I was advised by the health centre to take an HIV test, which I did. The result was positive and I started to receive treatment and antiretroviral drugs.
Because of the stigma and fear surrounding HIV & AIDS my father didn't want me in his house and gave me three days to leave. In desperation I went to a friend who lives in Nazareth town about 100km from Addis Ababa. He kindly took me in and shared his only room and food with me.
This was when I started listening to Yibeqal. Listening to the personal experiences of people living with HIV & AIDS and the various informative programmes greatly revived my hope of living and even gave me hope that I could continue my education.
I wrote a letter to the radio programme describing my situation. I then received a telephone call and the staff there said they would come and meet with me the following week. They gave me lots of advice and support on how to live positively with HIV. They even linked me with a well-wishing individual who supported me with 50 Birr [E3] a month towards my living expenses.
With the encouragement and support of the Yibeqal staff, I completed my secondary education and welit to University. I am using what I have learned from Yibegal to help other students at University. I am a member of the anti-HIV & AIDS club and am actively involved in informing students about the disease and how to prevent it. I know that it was ignorance of the facts that led me to contract HIV and I want to prevent it happening to others.
I will graduate this summer, and my dream is to work for a charity that supports HIV & AIDS orphans.
I greatly value the contribution that The Next Step has made to my life and many others like me who have,found hope through the "Libecial' radio programmes.
I thank you very much for your support. Warm regards
Teshager Feye
PS: I have enclosed a photo of myself and one of the Yibeqal staff members, Fitsum Gorfu and Mintesinot Teshome, who helped to turn my life around.
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