Diagnosed with HIV before her wedding, Bupe Sinkala didn't tell her husband and saw her marriage — and life — crumble. Now she's a community health worker advocating for her unsung profession.
That was back in 2013. On Monday of this week, 35-year-old Sinkala stood at the United Nations General Assembly before an audience of ministers, policymakers and charity leaders to speak up for her new profession. As a community health worker, she's part of an underappreciated, often underpaid and yet critical corps of professionals who make sure people get the health care they are eligible for by sharing information: where it's offered and how to get it.
I learned that I was HIV positive when I was planning my wedding. Out of fear I waited a bit of time to tell my husband and got ill. We went to the hospital to get tested but because we didn't go back to get more counseling he left, and it was devastating. It destroyed me.What gave me strength was the support I got from my family. They were amazing. They really made sure I got the care I needed and that I got professional help.
I work both at the clinic and in the community. Number one is to be a role model. I am a community health worker that is living positively with HIV. What I do as a community health worker is offer support to my community. Bupe Sinkala spoke to the U.N. about her job as a community health worker:"Number one is to be a role model. I am a community health worker that is living positively with HIV. What I do ... is offer support to my community." The mother of a 6-year-old daughter, she uses her salary to pay her child's school fees — and save up so she can pursue a degree in social work and community development.
And then if I am going to see a mother that has a family, I also make sure to see the partner and check if they have been tested. Most men in Zambia will not take it upon themselves to go and test, so you need to push them. I think it makes it easy when I go in the community where they're comfortable and don't feel judged like everyone is looking at them.
For that client I really related to her. If I had the correct information when I was diagnosed, I would have made different choices. I would have gone to the clinic more often to get the right information instead of staying away like I did.
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