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Zimbabwe play on stigma towards widows
Nhimbe Trust
September 12, 2006

Nhimbe Trust has launched the tour of the play CHOOSE LIFE in Gokwe South, Zimbabwe. Choose Life is an interactive play that tells the story of nearly a million widows in Zimbabwe who face the plight of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. While inheritance rights are important for widows generally, in the context of HIV and AIDS they take on an increased value.

Stigma and discrimination often drives HIV positive widows into abject poverty due to lack of access to care and treatments, thereby accelerating the advent of AIDS.

"Choose Life" chronicles the turbulent life of an HIV positive widow living in rural Zimbabwe. Her life is characterised by perpetual stigma, emotional blackmail particularly from in-laws irregardless of the care and support she offers to those living with HIV in the community, often at the detriment of their own health. This is the story of Mai Tendai, an HIV positive women whose husband died of AIDS. Mai Tendai lives with her daugther Tendai, her sister-in-law and Biggie, her brother in law, who is also HIV positive and was abandoned by his wife because they were a discarded couple (the wife was HIV-). Mai Tendai’s positive living is a role model for other HIV positive women in the community whom she ably mobilises and empowers with the help of a dedicated village health worker, Amay Gumbo.

Choose life is an inspirational play which highlights how poor and marginalised HIV positive women can overcome stigma and deprivation, mobilise and empower each other for improved access to care and treatment.

Nhimbe Trust acknowledge with gratitude funding received from Simavi of the Netherlands.

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