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I've triumphed over genocide, violence, and HIV...
HIV cannot stop me from progressing. And shouldn't stop you!
In 1994, the genocide in Rwanda changed everything for me.
Chantal Mukandoli
I lost so many loved ones, including my husband who was killed by soldiers. They not only took his life, but they also took away my dignity. They raped me, and during the attack, I contracted HIV."
Chantal Mukandoli, survivor, mentor, and community superhero, endured, and made it through the unimaginable ravages of the Rwandan genocide. She emigrated to Canada in 2006. "Today, I am a peer ambassador and leader in my community," she explains. "I started from nowhere and now, I am a strong, creative, and intelligent woman because of my past life." Read Chantal's powerful full account of overcoming genocide, violence, and HIV here.
I have a duty to open the way and help people move on, and to encourage them to get tested for HIV. HIV cannot stop me from progressing, and it shouldn't stop anyone else either!
Essential Links to Learn More
Women's Health In Women's Hands
A community health center that provides a range of primary healthcare services, health promotion programs, and social services to women, particularly those from racialized and marginalized communities.
ICW North America
ICW North America is a network by and for women living with HIV in North America.
Because She Cares
This anthology is a collection of poetry by the Narrators of Because She Cares that is centred around key themes on HIV and work from the perspective of African, Caribbean, and Black women living with HIV.
Black Women's Visions
Ranece Gordon and Chantal Mukandoli chat about issues such as seeking and becoming a part of community, the barriers to community and the difficulty of online spaces.