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Malaysia News.Net
Monday 25th August, 2008 (ANI)
Kuala
Lumpur, Aug 25 : Kiranjit Kaur, a 35-year-old Sikh woman of
Indian origin and an AIDS victim, has become the poster girl for
people living with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia, after she became one of
the first persons and one of the few with the condition to go
public about it.
Her emotional and mental strength is considered amazing by many,
but Kiranjit feels that despite her condition "it is not the end
of the road".
In fact, she feels it is her purpose to put a face to HIV/AIDS.
"I am here to help the 'positive' community and empower them and
tell them they are not alone," nstonline.com quoted Kiranjit as
saying.
She is happy, healthy and passionate about her work with
HIV/AIDS, especially with the MyPlus network. She takes her
medication every day to enable her to live a normal life.
She said there were many people who were under the impression
that it would not happen to them. "It only takes one time. Look
at me," she said.
She contracted HIV in 1996 through her husband, a former drug
addict who has since died.
In 2005, when Perak mufti Da-tuk Seri Harussani Zakaria
suggested HIV/AIDS carriers should be cast away on an island to
make sure that they did not infect others, Kiranjit and four
"positive" people had a news conference and imparted information
about the disease. "We are human beings. We hold jobs and we are
productive. HIV/AIDS is not about people who go to prostitutes
or drug addicts.
It's also about housewives and children. It is in households.
People say I'm a victim because I contracted it from my husband.
But to a prostitute they say: 'Oh, she deserves it'. It's not
about blame any more," said Kiranjit, who holds a full-time job
with the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Services. |
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