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Date: 10 June 2004

Agathe Komboigo, a HIV-positive employee of SEMUS, visits Marceline Sanfo and her son Aoudou (7), also HIV-positive. He was in the top three of his school year of 100 pupils and his mum was particularly proud of him. He died of an AIDS-related illness two months after this photo was taken Photo: Christian Aid/Louise Orton
'When we first started people used to call us 'those AIDS women'. Now more and more people are coming to seek our advice and get tested.'

Three years ago when Agathe Komboigo, from Yako in Burkina Faso, found out that she was HIV-positive she almost collapsed with the shock. Treated as a leper by her own family, she found it difficult to be enthusiastic about life.

She couldn't even begin to imagine that three years later hundreds of women would see her as an inspiration and the picture of good health. But that's how far she has come with the help of Christian Aid partner, Sahel Solidarity and Mutual Support Association (SEMUS).

Agathe's husband became ill about four years ago and was advised to take a HIV test. He couldn't bring himself to tell her the results but she knew because his mood changed and he started to wear a condom.

She took a test shortly afterwards and the results came to her husband. Again he didn't want her to know the results out of fear of rejection. But she found them one day in their bedroom.

Agathe and her husband lived with his second wife, who was HIV-negative and his mother. And they both refused to eat with them. 'That hurt me to the core' said Agathe 'It really weighed heavily on my mind'.

After hearing about SEMUS on the radio Agathe visited their offices in Yako. She went to get some medicine for husband. She couldn't afford to pay for it so SEMUS let her have it for free and registered her on their list of people living with HIV/AIDS.

'They welcomed me with open arms and talked with me' said Agathe. 'Without SEMUS I wouldn't be here now. My life totally changed from that moment'.

Maurice Ouedraogo of SEMUS invited Agathe to attend a conference for people living with HIV/AIDS in Bobo-Diolassou, a town in southwest Burkina. 'I couldn't believe all these HIV-positive people were so well', she beamed. 'I found that really encouraging.'

Agathe became more and more involved in SEMUS and she now carries out home visits to other people living with HIV and she leads lively discussion groups at SEMUS' headquarters.

'I really look after myself now because I want to be in good health because this work is so important to me' she said. And she is really good at it. She brings people out of themselves with a touch of humour and real warmth, but never patronises.

Maurice is so impressed by her strength and commitment that he has asked her to fill in for him while he is away, giving pre- and post-test counseling. And she is looking forward to taking up this role after her training.

Agathe knows she's not going to be well forever and has started breeding pigs so that she will be able to sell them when she becomes ill but at present she is proud of what she and other HIV-positive women have achieved at SEMUS.

'When we first started people used to call us 'those AIDS women'. Now more and more people are coming to seek our advice and get tested. And my family respects me now and we all eat together.'

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