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13TH INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE HELD IN DURBAN
 Hi, my name is Nkosi Johnson. I live in Melville, Johannesburg, South Africa. I am 11 years old and I have full-blown Aids. I was born HIV-positive. When I was two years old, I was living in a care centre for HIV/Aids-infected people. My mommy was obviously also infected and could not afford to keep me because she was very scared that the community she lived in would find out that we were both infected and chase us away. I know she loved me very much and would visit me when she could. And then the care centre had to close down because they didn't have any funds. So my foster mother, Gail Johnson, who was a director of the care centre and had taken me home for weekends, said at a board meeting she would take me home. She took me home with her and I have been living with her for eight years now. She has taught me all about being infected and how I must be careful with my blood. If I fall and cut myself and bleed, then I must make sure that I cover my own wound and go to an adult to help me clean it and put a plaster on it. I know that my blood is only dangerous to other people if they also have an open wound and my blood goes into it. That is the only time that people need to be careful when touching me. In 1997 mommy Gail went to the school, Melpark Primary, and she had to fill in a form for my admission and it said "does your child suffer from anything" so she said "yes: Aids". My mommy Gail and I have always been open about me having Aids. And then my mommy Gail was waiting to hear if I was admitted to school. Then she phoned the school, who said "we will call you" and then they had a meeting about me. Of the parents and the teachers at the meeting 50% said "yes" and 50% said "no". And then on the day of my big brother's wedding, the media found out that there was a problem about me going to school. No one seemed to know what to do with me because I am infected. The Aids workshops were done at the school for parents and teachers to teach them not to be scared of a child with Aids. I am very proud to say that there is now a policy for all HIV-infected children to be allowed to go into schools and not be discriminated against. And in the same year, just before I started school, my mommy Daphne died. She went on holiday to Newcastle - she died in her sleep. And mommy Gail got a phone call and I answered and my aunty said "please can I speak to Gail?"
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