After 11 Years Living with HIV, She's Thriving and Helping Others

After years of running from rejection and surviving on the streets, Tovhowani Makondo found unexpected strength in one of her darkest moments.

Growing up transgender in rural Limpopo, South Africa, Makondo faced daily bullying and rejection. While other boys played soccer, she preferred playing with girls and wearing makeup, choices that made her a target in her conservative village.

The harassment became so unbearable that at 15, she dropped out of school and left home. "I started going around looking for opportunities so that I could pay bills for myself," she says.

For years, Makondo moved between cities, sleeping wherever she could find shelter. To survive, she engaged in transactional sex for money to buy food and find places to stay.

In 2014, at age 20, heavy drinking and emotional distress landed her in a psychiatric hospital in Pretoria. It was there that doctors diagnosed her with HIV.

The diagnosis didn't shock her. She had engaged in unsafe sex out of desperation and admits she knew little about HIV transmission at the time.

Accepting her status was terrifying at first. "I thought I was dying," Makondo says. But she started antiretroviral treatment immediately and takes her medication daily.

Why This Inspires

Eleven years later, Makondo is not just surviving but thriving. She returned to Venda, her home region, where she's studying marketing and working part time.

More importantly, she's speaking openly about her HIV status to help others. She knows that fear of rejection pushes many young LGBTQI people into dangerous situations, just as it did for her.

"Being HIV positive is not the end of the world," she tells young people who reach out to her. Research shows transgender women are 13 times more likely to contract HIV than other adults, making her message especially vital.

Murulane Precious, who runs an LGBTQI organization in the region, confirms that rural community members still face serious safety challenges and discrimination. Many hide their identities to avoid harassment or violence.

But Makondo refuses to hide anymore. She wants young people to know they can seek support, use protection, and live full lives even with an HIV diagnosis.

"If I have 11 years on ARV, then you can do it," she says, her message simple but powerful: Stand brave, stay calm, remain strong.