MEET TWO INSPIRATIONAL AUTHORS AT PRIDE BOOK NIGHTS

FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THE CAPE TOWN PRIDE BOOKNIGHTS HAVE BEEN A POPULAR EVENT ON THE PRIDE CALENDAR ... AND THIS YEAR IS NO DIFFERENT.

THE BOOK NIGHTS ARE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH AUTHORS WHO ARE MAKING WAVES ON THE LGBT+ LITERARY FRONT.

PRIDE 2023 SEES 2 OPPORTUNITIES FOR READERS TO MEET CELEBRATED AUTHORS - THE FIRST ON THE 18TH FEBRUARY AND A SECOND NIGHT ON THE 28TH FEB ...

HERE’S THE THING HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE

Here’s the Thing is a new collection of thought-provoking essays from Haji Mohamed Dawjee. Filled with stories and insights that are contemplative, comedic and controversial, you will find a touching letter to her father, the honest truth about the pain in the arse that is parenting and ponderings about struggling with the vicissitudes of the modern world filled with cancel culture and the controversies of appreciating the wrong artists. There is also a serving of the many wise lessons the game of tennis has to offer as well as hilarious insights and observations on dustbins, yes dustbins, and ageing, that ring true. Here’s the Thing is relatable, relevant, entertaining, soothingly self-deprecating and, at times, morally challenging.

Who finds out they have HIV and then starts running ultra marathons? An accomplished athlete, maybe. But Barbara Kingsley had never run before testing positive almost two decades ago. Coming to terms with her diagnosis proved to be the motivation the paralegal secretary needed to complete both the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon.

Barbara Kingsley discovered she was HIV positive in 2000, it wasn’t easy, the stigma of being HIV-positive was rife and the process of coming to terms with the disease has not been an easy one. But, as time has passed, she slowly come to terms with her status and tries to tackle it with a positive attitude. For eight years she showed no signs of the illness, which fuelled her denial and refusal of medication. “To start treatment meant acknowledging that I was sick. No one told me what the antiretrovirals could do for me,” she says. “I was determined to do it on my own”.

In 2007, she developed persistent flu-like symptoms, headaches, a nagging cough and sores that wouldn’t heal. Her skin felt as if it was crawling, her legs ached, she felt nauseous and lost weight. Then exhaustion hit. “It was an indescribable tiredness and no matter how much I slept I never felt rested.”

Then in 2008, her CD4 count plummeted to 86 and she had to be hospitalised. Barely able to move, Kingsley finally began taking ARVs. Within two weeks, her strength grew and she couldn’t wait to start doing the things she had previously taken for granted.

Then she says came another pivotal moment in her life when she watched the 2008 Comrades Marathon on TV. She was inspired by the determination and mental and physical strength of the runners. It seemed each runner had their own personal battle and suffering en route and each saw it through in their own way. “It gave me goosebumps to watch their determination and iron will. I wanted to be like that too. I had all this energy thanks to the medication and I wanted to run so badly.”

Then one day she woke up and thought, why not? “I bought a pair of running shoes and began running five kilometres in the mornings before work. I felt like Wonder Woman. I couldn’t believe I could run that far even though it was at a snail’s pace. Five quickly became eight then 10 then 15 km. Before long I was running half-marathons and I’ve run 30-km and 36-km events.”

Occasionally she would pick up a cold after a race. Thinking that long-distance running wasn’t for her because of her HIV-positive status. “Then I read about Evelina Tshabalala, an HIV-positive woman who runs marathons and has conquered some of the highest peaks in the world including Mount Kilimanjaro.” This she says was her second major life-changing moment.

“Evelina’s positive attitude was infectious; she had amazing energy. She has endured so many more hardships than I have and risen above them all. She made me believe I could do anything I set my mind to.”

She decided that she wanted to be like that; “I wanted to come out and be an Evie to someone, to inspire others the way she inspired me. So I became part of Positive Heroes’s Ultra-Marathon Team alongside HIV-positive runners Evelina, Masibulele Gcabo, Kenneth Methula and Willie Engelbrecht.”

All come from different backgrounds but share the same illness; the virus knows no social status, financial status, colour or culture. We also share our positive attitudes. They have been brave enough to take a stand by going public. She felt that if they can do it she could as well.

Her first run with the Positive Heroes team was the half marathon at the Two Oceans Marathon in April 2010. Unfortunately she sustained a running injury while training so wasn’t able to complete the Cape Town or Soweto marathons, but was able to take part in Two Oceans Marathon 2011. “After Evie finished her race and came back to fetch me. It was amazing running across that line with her at my side – my first ultra!

Her goal remains to run marathons and accomplish even greater work as a Positive Hero. “It means so much to me to be able to show myself, and others, that I’m able to do this. I’m living proof that HIV isn’t the end of the world. My CD4 count has climbed to 800 since I started taking antiretrovirals. In fact, recovering from my illness opened a whole new world for me. It is because of my illness that I’m running today.”

She says that by applying some of the lessons learnt through being sick to life in general, she has learnt that she is stronger than she thought. “If someone had told me before I became ill that I’d one day run a marathon I’d have laughed. Impossible! I’ve since learnt nothing is impossible.”

Barbara says she loves running – “it’s my life.”

Aside from the health benefits the sense of accomplishment crossing that finish line compares to nothing on Earth. Adding, “We all run our own race, whether we come first or last. We all run across the same line as the guy who comes first. Young or old, black or white, rich or poor – people from all walks of life can come together and run side by side. I acknowledge, appreciate and am grateful every single day for everything that’s good in my life and I try not to take anything for granted. HIV isn’t something to be ashamed or afraid of; through a positive attitude and responsible living we can all be heroes.”

I AM HUMAN is the story of hope, courage, persistence, vision, self love, acceptance, forgiveness, and of course greatness. A must read to bring clarity and courage to those that need it, and those that think they don’t.

“Barbara’s being, her advocacy, send out a powerful message of hope, of what the seven plus million South Africans, the 30-40 million Africans, can achieve.” EDWIN CAMERON – (Retired Justice of the Constitutional Court - Inspecting Judge of Prisons - Chancellor, Stellenbosch University)