By Nangamso Mabindla

"Live and let live" was the theme of the event held by Buffalo City Municipality at the City Hall in East London ahead of World Aids Day today.

The slogan aimed to encourage people with HIV/Aids to live their lives to the fullest, said organiser Councillor Sindiswa Gomba in her welcome address to a 1 000-strong crowd, which included Buffalo City councillors, representatives from the Frere Nursing College and representatives from National Association of People Living with Aids. "The slogan will encourage people with HIV/Aids to celebrate life rather than being restricted by the disease," she said.

Guest speaker at the event was Criselda Kananda, a motivational speaker, professional counsellor and board member on the South African National Aids Council. Kananda, a mother of two, has been living with HIV for the past six years. She has also worked with different government departments and organisations on implementing workplace HIV/Aids programmes.

Kananda's related her experiences after she was diagnosed with the virus: "After hearing the bad news, I was in denial for six months thinking, 'how could this happen to me when I lived a moral life?' That reasoning started affecting me and those close to me."

After a lot of soul-searching, she stopped feeling sorry for herself and decided to do something about her life "because life is beautiful and needs to be enjoyed".

She then researched ways to stay healthy - especially because HIV attacks a person's immune system. Kananda studied immunity and Aids progression, investigated the available research on nutrition, the virus and behaviour.

"I then decided to eat healthy and lead a healthy life to empower my immune system. I have since discovered that I'm able to live like a 'normal' person."

But it was not enough for Kananda to live for herself; she then made an effort to help others help themselves. "I saw being HIV-positive as a calling to help motivate people to enjoy their lives. I was invited to speak at the launch of [former president Nelson] Mandela's call for the traditional leaders to act in the fight against the Aids pandemic," she said.

Kananda warned that the biggest opposition people with HIV/Aids faced was from those who believed that people who were infected were leading immoral lives. "I was not leading that kind of life. What about the infants who are born with the virus, the rape victims? These are victims of the virus. Society needs to help these people instead of condemning them," she said.

She encouraged people living with the virus or with full-blown Aids to stop feeling sorry for themselves and make the best of the situation. "It doesn't help to feel sorry for something that can't be undone, rather teach people to avoid the situation you find yourself in. You'll get more joy out of that."

After her speech, Kananda lit candles symbolising life and hope.

Buffalo City employee Thobeka Diba said after the event: "Kananda taught me a lot about the virus. Even though I'm not HIV-positive, Criselda has taught me that even for people with Aids life is beautiful".