One day we were in a taxi-bus and a pastor started telling the passengers that those with Aids were going to die. Here, in Kinshasa, the pastors sometimes preach on taxi-buses. He was scaring people. I told him "Pastor, this isn't the right way to preach. It's true that it's not good to have Aids because it's a disease. But it doesn't mean you have to die". I said, in front of everyone, "Look at me. I'm HIV-positive, and I'm not dead. I'm alive."

The passengers were amazed and the pastor was lost for words. He didn't dare continue.

I talk about HIV a lot to people in my area. I advise them to behave responsibly. I tell them that HIV/Aids exists, because in the DRC there are lots of people who don't believe it does. [© Denise/MSF]