Umzala

Umzala is Elaine Maane's vibrant life story of growing up in Zambia and living in South Africa, told with humour, compassion and courage. Her story breaks the silence of so many women and promotes the visibility of all people living positively with HIV. Elaine Maane's story is almost too much to absorb. It is shocking, desperate and yet uplifting. Her journey encompasses her husband's betrayal, his non-disclosure of his HIV status, her contraction of HIV, the stigma, the denial, the insensitivity of family and society, the attitude of some doctors, and the dedication, warmth and caring of others. Woven through this poignant story are the deaths of six family members. The first is her husband, followed by three of her brothers, then her father, and one of the unkindest of all, the unnecessary death of her baby sister, Pamela. Despite relentless waves of grief and longing, loneliness and despair, problems with intimacy and her unfulfilled needs - Elaine chooses to be happy and not bitter. Her story will break the silence of so many women and promote the visibility of people living positively with HIV. Umzala is a woman's story of love, betrayal, loss, joy and laughter. It is Elaine's story of being a single mother, a lover, a friend and a colleague.