From outcast to inspiration

Tunohole Mungoba

TZ: Please tell us about your journey and how you got to be where you are today?

LVW: I was diagnosed with HIV when I was 17 years old. I was a teen mother and I found out during my pregnancy, as part of routine tests when you are pregnant. I was never aware that the test was going to be done, so it came as a shock when my results came out positive.

TZ: How did you deal with the news after you found you were HIV positive?

LVW: It was very difficult, because I was so young and I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be HIV positive. I faced a lot of stigma and the biggest challenge was being told by my community members that I was going to die and them not wanting me to be part of the community. People were scared to be associated with me and they thought HIV is an airborne disease.

TZ: How did you end up becoming the youngest mayor in Namibia?

LVW: Coming from a poverty-stricken town like Witvlei, I decided to openly speak about my HIV status and I decided to come out. I felt I needed to speak about it, because I hated that my life was taken from me. My rights were also being violated, because I couldn’t go back to school and I was told to not give birth again. I familiarised myself with HIV by joining a support group and educating myself more on my condition.

Thereafter, I started my own support group, which later developed into my own non-governmental organisation, Positive Supportive Service Trust, in 2009. I wanted to empower young girls and women by tackling different issues that come along with HIV/Aids, such as domestic violence and alcohol abuse. When it was time for elections, my community supported me to run and I won the elections in 2010.

TZ: What has been your biggest highlight during your journey?

LVW: Being rejected by community, but then at the end of the day, these same people asked me to govern them. I think that was a phenomenal thing to see, as it was their way of asking for forgiveness. They felt I had their best interests at heart.

TZ: What were the challenges you tackled as mayor?

LVW: I wanted to eradicate poverty, because Witvlei is a very small town that experiences a lot of social issues. I wanted to make sure everyone had access to basic services like good healthcare and education. I built about 40 houses and I made sure the majority of the beneficiaries were women.

TZ: How did you manage to win the BBC Outlook Inspirations Award?

LVW: England is very far, so it came as a surprise that people from those areas were watching me. It served as a token of appreciation for all the work I have done. As a woman, I have overcome so many challenges, so the award is one of my biggest achievements.

TZ: What’s your take on young girls falling pregnant?

LVW: I think most if not all young mothers did not ask to fall pregnant. It’s either because of their background or carelessness. The consequences of making the wrong choices have a lot of affects, but I want to make sure that young girls are empowered to say no and take ownership of their bodies.

TZ: There is a high number of HIV cases among young people. Why do you think this is the case?

LVW: Young people have this mentality that it won’t happen to them. We need to personalise it. Young people need to realise that as soon as you become sexually active, you need to understand and know that you are at risk of contracting the virus. Young people have so much information at their disposal so they need to start making smarter choices regarding their sex lives. It is saddening that we are still have this problem, because by now HIV should not be an issue, especially with all the awareness campaigns that have been running since independence.

TZ: What do you envision for Namibian youth in the next few years?

LVW: I really wish that issues like HIV/Aids will not be such a huge problem. I do, however, want us to tackle underlying issues such as proper education and poverty. As you are liberated, it is very easy for you to make decisions that can help improve your life. And the rest will follow.