Auni (not her real name) is a 38-year-old mother of 5 children. She has two daughters, aged 14 and 15, and three sons who are 8, 10 and 12 years old. She and her children live in Klang with her husband, Amir (not his real name).
Auni was diagnosed with HIV 19 years ago when she was pregnant with her fifth child. She received immediate treatment at a government hospital in Klang and fortunately, her baby was born HIV negative. However, it was not easy for her to face the reality of living with HIV which drove her to depression.
Raising her five children in a small home is also tough for Auni. Her husband works as a lorry driver and his meagre income is not enough to support the whole family. Since she has to care for her children, Auni is not able to work to earn extra income. At the same time, she feared the stigma and discrimination associated with her status. However, Auni is determined to work hard to find money to feed her family.
She picked up the art of traditional massage and put the skill to good use by providing massage services to women living in her area. Her customers are mainly women who have given birth and she makes house calls to service her clients.
This is thanks to the MyLady Assistance Scheme run by the Malaysian AIDS Foundation which provides her with financial aid and capacity building to help her develop and expand her business. Auni is really grateful that she can now purchase good quality massage oil in bulk for her business. She is also trained to manage her finances as part of the programme.
“I am able to provide my children with three meals a day now that my business is growing. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be part of this programme. I am also thankful to the Malaysian AIDS Foundation for introducing the MyLady Assistance Scheme which gives women like me a chance to earn a decent livelihood and be financially independent,” she said.
USAHAWATI YANG HIDUP DENGAN HIV – TIDAK MUSTAHIL
Auni (bukan nama sebenar), berumur 38 tahun dan mempunyai 5 orang anak. Auni kini membesarkan dua anak perempuan yang berumur 14 dan 15 tahun, serta tiga anak lelakinya yang berumur 8, 10 dan 12 tahun. Auni menetap di Klang bersama anak-anaknya dan juga suaminya, Amir (bukan nama sebenar).
Auni dijangkiti HIV pada 19 tahun lalu ketika dia mengandungkan anaknya yang bongsu. Walau bagaimanapun, beliau terus mendapatkan rawatan di hospital kerajaan di Klang dan mujurlah, bayi yang dilahirkan merupakan berstatus HIV negatif. Tetapi, ia tidak mudah bagi Auni untuk berdepan dengan stigma masyarakat mengenai statusnya dan menyebabkan beliau mengalami depresi.
Membesarkan lima orang anak di dalam sebuah rumah yang kecil membuatkan kehidupannya lebih mencabar. Suaminya, bekerja sebagai Pemandu Lori dengan memperoleh pendapatan yang tidak seberapa untuk keluarga mereka, memaksa Auni untuk mencari pendapatan sampingan.
Berbekalkan ilmu pengetahuannya tentang urutan tradisional, Auni telah menjadikan kelebihan tersebut sebagai peluang untuk beliau menjana pendapatan sampingan. Auni menjalankan aktiviti mengurut secara tradisional khusus untuk wanita selepas bersalin di mana beliau menjalankan aktiviti tersebut dari rumah ke rumah. Selain itu, Auni turut menjana pendapatan sampingan secara agresif dengan melakukan perniagaan dalam talian termasuk menjual produk-produk kecantikan.
Dengan bantuan pinjaman yang diterima menerusi Skim Bantuan MyLady, Auni kini bukan sahaja mampu menambah pendapatan yang dijana melalui perniagaan yang dilakukan, malah beliau turut berpeluang mengembangkan lagi perniagaan selain memperluaskan rangkaian perkhidmatan urutan tradisionalnya supaya mendapat lebih ramai lagi pelanggan.
“Saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih dan rasa bersyukur kerana dengan manfaat yang diperolehi daripada Skim Bantuan MyLady daripada Yayasan AIDS Malaysia, saya boleh terus melakukan apa yang saya minati dan dalam pada masa yang sama, saya dapat memperluaskan lagi perniagaan yang dilakukan,” katanya.
