Cynthia Leshomo never thought she was the kind of person to get HIV, the virus that causes Aids. For a long time she kept her condition secret. But now she is a celebrity in Botswana, proudly carrying the title of Miss Stigma Free, a figurehead for the drive to raise awareness about the disease and bring support to people, especially children, affected by it.
A slight 33-year-old, she runs between radio and television appearances, school fund-raising events and candle-lit commemorations. Her enthusiasm is tinged with anger about her generation’s failure to halt the spread of the virus.
