Eugenie Gahongayire learnt about her HIV positivity status in 2001, when she had gone for a pregnancy test at a local health centre in Gatenga.

"When I knew my status I lost hope of life and felt like committing suicide. I couldn't comb hair nor even breast feed the baby who was born so after," Gahongayire said. 

Without knowing what to do next, she remained self-isolated, couldn't go out to make money to sustain her family and this was worsened with the fact that she was poor.

"I was so scared that I wouldn't survive longer," she said.

Gahongayire only got glimpse of hope when RRP+ the umbrella organisation for persons living with HIV AIDS was created to advocate for their medication and treatment of beneficiaries.

At the time the only medication for people living with HIV/AIDS patients got was Bactrim which many feared to take because of its side effects especially if one was not on a good diet.

For Gahongayire, the food supplements she received from Imbuto Foundation were helpful to push her through the medication she says, she was lucky that improved ARVs had been made available and for free.

"This support (from Imbuto Foundation and Pepfar) built my hope of having a future in life for my children. I started seeing change in my body and didn't suffer like others. From the outside I looked very health as if I didn't have the virus," Gahongayire said.

This has since 2008 given her a purpose to live for herself, her children and embark on a philanthropic journey that she didn't see coming.

Gahongayire has been on the lead chart of women who openly speak of their HIV AIDS status in public.

She is founder of Early Childhood Development center (ECD) Murambi II, where she spends half of a day taking care of a handful of children including her three adopted orphans.

Let alone work the ECD, Gahongayire is peer educator and also a Gatenga sector coordinator for Inshuti Z'Umuryango (IZU) project which supports children born with or of parents with HIV AIDS.

"I have much time to work for my country as a volunteer compared to before when I only thought of death, now I think of working," She said.

With the support of RRP+ Gahongayire has formed a self-help group of 48 members where they save funds ranging from Rwf500 to Rwf2500 per week and at the end of the year each member deposits Rwf10,000 to be used as capital to start a cooperative business.

The group now plans to open a tailoring shop as an investment and source of income.

"With all these responsibilities as a person living with HIV/AIDS, I feel more important in society than ever," Gahongayire says.

Gahongayire uses her HIV status to educate others to take ARVs saying the virus had taken her life at one point thus she must fight it to prevent the same happening to others especially in her community where many remain afraid to take voluntary test and medication.

Every journey has ups and downs. Though she is proud of herself, Gahongayire met resistance from her husband, sister and relatives for talking about her status.

But with time, and changes in her life and status in society, Gahongayire says she has turned many hearts around using her messages.

Gahongayire says that the focus of HIV/AIDS prevention should be on families because many parents don't speak of the status or let children know of it which puts all at a risk of being victims.