Chara

“The best part about my MACA case manager is access – I could contact her when I needed to and she made other opportunities available to me like support groups, transportation, and benefits. I don’t tell many people about my [HIV] status but was able to talk to her about it.”

Chara’s inspiration to be healthy is to be here for her kids. After attending MACA’s pilot workshop on HIV disclosure, Chara is working on how to tell her loved ones about her HIV status.

On the workshop, “I’ve never been in a group like this. It’s comfortable talking with the other women; I don’t feel judged.”

Even Chara’s parents do not know she is living with HIV. She is afraid of how they might react when they find out both she and one of her children are living with HIV. 

As her case manager said, “It’s not easy to build rapport with clients, it takes time. I ask questions and see what the client chooses to share. Some of the issues these women have are bigger than you and me. I’m here to assist.”

Chara is an example of what strong connections to care can do.