Thozama Mkhosi

Thozama Mkhosi was a member of the Bambanani Women’s Group in Cape Town, where she used Body Mapping to share her lived experience of HIV/AIDS alongside deeply personal experiences of violence, relationships, and silence. Her story reflects a difficult youth marked by family conflict, abuse and early dependence on partners for survival. After discovering she was HIV positive during pregnancy, she struggled with fear, isolation and the challenge of disclosing her status to others, including her husband. Her Body Map captures both vulnerability and endurance, revealing the emotional weight of secrecy and the complexity of living with HIV in a context of limited support.