The Story of Valentina

“So when life hands you a lemon, you can either toss it aside and wait for an apple or you can take life as it has come to you and make a glass of lemonade to share with others through the positive light and influences that you emit” -Jill Eisnaugle

An estimated 40,000 people with HIV live in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Valentina, an HIV-positive resident, was only 34 years old when she realized that she needed help. With the help of MAMA+, a Russian non-governmental organization Doctors to Children with the support of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, Valencia was able to overcome her struggle.

She was a soon to be mother who had contracted HIV a few years earlier from her late drug-abusing husband. Valentina suffered from financial issues, depression and was concerned for the life of her unborn child. With the efforts of MAMA+, which strives to provide medical and social services to HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers, her life improved. When her daughter was born, she was pleased to learn that the baby had not contracted HIV.

Soon after, Valentina experienced yet, another obstacle. After giving birth, Valentina’s new partner became very violent. “The worst thing was that our little daughter was constantly exposed to danger, living between two fires,” she recalls.

She turned to MAMA+ once again for assistance, and was soon able to move to the programs Halfway House for Women with Children in Difficult Life Situations. This helped her regain control of her life. “With psychological support from MAMA+, I could become emotionally more stable. My daughter became much quieter and more sociable," she says.

Valentina began building a new future for herself and her daughter. She is a courageous women who, today, lives on her own with her daughter and works as an assistant nurse at a hospice for people living with HIV. In addition, she counsels other HIV-positive women and makes home visits to HIV-affected families to offer advice and material support.

Since 1996, The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women has supported critically needed programmes and services in 124 countries. It relies exclusively on voluntary contributions, but the demand for funds outstrips supply by far. In 2009 alone, the Fund received $857 million in funding requests, but could offer only $20.5 million in grants. Make the UN Trust Fund your cause this holiday season.

Source: http://www.saynotoviolence.org/around-world/news/mama-helping-hiv-positive-women-rebuild-their-lives