Health, Hope, and a New Beginning: Loveness’s Story

“When I found out I was HIV-positive, it felt like my world was ending.”

For years, Loveness Phiri lived in silence and fear after learning she had HIV. The stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS in her community in Chipata, Zambia made it impossible for her to open up to others about living with the virus — and it discouraged her from adhering to the antiretroviral treatment (ART) that could save her life. 

“Some days I wouldn’t take my medicine because it reminded me that I was sick,” she recalls. “ I wanted to move on from that reality.”

HIV was taking its toll on Loveness’s physical and mental health. But everything changed when Grassroot Soccer came into her life in 2016.

In the safe space of Grassroot Soccer’s SKILLZ Plus program — a fun, soccer-based program that supports the complex needs of HIV-positive youth — Loveness met peers facing the same challenges she was and gained access to a mentor SKILLZ Coach living with HIV who understood what she was going through.

Within this supportive community, Loveness learned critical knowledge and skills to navigate different aspects of living with HIV, including building positive habits for her mental health and adhering to her ART, which reduces the amount of HIV in the body and prevents the transmission of the virus to others. 

“Grassroot Soccer taught me that my status doesn’t define who I am. Coaches helped me build my confidence and see myself as someone who deserves love and respect, and I started adhering to my treatment. I’m healthier now because of that,” she says.

“For the first time, I met people who truly understood me,” she went on to say. “They showed me how my medicine was my power to live the life I wanted. Stories shared by other participants of overcoming challenges gave me the strength to believe that I could do it, too.”

With the support of Grassroot Soccer, Loveness rebuilt her confidence, her health, and her hope. And in 2023, her journey came full circle when she gave birth to a healthy, HIV-free baby girl.

“I never thought I’d experience the joy of motherhood,” she says. “Grassroot Soccer gave me the knowledge to protect my daughter. She’s my miracle.”

Today, Loveness is not only a mother to a healthy child, but a SKILLZ Coach herself – mentoring young people living with HIV who face the same challenges and stigma she once did. 

“I want to inspire others the way I was inspired,” she says. “I want young people to know that HIV doesn’t have to be the end, it can be the beginning of a stronger, more meaningful life.”

Looking toward the future, Loveness dreams of raising her daughter in a world where she and every young person has access to the mentors, services, and information they need to thrive.