Thembi's AIDS Diary

We first met Thembi when she was 19 and living in one of the largest townships in South Africa. We were struck by her candor, sense of humor, and her courage. She was willing to speak out about having AIDS at a time when very few South Africans were willing to. For more than a year, Thembi carried a tape recorder and kept an audio diary of her struggle to live with the disease.

Thembi's story aired on National Public Radio in the U.S., and in the U.K., Australia, and Canada, reaching more than 50 million people. Thembi traveled to the United States in 2006 to present her story. In March 2007, Thembi's AIDS Diary was heard in South Africa for the first time - in English, Xhosa and Zulu. Thembi and Radio Diaries toured South Africa, presenting her story at high schools, universities, community clinics, Constitution Hill, and Parliament.