MAAHI

I AM

As the founder of Pink Positive, the first trans-led network of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Pakistan, I am dedicated to combating HIV stigma, empowering transgender lives, and promoting mental health and well-being for transgender PLHIV and cisgender women. As a rights advocate from South-Punjab, Pakistan, I am passionate about public outreach and connecting with marginalized communities, particularly transgender individuals living with HIV. Pink Positive is a perfect platform to engage and empower others through workshops, counseling, and awareness campaigns.

I also work as a teacher at a transgender school, where I counsel and conduct awareness sessions on HIV/AIDS and mental health, inspiring young transgender individuals to rise above challenges and thrive. As a teacher, I create a safe and inclusive space for my students, inspiring them to pursue education and self-empowerment despite societal challenges.

OPEN

I have been open about HIV for the past three years. My motivation to share my HIV status as an openly HIV-positive transgender person came from a deep desire to break the silence and stigma surrounding HIV, especially within the transgender community. I am proud of my resilience and my ability to turn adversity into advocacy and I want to show others that living with HIV is not the end of life but a call to rise, inspire, and advocate for change.

By sharing my journey I want to give hope to other transgender individuals, especially those living with HIV, and show them that they, too, can achieve their dreams despite the challenges they face. I want to inspire them to embrace their strengths, live authentically without shame, and believe in their potential to create meaningful change in their lives and communities. I also hope that my journey inspires others to advocate for the rights and well-being of transgender people living with HIV.

“Keep the stigma away. Turn your pain into power and your struggles into strength, for every challenge is an opportunity to inspire and create change.”