When Camira was young, she lost both of her parents to an unknown illness and was sent to live with her uncle and aunt. Over the years, her childhood was characterized by ill-health and a disrupted education. In 2016, at the age of 16, Camira met a Mentor from the PEPFAR Determined, Resilient, Empowered, Aids-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) program. She was encouraged to join a DREAMS “Safe Space” and, under the guidance of a trained Mentor, Camira completed a 13 week curriculum of classes wh covered topics such as communication in relationships, HIV prevention, family planning, and financial literacy. 

For the first time in her life, Camira received in depth training about HIV and AIDS- including modes of transmission and prevention methods. Her DREAMS mentor, Christabel, explained why it was important for everyone to know their HIV status. Considering her own ill health, and the mystery surrounding the death of her parents, Camira decided to seek consent from her uncle and aunt to be tested for HIV (since she is a minor). She tested positive for HIV and was immediately escorted by her mentor to the nearest health center, where she was enrolled on antiretroviral therapy, which is helping her to live a healthy and positive life. 

Sadly, Camira’s resolve continued to be challenged when her uncle died, and she could not continue to pay her school fees. Fortunately, she was eligible to enroll in the DREAMS School-Based Prevention Intervention (SBPI) component, which targets girls who have dropped out or are at the risk of dropping out of school. With SBPI support, Camira’s school tuition, and other additional costs, including supplies and books, were paid for. 

“I'll always be grateful to DREAMS for making me the person I am today,” said Camira. “I never thought I’d go back to school, but DREAMS has made it possible, and made me realize that there's so much more I can do with my life, even if I'm HIV positive.” 

In partnership with USAID, the goal of the PEPFAR-funded DREAMS project is to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women, helping them to become Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS Free, Mentored, and Safe. To date, almost 500,000 girls have accessed services from DREAMS in Zambia, where DREAMS works across five provinces, in eight districts, and forty health facility catchment zones.