Our new shirts made their debut on Monday, January 12, 2009. Originally we had printed them for World AIDS Day on December 1, 2008. However, we were still in crisis mode at that time so the event didn't hold.The front of the shirt says:
Mashiah Foundation Changing the Story
And I guess you can read the back!
This is a very bold statement. And some of our people are thinking long and hard before they decide to wear the shirt. One of our staff members who does not have HIV reported that her family said she cannot leave their house wearing the shirt in the morning. She can only carry it with her and put it on at work, and then remove it before she leaves work.
A few years ago I saw a friend of mine in the U.S. wearing a t-shirt that simply said "HIV positive." Now I thought that was a bold statement! My HIV-negative friend wore it simply to show support for the millions of people who are infected with HIV. To me, our statement is a little softer than that because it can be read two different ways.
