Rhulani Chauke from Malamulele, Limpopo, will soon hit the screens in loveLife’s Make Your Move reality TV series – a show that encourages young people to believe in themselves and take steps to a bright, HIV-free future.

The youth reality series showcases the power of young people to shape their own destinies. Following a real-life character each week, the show puts youth issues on the map, covering challenges from teenage pregnancy and drug abuse to low self-esteem and the stigma surrounding HIV – all through the eyes and experiences of young people growing up in Mzansi.

The programme’s goal is to build confidence, creativity and resilience among young people. It’s about showing viewers that you can’t wait for change to happen – you have to actively take steps to make a change.

Rhulani (21) bravely shares his experience of living with the stigma of HIV in the episode that will be aired on Tuesday, June 14 at 19:00 on SABC 1. He highlights the reality that many people in Malamulele are still afraid to test for HIV, disclose their HIV-positive status and discuss HIV or their sexuality.

While Rhulani was diagnosed as HIV positive two years ago, he only reveals his status to his family and community on the show. “I kept my status a secret because I didn’t want people to gossip about me,” he says. In the programme, he also talks about being gay.

Aside from encouraging people to talk more openly about HIV/Aids, he also launches an HIV testing campaign that sees more than 100 people determining their status.

As part of the show, he uses a mind map to write down his dreams and work out a plan of how he’ll achieve them – a simple yet effective tool that young persons can use in their own lives. In this way, he encourages viewers to believe in themselves and have dreams of their own for the future.