This latest Little Stars film tells the compelling story of Naledi Kopane, a young woman who, with the help of her palliative care team, has survived for 22 years despite being born HIV+ at a time in South Africa when treatment for this condition was not available.

In South Africa, there are over six million cases of HIV, making it the country with the biggest HIV epidemic in the world.

Naledi Kopane is one of these six million. Living in Bloemfontein, Naledi was diagnosed with HIV when she was only four years old at a time when there was no treatment and an HIV diagnosis meant that death was inevitable. Her childhood was one filled with discrimination and exclusion on account of her condition and making a difficult situation even harder for her growing up.

Though she was able to endure these challenges, Naledi’s kidneys failed in her late teenage years and she slipped into a coma for 5 months.Despite all of these challenges, Naledi is now 22 years of age, having lived longer than anyone expected and simply takes each day as it comes.With the help and support offered to her by Sunflower Children’s Hospice she has been able to pull through any situation that has brought her down.

Despite spending three mornings a week on dialysis, Naledi is motivated to get through it by her current goal: Writing a book about her life and experiences, to inspire anyone going through similar difficulties and situations.Having been put through so much and keeping strong is a sign of an incredible person, and for Naledi, nothing shows her incredible inner strength more than her own words:

“God gave us a life to live, no matter which storms you go through, no matter which challenges you have to face every single day. Living life means to me that you have to appreciate every single little moment that you have. 

The film features Naledi Kopane, Joan Marston (ICPCN Chief Executive); Dr Hanneke Brits; Maria Taole; Olga Molahloe.