Nicole Blanchett Neheli
Muluba Habanyama with long hair down in dress holding a plaque
Muluba Habanyama was presented with the Michael Monty Scholarship by the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) at a ceremony held earlier this week in Toronto. The $1,000 award is presented annually to an outstanding student, nominated by their faculty.
In addition to a strong academic record, Habanyama stands out for her activism directed at eliminating the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. Born with HIV herself, Habanyama did not find the courage to disclose her condition until she found herself serving as emcee at a World AIDS Day event in Mississauga in 2014. That experience led her to create and post a video on YouTube entitled “Feel No Shame”, which shed light on her earlier reluctance to speak out about her condition.
“Muluba is one of the best students and most courageous people I have ever met," stated Nicole Blanchett Neheli, Coordinator of the Journalism/Journalism Broadcast.
Habanyama was nominated for the award by Nicole Blanchett Neheli, Coordinator of the Journalism/Journalism Broadcast program at Sheridan. “Muluba is one of the best students and most courageous people I have ever met,” she says. “I have been amazed at her strength managing her health issues, attending school full-time, and working tirelessly in the community to promote AIDS awareness.”
Habanyama works with the Peel HIV/AIDS Network and was the honorary Chair of its 2015 AIDS Walk for Life fundraiser. She is currently an advisory member of YTH (tough, technology and health) and is slated to emcee at its upcoming conference in San Francisco. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Teresa Group, an organization dedicated to advancing the dignity and well-being of children and their families affected by HIV and AIDS. Habanyama received a Black Women Moving Forward Award for Advocacy, and recently served as the first ever National Youth Ambassador for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) Kisses for CANFAR campaign.
