man who despite many challenges, ranging from learning disabilities, addictions and having HIV, has overcome them all on my journey of self discovery and nowadays I share these stories in the hopes of provoking and inspiring people to find a way that works for them.
I speak about:
A range of challenges that I and many people I have worked with have overcome in the hopes of inspiring people to take charge of their lives and mastering their own destiny.
My biography:
Born in 1961 in Zambia
South African citizen
Raised in South Africa (Durban)
Spent 17 years in exile in the USA before returning to South Africa in 1995.
He was diagnosed with HIV in 1983 at the age of 22
Has spent over 50% of his life living and working with HIV/AIDS.
During his years on the USA, he was highly active in the original AIDS activist movement ACT UP to demand treatment and research for those living with HIV and assisted in setting up numerous programs and agencies, for which he received a Presidential Acknowledgment in 1994, from President Clinton.
His longevity and health have been intensively studied by all the top AIDS research institutions in the USA, including the National Institute of Health and CDC, and the discoverers of HIV, Robert Gallo, Luc Montagnier, and Jay Levy. Participated for six months in 1986 in the original human trials for AZT [Duke University and Miami University].
Did not require antiretrovirals until December 2004, when his CD4 count dropped to 350. Currently (June 2009) his CD4 count is 1200+, and has an undetectable viral load.
David has also been part of several studies of so-called ‘long-term non-progressor’ studies that are trying to find the common factors in a group of people who have managed to maintain immune function despite 20 years or more of being infected with HIV. The findings of these studies of long-term non-progressors are the basis for the book Positive Health.
David has appeared on many television and radio shows, as an advocate for people living with HIV, specifically to encourage infected people to take control of their own health, versus assuming a victim role.
Along with Neil Orr, he has co-authored Positive Health 5th edition (Jacana Media), The Healer Inside You (Juta/Double Storey Press), which describes how PNI {Psychoneuroimmunology} can be applied for self-healing. Other co-authored books include: Sex Secrets (Juta Press-life skills for teenagers); Choices (Jacana Media-basic and intermediary facts about HIV and AIDS).
My qualifications/achievements:
Primary School: Westville Primary
High School: Westville Boys High / Kloof Boys High
Tertiary / Other:
Master Hypnotist and Hypnotherapist (Omni Institute, Fla. Atlantic University, USA, 1990).
Regression therapist (Dr Brian Weiss, U. Miami, 1990)
Death and Dying therapist (Kubler-Ross, Denver, 1990)
High Performance Coach (Performance Unlimited, UK, 2005)
What I do best:
I inspire people to take an active role in their own lives, to turn their wishbone into a backbone and show them what is possible with vision, determination and hard work. In addition I have a knack of getting people to know their HIV status. Other than inspiring people, I do my level best to provoke them as well using numerous tools from our Thought Leadership development program we have rolled out to over 15,000 people in the past 14 years.
What some people have to say about me:
Abridged client list:
ABSA Banks of SA
American Leprosy Mission
BMW SA
CARE International in several countries.
Catholic Relief Services (various countries)
Clinton Foundation (Mozambique)
Centres for Disease Control
Coca Cola Furtune (RSA)
CC Africa/And Beyond (RSA, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana)
Crawford College (RSA)
Danida (Mozambique)
D.A.T.A. (USA)
De Beers (RSA)
Debswana Mines
Department of Defence (Zambia)
Department of Defence (SADF, Military Health, RSA)
Department of Environment, North West Province, RSA
Department of Health (South Africa)
Department of Health (Swaziland)
Department of Health (Zimbabwe)
Department of Police (Zambia)
Department of Police (SAP, South Africa)
Dpt Tourism, North West Province, RSA
DFID (RSA, Mozambique)
Duke University Business School
Engen Oil
FEDSURE (Human Dynamics)
Futures Group (USA)
Goldfields
Government’s of Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, U.K. and Germany.
IPM (Partner and facilitator in specific processes and trainings)
IQPC (Conference Conveners)
Ireland Aide (Mozambique)
I-Tech SA/USA
Latex Surgical Supplies/ Condom Concepts
London School of Economics
Metropolitan Life
National AIDS Council of Mozambique (CNCS)
National Land Bank of SA
NERCHA (Swaziland)
Life Line North-West Province, South Africa.
Lutheran World Foundation
Manguang Local Municipality
McDonalds (RSA)
Namdeb Mines
Peace Corps (Mozambique and South Africa)
Peermont Group (Emperors Palace Hotel and Casino & Graceland; RSA)
Peermont Group (Grand Palm, Botswana)
PG Bison (RSA)
Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company
Policy Project (USA)
Prime-Media (Radio 702, Radio 567)
Reckitt Benckiser (Africa)
Royal Swazi Sugar (Swaziland)
Samaritans Purse
SAMP (Swedish Museums; 9 country representatives)
Sappi Paper (RSA)
Satcchi and Satcchi SA
Shell Oil international operations
South African Sugar Association
South African Chamber of Mines
Southern Suns
St. Andrews/ DSG Schools, Grahamstown
Standard Chartered Bank.
Sun International (Sun City, Molopo, Mmabatho Convention Centre, GrandWest)
Synergy Project (USA)
TEBA (Lesotho)
Toyota SA
Tsogo (Champions, Emnotweni, Sun Dome, Montecasino, Sun Coast, Hemingway’s)
University of San Francisco
University of Washington
UNCR (East Africa)
UNDP
UNICEF (Eritrea)
United Nations (Multi-national trainings UNAIDS GIPA)
USAID (Mozambique, South Africa)
Woolworths (RSA)
WHO
World Vision (KZN, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)
Other Details:
Based in Nelspruit, MP, South Africa Prepared to travel to The World
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