Those who know Sherif says that they haven’t seen him without sporting a smile on his face.

Life was rosy for this 33-year-old from Mankada in Malappuram District till that dreaded moment when he realized that had been affected by HIV / AIDS. Sherif came to know as part of a medical check-up for renewing travel documents, while working for a company in Saudi Arabia. Even before he reached his native place in Kerala, the people out there came to know from Malayalees working in the hospital in Saudi Arabia where he was found to be HIV positive.

Life ahead for Sherif presented him with many issues and one of the painful one to deal with was his decision to separate from his wife. She later married another person and Sherif got married to an HIV positive woman.

Sherif now realizes the way ahead of him and has fully dedicated himself for activities that would make people aware of need to be cautious and follow protective measures to keep the HIV virus ay bay.

Sherif now works as Counselor for the Prathyasa Centre at Manchery providing the much-needed relief to HIV infected people. It has been eight years since he got tested as HIV positive. Sherif’s current determination and confident outlook has been an outcome of the bitter days, when he was subject to mental torment and discrimination by those, who once used to like him very much.