Tana Pradia, Community Activist at PWN-Great Houston

July 2023 - Thera Community Champion

I am mother of three children, grandmother and great grandmother. I have been living with HIV since 1999. After almost dying from TB and having a T-Cell of 14 and a viral load out of control. After being given a second chance I became a patient mentor at Thomas Street. I took Project Leap Class at Ryan White Council now sit on Planning Council. From there I took the Positive Organizing Project to learn how to advocate and I’ve been one of the mentors for the last 5 years. I am one of the Co-Founders PWN-GHA Chapter now the Texas Chapter. In 2019 I became the treasurer of PEN-USA Board. I’m one of the Trainers for AIDS United POP grant that was awarded to the Texas Chapter. In my journey in advocacy in 2018, I have become the 2019 Secretary of RWPC here in Houston, now the Chair of the Ryan White Planning in 2020. In 2019 I was part of PWN Rapid Response Team monitoring in the 86 and 88 Legislative Session here in Texas. I graduated from the 2018-2019 PWN Policy Fellowship. I am one of the Co-Founder’s of PWN Texas Strike Force that started by PWN Texas Chapter. In 2020 I was on of the leads for Houston in Action/PWN H-Town Power GOTV work we did in Houston through early voting and the November 3rd election to get people registered to vote and to the polls. In 2021 joining Houston in Action committee has been a great access to the work I do for the community. Graduated 2022 from SERO (SPIJ) a criminalization program and 2022-2023 HINAC5 Ambassador. In this journey for the last 9 years, from addiction, intimate partner violence, mental illness I love who I have become today. I never thought I would be doing the things I truly love and keeps me sober and grounded.