NAIROBI , Kenya ( CNN ) -- She burst on the music scene as one-third of Destiny 's Child , the highest-selling female group of all time . Kelly Rowland took an AIDS test in a tiny counseling room in a Kenyan hospital . And then she proved it does n't take three to make hits . Sassy Kelly Rowland showed the world she could go it alone and still hit No . 1 on the charts . But now this Grammy-winning R & B sensation is using her considerable charm and charisma to take on the scourge of AIDS . She is the first ambassador for MTV 's Staying Alive Foundation , which works to empower young people to protect them against AIDS . In silver high heels and a sundress , Rowland arrived Thursday at the Kenyatta Hospital in downtown Nairobi , Kenya , to take a public stand against stigma and undergo an HIV test . `` For me , knowing your status is glamorous because then you get to carry that with you and you get to protect yourself , '' she said . Rowland and 22-year-old Kenyan John Ngugi took the test together in a tiny counseling room at the testing center at this public hospital . He also wanted to know his status , but he could n't suppress a large grin at times sitting next to such star power . Watch CNN 's David McKenzie report on Rowland 's trip » . `` As a young person from Mathare slum and having a super star to actually have a test with , '' said Ngugi , `` It is just a big promise for me and a big promise for my community and I am just grateful for the test . '' Like much of Africa , Kenya struggles with the AIDS pandemic . UNAIDS , the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS , estimates that more than 22 million adults and children are living with HIV on the continent . And it strikes the youth hardest . `` You could take a situation like having HIV and think of it as having a disability and think of it as something that is going to bring you down , '' said Rowland , `` but I have met kids and young people that are just so inspiring . They inspire me . '' In Kenya , as in many parts of Africa , people are often afraid to take an HIV test for fear of being stigmatized . In Kenya , antiretroviral drugs are free for HIV-positive people , but many people would rather not know whether they are HIV positive for fear of facing discrimination in the workplace and in the community . And so Kelly Rowland has added her voice to the campaign to help end the suffering of so many victims . `` It 's killing us as people and I think above anything these numbers are n't changing , '' she said . `` The more that I get involved , you get everybody out there ... involved , then hopefully we can see a change -- a big change . ''
Actress Kelly Rowland takes an HIV test in Kenya to raise awareness of the virus . Rowland is first ambassador for Kenya 's Staying Alive Foundation . The foundation aims to empower young people to protect themselves from HIV . Rowland and 22-year - old Kenyan John Abraham take the test together .