My turning point as an HIV activist: the death of my brother

When I was 15, in the vacation during my O-levels, I watched my elder brother die due to AIDS-related infections.

He was the brother whom I defined as my mentor, friend, role model, leader and the only person taking care of the family. My dad left us many years ago, when he died serving in the army.

My brother dropped out of school to work and sustain the family, since our mum was old and not familiar with work. Because he left school early, without gaining any recognisable education certificates, he resorted to doing casual work. This put him at risk of exposure to HIV, because of the kind of lifestyle and sex practices in the city and the suburbs at that time.

My brother’s illness

One evening after school, I was informed that mum had travelled to the city after hearing of my elder brother’s admission to hospital for an illness. This meant I was left at home with my two younger siblings with nothing to eat because the winner of the daily bread was ill.

We had to skip school to avoid being sent back home for incomplete school fees. I resorted to casual labour around the village to provide for my siblings. The entire time mum was away, we experienced trauma from dropping out of school, sleeping in the dark with empty stomachs and the worry of how Mum and our brother were doing on the sick bed in the city.

After a period of more than two months my brother was discharged back to the village. I hardly recognized him, due to his loss in weight and energy. He could not make us laugh or relate to us as we used to be before. After a while, though, he got better and went back to the city to continue with life as before. This gave me the hope of going back to school again.

The death of my beloved brother

For a long time, my brother was back on his feet and the family were doing well. But, in my final term at school, he became bed-ridden again. This time, his illness had more complications. I later got to know that, all along, my brother had been living with HIV. Apart from the simple HIV knowledge I had acquired from school, I didn’t know much about it.

He was weaker than before and, to make matters worse, he had gotten tuberculosis (TB). From then until a day when he passed on, I was right by his side. It was the first time I was in the presence of a dying person but the second time I had lost a guardian.

Inspired to be a health activist

By the age of 17, I wanted to end my life during the dark days that followed. With the trauma of losing another guardian and having the rest of the family lean on my shoulder for support, it was too much.

But fortunately I finished my education. My brother’s death inspired me to become a health activist. It always brings a smile on my face when I am able to make young people aware about HIV and AIDS. I believe that by educating and working with young people, I have saved and changed many lives.

Today I am a health activist, and a clinic and resource manager at an organisation called Ice Breakers in Uganda. My activism has made me a proud ambassador of the youth in the region. I have fulfilled many of my dreams and I take care of myself and my beloved family. For me, that’s better than anything else in the world.

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