In Uganda one group of widows living with HIV is defying the odds

Children start by crawling before they learn how to walk. “Basooka kwavula.” This is the literal translation of a traditional Ganda saying, turned into a name for the women of Wakyato Ngoma, Nakaseke District, who are all living with HIV and defying the odds to gainfully live their lives.

The women have all been involved in a mapping exercise to ensure that pregnant women living with HIV are identified, referred for treatment to prevent mother to child transmission (eMTCT), and are followed up with by the relevant health service provider until after they have safely delivered their baby. Most of these women have lived for many years with HIV and have different stories to tell.

Molly Namubiru is the coordinator of a group of widows living with HIV that gathers at her home every Sunday to plan for their future: “I was tested for HIV in 1995 and found to be HIV positive. We mobilised ourselves, despite the many children we had. We were determined to bring up our children and the only way to do this was to unite and learn how to survive for the second time. The first time, we had failed as people without HIV, but with HIV we realised our added responsibilities as widows”.

Another woman Cissy says: “I would be dead now. By the time I joined the group of people living with HIV supported by Alliance Uganda, I looked so pale and so bad. I feel I look better, I am healthy and there is an added confidence for me to talk about my situation to all.”

According to Christine Namusu, who works at Kapeeka Health Centre: “We come face to face with the realities of these women in our villages. When we hear that so and so’s wife is pregnant, we are all ears. We contact her and direct her to a health centre that we are attached to. We then ensure that we get to know their HIV status. When they are positive, we enrol them for treatment for the prevention of parent to child transmission. We invite them and share experiences about living positively with HIV. And we also welcome them to our groups of women living positively with HIV.”

Basemera Theopista, also a health worker, says: “We are there and working for HIV positive women, but the thing that gives us happiness is the fact that our resolve together has grown to ensure that not only should children be born HIV free, but also that there is no need for fellow women in our communities to get infected with HIV. Where women have previously lost hope for life and companionship, there is abundant love and friendship in our groups”

The women have many stories to tell of the past. They laugh at their earlier ignorance and how they behaved before fighting off the stigma in their lives.

“At one time”, one woman says, ““I introduced a code in my home. Whenever I said the code, it was an indication that I had to swallow my ARVs [antiretroviral therapy]. It was unheard of for anyone to disclose their HIV status. These days, within our communities, when you find a group of people discussing HIV/AIDS as if it is something very far away, I tell them straight to their face that I am livingwith HIV positively. Never mention of killing yourself if you get HIV because I am a case of a person living with it.”

While visiting the women, the Nakaseke community Development Officer Sarah Najjuma was impressed by the level of organization they demonstrated. She said: “When we find women as well organised as you, it gives us the challenge to support you. There is government funding for community-driven development, which you women are already promoting. I will assist all these groups to ensure that they become beneficiaries of such funds and other opportunities available at Nakaseke district headquarters.”

Cissy concluded: “We as women living with HIV have long buried our sorrows and embarked on creating a healthy society. We have forgotten about poverty and stigma. What about you who does not have HIV? We need the support of everybody. We have so many orphans, we need good nutrition. We are not sitting idle, because we have started from somewhere. We have something we are doing, even in a very remote village. If you doubt that women living from HIV cannot do anything for themselves, then come to Nakaseke district in Uganda and see for yourself.”