International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - August 7, 2006
Lydia Mirembe, Uganda Red Cross Society

The positive beneficiaries, 1,000 from Naguru and 1,000 from Kapelabyong, were largely orphans and other vulnerable children, pregnant women, single-headed households, and people living in structures that are unprotected against mosquito infestation. They were selected by Uganda Red Cross's home-based care programme, which trains volunteers to assist people living with HIV in the community and strengthen their coping abilities, with support from the Norwegian Red Cross.

In both areas, the beneficiaries gave moving testimonies about the great improvement in their lives since they became part of the Red Cross's programme. Destar Okure, a 44 year-old mother of seven, was one of the fortunate one thousand in Kapelabyong camp, in Soroti Branch. As she happily spread the new net over her bed in a small hut, she narrated the improvement in her life since the she registered with URCS's home-based care project in 2003:

"Before I registered with Uganda Red Cross, my body was wasted. I went to all the local clinics and to witchdoctors, but none of them would tell me openly that I was HIV positive. They always said it was malaria. Then the home-based care volunteers visited me, counseled me and encouraged me to take a voluntary HIV test, which came out positive. From then on, the volunteers visited me regularly. They comforted me and even helped me with food supplements. Now I am much stronger and able to take care of my children. And now they have also given me a mosquito net! If I got malaria today, it would make me so weak. But I am happy that now I have a net to keep the mosquitoes away."

Similarly, Joseph Adungo speaks of the new lease of life he has got from the URCS's home-based care project: "I have enjoyed a new life since the Red Cross came into Kapelabyong in 2002," he says. "The volunteers gave me ideas for saving my life. I can't remember when I got infected with HIV but I know that my life was deteriorating everyday. Then the Red Cross volunteers introduced me to Uganda Cares where I get anti-retroviral medicines. I used to get malaria and cough all the time, but they have stopped now - and the mosquito net is going to be a big help."

Joseph has decided to join the Red Cross volunteers and become a home care facilitator. "Many people who saw me close to death can now believe that you can live with HIV if you take good care of yourself," he explains. "Before I was down, and about to die but now I am a living example that you can live with the virus. I visit about 400 other people living with HIV in Kapelabyong and Odited. I look at the Ugandan Red Cross as my father and Uganda Cares as my mother because they gave me life."

For 46-year old James Omoding, the income generating initiatives under the home-based care project have been a real lifesaver: "I had been seriously ill for a long time," he says. "I had been to witchdoctors who charged me up to 250,000 Ugandan shillings (US$135) and three goats, but they didn't provide any remedy. Then I found the Red Cross volunteers who advised me to take an HIV test. Indeed, I was found to be HIV positive, but I did not despair. The volunteers provided my family with food and non-food items like blankets, bed sheets, and kitchen items."

James says that the biggest help he received was in the form of the URCS's income-generating start-up loan, one hundred thousand shillings ($54), which helped him to start a business and generate income to sustain his family.

"I used to buy many items and sell them in the camp market at a profit. Very soon, I had paid back the loan and now my business is continuing. I sell cassava and groundnuts. I also have a small poultry project at home. I have been on anti-retroviral medicines since December 2004 and now I live a healthy life. Now that we have this mosquito net, my wife and I won't have to worry about malaria any more."

All around the camp, excitement was in the air. Even before the distribution could end, many of benefiting IDPs had already hanged the mosquito nets over their beds and were happily welcoming us into their huts to see. Unlike in some places where people misuse mosquito nets to sieve local brew or make wedding gowns and decorations, the people of Kapelabyong and Naguru seemed to know the right purpose of nets.

As HIV/AIDS and malaria rage on in Uganda, the emphasis from humanitarian agencies will still be on prevention, control and assistance to people who have become vulnerable by the two diseases. As URCS vice-chairman Robert Ssebunya said at the distribution ceremony in Kapelabyong: "In the face of HIV/AIDS and malaria, the least we can do is control and prevent their further spread among our population, through intense sensitization."

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