Ugandan youth fighting Aids and living their dreams

By JOSHUA MASINDE
Published August 27, 2009

Youg people dancing at an annual youth festival in Kampala. Photo by Joshua Masinde

Young Ugandans are now actively confronting the HIV/Aids pandemic. This year’s Youth Alive festival, an initiative by the group Youth Alive, Uganda, brought together youth from various regions of the country to mark their commitment to ensure an HIV/Aids free generation through behaviour change.

The festival theme, ‘Living The Dream’ aimed at inspiring young people both in and out of school to refocus on their goals in life and commit themselves to attaining them. “This helps bring down the prevalence of AIDS through fostering behaviour change,” said Kimbowa Charles, regional director, South East region in Uganda.

A number of schools drawn from all regions of Uganda, including one disabled group from Kireka Rehabilitation Centre in Kampala graced the event with a passionate display of energy, creativity and enthusiasm. The festival incorporated the use of songs, poetry recitation, dance and drama to encourage children and young adults to make commitments in living their dreams. The performances provided an exceptional display of creativity and talent.

Dorcas Akello from Bishop Tarantino College in Lira presented a poem ‘Aids the tremor’, that spares neither young, old, beautiful nor ugly. Pupils from St. Kizito Primary School presented a heartrending play on the evils plaguing young people and hindering them from achieving their dreams. The play is also an appeal to the government to provide knickers, sanitary pads and health care to the girl-child. The children called upon the parents to act responsibly in bringing up their children.

The Youth Alive organisation was started as a youth group in 1993 in Kamwokya, but was registered as an NGO in 1995. In the early 1990s, Kamwokya was severely affected by behavioural problems such as alcoholism, drug abuse, theft and other anti-social behavior among the youth, which led to an increase in HIV and AIDS prevalence. However, like many such initiatives, Youth Alive initially lacked support from the teachers, parents and the youths. The trend changed after the communities started noticing the impact of their mission. Schools began to invite members of the Youth Alive to talk to their students in different parts of the country.

This was key to the success of the annual festivals, which often bring together students and young working youth for two or three days to reflect on their commitment to lead a healthy lifestyle and endeavour to live their dreams.

A show of talent in poetry recitation at living the dream festival in Kampala. Photo by Joshua Masinde

Youth Alive’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joseph Skinner Kanaba acknowledged that for the last 15 years, Youth Alive has been involved in many interventions through forming positive peer support groups called Youth Alive Clubs in schools and communities. It has also been instrumental in promoting life and family values and raising awareness on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

“Our approach is to motivate children, adolescents and young adults to dream and have ambitions and take the needed steps to achieve these dreams and ambitions,” Mr. Kanaba explained.

He encouraged the young generation to be hardworking, honest and to strive to prevent themselves against HIV/AIDS.

“You can’t live your dream when you are buried six feet under,”

He warned young girls that they are always targets of old men who promise to build swimming pools on top of their houses and entice them with gifts in order to sleep with them. “Big men like me tell you they don’t sleep when they don’t see you. But they sleep and snore,” said Mr. Kanaba. “Don’t expect them to give you something for nothing. As soon as they get what they want, they run.”

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Tags: aids, festival, Uganda, youth