Kyeitembe, a small village located on the outskirts Kampala in Uganda is my home area. Our house neighbors farms and forests. Growing up in this neighborhood was fun. We often played hide and seek with our friends in the forests until it got dark. Mother always waited for our return with a big stick. My…
“Sexual Freedom”
“Sexual Freedom”, I read aloud the two words in front of my 70-year-old granny and I watched her shift uncomfortably in her chair, knowing then and there that my mission was complete. What mission was that I know you wonder, and the answer is very simple: I wanted to see whether or not my grandmother…
Surround yourself with people that will help you grow
After my daughter was born, I was depressed and scared because of the stories I have heard about being a single parent. Even though I had managed to carry my daughter for nine months, I was worried about how I would raise her, and at some point I even tried to commit suicide. I never…
My experience with the triad of gender-based violence, HIV and sexual and reproductive health
*This post is a transcript and was translated from isiXhosa On Friday last week, a friend shared the link to a Facebook live chat and suggested I join. I noticed that the chat had something to do with gender-based violence (GBV), so I decided to give it a go. When it ended, I was triggered…
The power of self
There is still such stigma around young women going to get tested for HIV. It’s almost implied that you shouldn’t get tested, and not that you shouldn’t be having unprotected sex. Luckily, there are new options. Supermarkets and pharmacies are increasingly stocking home HIV tests that you can buy and use in your own space…
Should you disclose your HIV status?
I am a survivor of sexual abuse and a young woman living with HIV. Personally I believe that as young people we take certain things seriously and relationships are one of them. When the relationship doesn’t work out it can be absolutely devastating. There are many young people especially women living in shame because of…
I choose to be alive
In October, most students are preparing for exams in South Africa but here I was contemplating suicide. I walked into the clinic with my friend as we always do when we go for our quarterly check-ups and I walked out a different person. My life was shattered when the friendly doctor told me I was…
My expectations for the #AIDS 2018 Conference
I am a young African woman who strongly believes that a world where young women and girls have control over their sexual health is possible. I have quite a lot of expectations for the upcoming International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) in Amsterdam. These conferences are for me always a good time to reconnect with amazing…