UGANDA YOUTH AND WOMENS EFFORT FIGTHING HIV/AIDS(UYWEFA-UGANDA)

Uganda Youth and Womens Effort Fighting AIDS (UYWEFA) was established in 2007 by youths and women, infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, who had received HIV/AIDS training on a certificate basis from a charity organization, Poor Orphans and Widows Living with HIV/AIDS (POWA). After realizing gaps in home based care, this group of people decided to conduct home visits to those living with HIV/AIDS in the community. This group then contacted MARPI-Mulago to conduct HIV testing in our community of Kazo where the group could then refer and offer ongoing counseling to those testing positive. The lack of awareness of HIV/AIDS within the community led us to form a music, dance and drama group to create awareness campaigns about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. The fight against HIV/AIDS led this group to create and register as a charity organization, dedicated to running activities and campaigns designed to promote awareness and sensitization of people living with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. In its first year we received national recognition for the drama program by winning the Family Planning Association of Uganda and PLAN-Uganda drama competition. In 2008, we won the trophy for the best traditional dance in Straight Talk Foundations music, dance and drama competition. In 2010, UYWEFA became a member of Nansana NGO/CBO Network Forum and WADINASO. We carried out door-to-door HIV testing and counseling with Saidinah Abu Baker Islamic Hospital, also visiting popular public places such as markets. We began women empowering activities in partnership with Go-Eco (Israel) encouraging people living with HIV/AIDS to become self reliant. In partnership with Uganda Volunteers for Peace (UVP) we began 2011 working with an international volunteer carrying out door-to-door research within our community. The results showed that HIV/AIDS has hit the community hard with an average of over one person per household living with HIV/AIDS. There was an average of 3.9 orphans per household, largely as a result of one or both of the parents dying due to HIV/AIDS. The increasing number of school dropouts (over 2 per household) in the community was attributed to the prohibitive cost of education as many of these children have been taken by family members or neighbors who do not have the income to pay for them to go to school. When UYWEFA conducted focus groups following the community survey the two largest problems that the community highlighted was an increasing number of OVCs dropping out of school and the lack of capital for households to generate their own income. When presented with possible solutions at further focus group sessions the community concluded that the most cost-effective and sustainable solution was to establish a bespoke education centre for households affected