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UGANDA IN SOCIAL MEDIA
By Dr John W Bahana (PhD)
I am certain all New Vision readers are acquainted with and are followers of, this behemoth we call
"social media". I have, in my previous articles, shared how social media developed and its phenomenal
growth in the last decade or so.
Technology has been at its best in connecting humanity in matters of seconds, globally. Every day, for even some of us who
are reasonably sure of themselves when it comes to technology, we are unable to catch up with the high speed of its
growth. So my selection of what to share has been a real challenge. Nonetheless, here we are with what I picked as
intriguing and, as such, worth sharing.
As I was travelling to the "famed Switzerland of Africa" unfortunately for tragic reasons and not for reasons of a study tour,
I could not fail to note, that since I studied in schools in the sub-region of Kigezi, poverty is still biting deep. The
environment in its "rigor mortis"; meaning its natural state that we used to admire, or even fear, is now in its death throes.
Cry, the beloved Country; Alan Paton famously wrote about the onset of Apartheid South Africa.
It is during my most recent upcountry safari that I had time to go through an avalanche of tonnes of mud of social media.
What I saw and witnessed of the biting social poverty and near total destruction of the physical environment with the
embedded population explosion in the mathematical formula is a subject of another time.
Religion remains an interesting area of study for me. This is not only due to my scientific training, exposure and experience,
but also my social upbringing. Religion is, thus, part of my life fabric. And here is one topic that attracted my attention from
TikTok under the title: "The truth untold; Africa's Major Problems."
"Religion is one of the major problems we have in Africa and the only way to overcome this problem is by stopping all
forms of religion in Africa. There are more churches in Africa than companies or factories. Africa is the most religious,
most prayerful and most God fearing and yet tagged the poorest and least developed continent in the world. Africans are more religious than the people that brought religion to us.
We Africans pray too much. We pray and see everything as a spiritual problem, instead of finding realistic solutions to our
problems.
It is only in Africa that you will see more than 15 churches in one street. But see few or no single factory or (sic...) at all. It
is only in Africa you will see two to three different churches beside each other. It is only in Africa you will see a storeyed
building that has a church on the first floor and another on the second.
It is only in Africa that you will see pastors boasting how they bought a hotel or club that had people on their payroll to
churches thus rendering all the workers jobless. All in the name of the club destructing them from worshipping their god.
It is only in Africa where churches have services almost all the days of the week. And people will attend all those services
praying for prosperity instead of finding realistic ways to prosper. Let me tell you something.
Prosperity has nothing to do with prayers, casting and binding or prophetic declarations by pastors. Believers believe that
prosperity is given by their god so they pray for it. That is why you will always find out that most of the poorest people in
your area are the most prayerful and most holy people. Because they always pray for miracle money to come to them
instead of doing realistic things that will bring them money.
It is only in Africa that you will see factories turned into churches. Then members will go inside to pray to their god for jobs.
My fellow Africans, what really is our problem? Can't we see that this religion of a thing is not really working for us? What
are we carrying this religion of a thing on our head more than the people that brought it to us?
Dear religious leaders please we do not need churches every five to 10 metres in the streets in Africa.
We need more companies or factories every 100 to 200 metres in every street in Africa. And please stop turning the little
ones we have to churches. And stop rendering people jobless by turning clubs and hotels into churches. My name is Peter
Poland..."
I leave this to the judgement of New Vision's readers. But in my view, the subject needs extensive debate by Ugandans and
Africans at large, including, of course the pastors whom some writers now refer to as comedians and money makers.
What has circulated in some whatsApp groups this past week, was also a letter from President Museveni to his Minister of
Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni, in which he refers to an inquiry from Hon. Kaps Fungaroo, a former Member of Parliament from the West Nile region. The enquiry is a request by Fungaroo to start an Idi Amin Institute. The President
advises that the request be rejected.
The President summarises the reasons why the rejection is justified. These include the murders of innocent soldiers from
the Acholi and Langi tribes, never mind the Iteso and other tribes that did not come from West Nile.
The President refers to murders of Chief Justice Benedicto Kiwanuka, Basil Bataringaya and wife. He did not add vice-
chancellor Frank Kalimuzo, Archbishop Luwum, Jolly Joe Kiwanuka, Music promoter Amos Baryamujura of Mbarara, J. J.
Okot, the renowned educator; American journalists Nicholas Stroh, Robert Siedle and hundreds of others that were named
in the Justice Oder Commission and also detailed in the book A State of Blood by Henry Kyemba (recently departed) and
The Dungeons of Nakasero by WodOkello Lawoko.
Fungaroo could go ahead and register the institute in the name of the most obnoxious leader of our generation. But he
must be advised that every effort to register institutions in the name of a European leader in the category of Idi Amin, by
the name of Adolf Hitler, has never seen the daylight.
Like in Europe, our generation that suffered the atrocities of Idi Amin's henchmen and his hand in the economic destruction
that rained upon our country that we have continued to suffer to date, must be opposed to the idea.
At the worst, if Fungaroo were to succeed, he must be prepared for an avalanche of legal challenges related to the seeking
of compensation for the atrocities of Idi Amin and his regime.
And finally, the killer punch from Dr Jonathan N Stea that goes like this: There's something hilariously absurd about social
media that leads some people to deceive themselves into believing that their brains have suddenly downloaded the
expertise that is painstakingly acquired over countless years of train-ing/experience in a highly specialised domain.
The writer is a biological scientist and consultation
THOSE UGANDA NEED NURSERY BOARDING SCHOOLS
By Frank Obonyo
A mysterious fire that took four lives and gutted Kasaana Junior Primary School in Nyendo-Mukugwe
division in Masaka city is a wake-up call to ban nursery boarding schools.
According to media reports, four pupils aged between 4 and 6 died; and 11 others, including the matron were injured. The
October 30, 2023, tragedy was allegedly caused by a spark from the matron's mobile phone.
This is not the first time that children have died in schools due to a fire outbreak. The Police reported that 17 of 40 schools
that caught fire across the country between January 5, 2022 and June 27, 2022, were burnt deliberately. Private schools
are more likely than government schools to suffer such incidents.
Could there be foul play due to competition among schools? Why do government schools register fewer cases of fire
outbreaks? Is there something deeper that needs to be investigated?
The Police also cite the use of illegal electronic gadgets by students. I studied in government schools for all my primary
and secondary education, and we were never allowed to bring electronic items.
One of the rules that the schools had and I believe government schools still maintain, is not permitting children to bring in
electronic gadgets like radios, phones, electric kettles, etc.
This is not the case with private schools that are mainly business driven. Children in most cases have more liberty to do
whatever they want with very minimal restrictions.
Little wonder, these fire outbreaks are mostly in privately owned schools.
This brings me to my second thought. It is so sad that we lost these young, promising and beautiful Ugandans. May their
souls rest in peace, and I console their parents because losing a child is one of the worst experiences for a person.
However, there is a growing culture in Uganda, especially among the working and career-focused parents to take their
children as early as the age of three to boarding schools.
No matter which part of the world, children need parents.
It is a parent's sole responsibility to ensure that his or her child grows up into a responsible and fulfilled citizen. This role
cannot be delegated to anyone else.
The school will ensure that children learn how to read and write, but the individual interaction with a child is best done by a parent. Preparing children for adulthood is the overall responsibility of a parent.
I appreciate that both parents have to work and pursue careers to meet the economic needs of their families.
However, in the midst of this craving for success and accumulation of fame, power, wealth and comfort, we need to remember that parents have a God-given responsibility to raise children according to God's purpose.
Parents are best suited for the role of unconditional love and presence. Raising children can be challenging and it comes with difficult times. However, when your relationship is rooted in love and presence, you have a bond that remains strong and can bring you together any time you disagree and argue.
Finally, the Ministry of Education and Sports needs to develop a policy against setting up of nursery boarding schools. It is the Government that licenses and is supposed to supervise the operation of these schools.
The district education office does not carry out effective monitoring and evaluation of how these challenges can be remedied.
The ministry needs to stop granting permission to schools that have plans of setting up boarding schools for children as young as age four.
Parents should keep their babies at home much longer. The Government should control the establishment of nursery schools. Schools should reserve electronic devices for academic use by older students.
As October ended, sparks from the phone of an adults were being blamed for a tragedy, but the layers of current and future responsibility go deep.
The writer is senior public relations officer, Law Development Centre
STIGMA is still a major hinderance to reception of HIV care and treatment
By Aisha Naava and Lilian Nuwabaine Luyima
Several HIV newly diagnosed clients are discovered on a daily, irrespective of the preventive measures, care and treatment that is being provided all over the world.
This is an eye opener that that we still have high number of HIV positive individuals that do not know their status which leads to continuous transmission of HIV/AIDS within the community.
On the other hand, some people are aware of their HIV status but have lots of fear of seeking medical support because they believe it is a mark of disgrace in the society.
There is no cure for HIV infection, however, with access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
HIV stigma refers to irrational or negative attitudes, behaviors, and judgments towards people living with or at risk of HIV. It is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable.
It can negatively affect the health and well-being of people living with HIV by discouraging some individuals from learning their HIV status, accessing treatment, or staying in care.
Additionally, HIV self-stigma happens when a person takes in the negative ideas and stereotypes about people living with HIV and starts to apply them to themselves.
HIV internalized stigma can lead to feelings of shame, fear of disclosure, isolation, and despair. In this regard, on reception of the HIV-positive results, some people end up having negative feelings about themselves in relation to HIV diagnosis due to stigma and discrimination.
This has been shown to affect a person's ability to live positively, adhere to treatment or access to health services, and to diminish quality of life in general.
People living with HIV often internalize the stigma they experience and begin to develop a negative self-image. They may fear they will be discriminated against or judged negatively if their HIV status is revealed.
Currently, many people still have misconception about how HIV is transmitted, false beliefs and some people still think that HIV only affects a certain group of people.
This is mainly due to lack of information and has greatly contributed to stigma and discrimination and thus increasing number of HIV positive individuals staying in the community without seeking care and treatment.
This promotes continuous transmission of HIV which hinders achievement of the goal to end HIV by 2030.
To promote ART initiation, we therefore recommend the need for comprehensive interventions to fight stigma, encourage couple HIV counseling, address gender inequalities, and strengthen health education and counseling programs. We recommend the need to implement more patient friendly and flexible clinic working hours.
In regard to this, embrace community refill pharmacy drug distribution point as this has benefited so many recipients of care to minimize stigma. The Community Retail Pharmacy acts as an alternative ARV pick-up point for selected recipients of care.
Stable clients on treatment with suppressed viral loads are educated and encouraged to get their ARVS from the community pharmacies like they are picking other drugs and come back to facility once in a year for viral load monitoring or in case they are unwell. Finally, more emphasis should be put on creating more awareness about HIV/AIDS among the community members.
The writers: Aisha Naava is a nursing officer working with Kawolo General Hospital and Lilian Nuwabaine Luyima is a BSc nurse and MSN-Midwife and women's health specialist Heroes in Health Award Winner-Midwife of the year 2021
HOW TO TELL YOUR BELOVED ONE YOU HAVE HIV
HIV disclosure is the process of revealing a person's HIV status to the community, a few individuals or even one person. It is supposed to be a voluntary process, but it can also be revealed by others, with or without your consent.
Usually, the people who need to know that a person has tested HIV positive are spouses, sexual partners, family, friends and those who will be helpful in the person's life.
When it comes to informing a sexual partner, it becomes tough considering the implication of the information. The partner may accuse you of infidelity, trying to 'kill' them and may even abandon you after disclosure. Other reasons why it is not easy include stigma, insecurity, accusations of betrayal and the risk of disadvantaging yourself.
That is why many fail to disclose and die before they sum up courage. For example, Rebecca Namabiro is 48 years with four children. She discovered she had HIV in 2005 after the death of her husband in October 2005.
"When my husband died, I suspected it was AIDS. The following month, I asked my sister-in-law to escort me to Budondo Clinic for an HIV test. She was negative and I was positive. I was devastated. I started falling sick with endless malaria. I would feel a lot of heat all over my body and whenever it stopped, I would feel so cold. The doctor advised me to start on ARVS and I went to The AIDS Support Organisation in Jinja," she says.
Namabiro says her husband never told her that he was sick. He would go to the hospital alone and return to say the doctors told him he had tuberculosis.
By the time he died, their eldest child was in Primary Five and the youngest was in Primary Two. The youngest is now in Senior Six.
"I am on ARVs, but I am lonely, I do not have any man in my life. It is difficult to disclose to everyone who shows interest that you are HIV positive. I don't look sick and that is why I advise everyone to test for HIV and if you have it, to take ARVs," she says.
For Monica Byogero, it was different. Her husband told her about his HIV status. She is 46 years old and has six children. She lives in Buwagi village, Jinja. Her husband, Simon Madoi, died of AIDS in 2020.
"I actually got married to him when he was already sick. He did not disclose his HIV status to me when we got married in 2007. It was much later, when he developed full blown AIDS and when I was already pregnant with his child, that he disclosed to me.
He said: "My dear, I am not going to hide this from you. I am HIV positive," she says.
"He encouraged me to go for blood check-up, but I panicked and feared. I only told my mother who suggested that I start taking HIV medicine so that I could give birth to a healthy baby," Byogero says.
When Byogero went for the antenatal visit, they found out that she was HIV positive. She was started on ARVS and her daughter tested negative. "I have actually tested her twice because she is not healthy. She looks malnourished and her skin is rough. Doctors have given her different medicines but in vain," she says.
Although Byogero was taking ARVs, when her husband died, she started becoming sickly.
"I thought the medicines had failed to work, but the doctors said it was psychological and referred me to counselling. It was there that I was able to forgive my husband for not disclosing to me his HIV status because I was also not disclosing to every person I knew. I also realised that my state of mind determines my quality of my life. If I am positive, things turn out well," she says.
"I started being optimistic and planning for the future as if I was not sick. I appreciate the different perspectives about HIV in society and
is natural.
Disclosure of HIV
While it is not easy, a study among 40 people living with HIV in Kampala by Dr Sarah Ssali in 2010 reveals that most (95%) respondents reported disclosing to someone. Among these, 84% disclosed to family members, 63% to friends, 21% to workplace colleagues and 18% to others.
Of the 24 participants who had a spouse, 13 (54%) reported disclosing to a spouse. The most common reasons for disclosure were to receive support (76%), because they were family members, to explain change in behaviour or appearance (61%) and to prevent HIV transmission (50%).
The most common reasons for non disclosure were fear of abandonment, particularly among young women disclosing to spouse/partner, inaccessibility to the disclosure target and not wanting to worry/upset the disclosure target.
Seek guidance
Dr Fred Muwawu Bakidde, a medical doctor at Healthy Centre IV, Mpigi district, suggests that people who want to disclose should first seek advice and guidance from health workers.
"It is not easy. You need to know how to do it and when. If you quarrelled with your spouse on Monday, it would not be proper to disclose on Wednesday. You may reap anger and hostility already borne out of the earlier disagreement. You have to gauge how strong the relationship is and look for a time of harmony. If it is not coming soon, you should create it," he says.
Bakidde adds that when disclosing, you should first see that your partner is calm, friendly and ready to listen. The timing must be proper.
"For example, you can say: 'I have an important thing to discuss about our future as a family. I beg you to understand for our good.' But if you note that it may be difficult or even risky, get a health worker or a village health team to help you. We call it assisted partner notification," he says.
Bakidde adds that do not disclose when you are drunk. Be sober and sombre to guard against any blunders.
"Do not expect the other person to welcome the news calmly. Be ready to answer questions from them. You may think disclosing your HIV status is difficult, but how much worse will it be if your partner discovers on their own?; he adds.
Bakidde says disclosure will be successful if it helps your partner to agree to also go for HIV testing.
What to consider
John Baptist Mugisha, a projects co-ordinator at Positive Men Living with HIV, says disclosure starts right from the time someone decides to test. He says people's reasons for testing guide how they disclose the results.
That is why pre-testing counselling is important. It not only gives the person confidence to disclose, but also guides the counsellor on how to tailor the disclosing process to a person who has tested positive.;The most important consideration is the person you intend to disclose to and why they need information about your HIV status. If it is a spouse, they may need to test too, appreciate that you didn't intend to infect them, see if there is any discordance and devise means of helping each other for positive living,; Mugisha says.
For family, he says, it should still be to the person who you think cares to know. Such people also act as drug buddies who may help remind you of the time to swallow your medicines or even to pick the drugs on your behalf. Mugisha says apart from devising means and environment of passing on the information, you need to know the information you are giving.
;You need to have real examples of people who are positive and are living a good life. When you explain how they are living and what they are doing to live a healthy positive life, your partner will get to know that he/she is not alone. And that you are not delivering a death sentence; he explains.
According to the Elizabeth Glaser AIDS Foundation handbook, disclosure is not something that can be done just from anywhere. The Disclosure of HIV Status Toolkit says the place must be convenient for you to pass on the message. It must also be a place that allows you to comfort, counsel and gives the victim hope. It has to be a place they feel is safe for them to get such a message.
1850 UPDF troops TO ENFORCE PEACE IN SOMALIA
The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) Battle Group XXXIX has been urged to fight hard for the protection of peace and stability in Somalia.
;After training hard, go fight harder. Somalia is not a playing ground. Use the skills acquired to fire the enemy at any time," remarked the Deputy Commander Land Force (D/CLF) Maj. Gen. Francis Takirwa during the flagging off Battle Group (BG) XXXIX to Somalia on Friday (November 3, 2023).
1850 UPDF troops will enforce peace under the mandate of the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
This follows eight (08) months of pre-mission training at the Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSO-TC) Singo, Nakeseke District.
While presiding over the flag-off ceremony, Maj Gen Francis Takirwa congratulated the Battle Group for getting the opportunity to pacify another part of Africa.
He advised officers and militants to avoid promiscuity, urging them to come back safe just like they were going. "When you come back with HIV/AIDS, you will cry alone not as UPDF," he warned.
He also wished them a safe new tour of duty to Somalia, praying they come back safe.
During the flag-off ceremony, the Commandant PSO-TC Brig Gen Max Gumisiriza thanked BG XXXIX for being disciplined throughout the training. He also lauded instructors for being available, approachable, and hard-working.
The commandant further urged BG XXXIX to maintain discipline and loyalty, among others, while in the mission area.
The commander of Battle Group XXXIX Col TD Mawa, commander of Battle Group 40 Col Topher Magino, Brian Lionberger Gpol Senior Mentor USA, and Lt Col Daniel Kalala W/Commandant, among others, also witnessed the ceremony.
COMPASSIONATE LEADERS GO BEYOND EMPATHY
Empathy is a connection; Compassion is the wish to see others free of suffering! Leaders do shoulder big emotional burdens: helping teams recover from the grief and go about the economic challenges, the declining mental health of the employees, the trending lifestyles and being sensitive to people's anxieties.
Of course, empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of others. The leaders don't have to take the difficulties of the people they lead onto themselves but should devise solutions. Leaders could extend that emotional helping hand, compassion. It begins with understanding the difference between empathy and compassion.
The words "empathy" and "compassion," as well as "sympathy," are sometimes used interchangeably. They all represent positive traits, but they don't refer to the exact same experience. It is helpful to consider the two distinct qualities of compassion: understanding what another is feeling, and the willingness to act to alleviate suffering for another.
When we experience pity, we have little willingness to act and little understanding of another's experience. We simply feel sorry for them. Archbishop Nkoyooyo once said, "Better to contribute something little, than express only sympathy". We need to feel for the other person. The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others.
With empathy, we have a close understanding of the other person's experience. We feel with the person. We literally take on the emotions of the other person and make those feelings our own. Though a noble thing to do, it does not necessarily help the other person, except for possibly making them feel less lonely in their experience.
Noteworthy, we have a good understanding of what the other person is experiencing and a willingness to act. Understanding the other person's experience is greater than empathy because we do our emotional awareness as well as rational understanding. Compassion occurs when we take a step away from empathy and ask ourselves what we can do to support the person who is suffering. Well, compassion is an intention versus an emotion.
As leaders, empathy may influence our judgment, encourage bias, and make us less effective at making wise decisions. However, it should not be completely avoided. A leader without empathy is like an engine without a spark plug; it simply won't engage. Empathy is essential for connection and then we can leverage the spark to lead with compassion.
In mastering this skill, we must remember that shifting away from empathy does not make you less human or less kind. Rather, it makes you better able to support people during difficult times. We can use empathy as a catalyst for leading with more compassion.
To avoid getting caught in an empathetic hijack when you are with someone who is suffering, try to take a mental and emotional step away. Step out of the emotional space to get a clearer perspective of the situation and the person. By creating this emotional distance, you may feel like you are being unkind. Instead, you are stepping away from the problem so you can help solve it.
Well, when you ask a question "What do you need?" you have initiated a solution to the issue by giving the person an opportunity to reflect on what may be needed. This will better inform you about how you can help. And for the suffering person, better to feel heard and seen.
True, Leaders are generally good at getting tasks done. But when it comes to people having challenges, it is important to remember that in many instances people do not need your solutions; they need your ear and your caring presence. Many problems just need to be heard and acknowledged.
In this way, taking "non-action" can often be the most powerful means of helping.
But, Leadership is not about solving problems for people. It is about growing and developing people, so they are empowered to solve their own problems. Leaders should empower the subordinates to solve their issues. Better to coach and mentor them. Show them a pathway to finding their
own answers.
Leaders should do authentic self-care. Often called emotional work, the task of absorbing, reflecting, and redirecting the feelings of other people can be overwhelming. Because of this, all leaders must practice self-care: physical exercises, sleep, and eat well. When the leader shows up in the workplace with these qualities, people can lean on him/her and find solace and comfort in his/her well-being
Compassion does not just happen. It's not a feeling. Compassion is a viewpoint, a way of life, a perspective, a habit that becomes a discipline; and more than anything else, compassion is a choice we make that love is more important than comfort or convenience.