SUCCESS STORIES |
 Godfrey Nkajja Kayongo
“I was orphaned at a tender age of 10 and started fending for myself that early, coming to St. Balikuddembe market in 1973 to do business. I started off selling potatoes, and since then I have traded in second hand clothes and new clothes”.
An astute leader and mobilizer, Kayongo has wielded his support and commitment fully to the project with exemplary leadership skills. He testifies that his interaction with the project has not left him the same.
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 Mr. Kayongo at the certificate awarding
ceremony of ToTs.An astute leader and mobilizer, Kayongo has wielded his support and commitment fully to the project with exemplary leadership skills. He testifies that his interaction with the project has not left him the same.“Firstly, MAVAP has changed my life a lot in as far as my attitude towards HIV/AIDS and awareness about its different facets is concerned. Before the project, I did not want to discuss the subject because I had lost many people to the epidemic. Each time the subject came up; sad memories of my loved ones were awakened. Regarding awareness, in the past I had a conviction that whoever had the virus would die in a matter of months. All this changed with the coming of the project; the knowledge that I have acquired about HIV/AIDS has enabled me to sensitize family/clan members and market vendors, leading to saving many lives. This is an achievement that I feel very good about.”
He also says he is using the knowledge acquired during these sessions in other aspects of work that he is involved in, for example, in the St. Balikuddembe Market Re-development Project. |
 Jacent Nakayemba
The experience of a woman leader, who has successfully juggled implementation of MAVAP activities,leadership in the market structure and her business enterprises.
Jacent Nakayemba’s is a story of a single mother aged 52 years who has spent over two decades in St. Balikuddembe market and held various leadership positions.
Jacent at her stall in the market “I joined the market in 1980 dealing in the cassava trade. I however soon realized that this was a dominantly male trade, for it required muscle power to climb up on trucks and do the jostling to be able to get the best foodstuffs for sale. I switched to trading in fresh vegetables and over the years I have expanded to dealing in spices and household utensils”.
“My experience with MAVAP has been a fruitful one. To start with, the HIV/AIDS messages that I have received have greatly impacted on my life in that I have passed on these messages to thousands of other people using various methods and I believe that this has made a difference in their lives. As a single mother, the communication skills that I have acquired through training have enabled me to deal better with my children when handling such issues as their performance in school and resolving conflicts at home.Participating in sessions on business development has enabled me acquire knowledge and skills that have helped me to improve my businesses. I now do appreciate the importance of saving, record keeping and customer care, among others.Nakayemba talks about her aspirations with a lot of zeal. “I want to build my leadership skills further through attending more training sessions. I would also like to receive more business development sessions and further exposure through traveling and interacting with people from different cultures in a bid to gain more knowledge on fighting HIV/AIDS. Opportunities for achieving all this are available and the sky is the limit”.
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 Gertrude Nakazzi- How a single mother living with HIV/AIDS has defied all odds to remain active, fend for her family and speak out for other PLHAsGertrude Nakazzi is a beacon for people living with HIV/AIDS in St. Balikuddembe market. Aged 53 with five children, she was widowed at 28. Shejoined St. Balikuddembe market in 1983 after losing her husband to AIDS. When she joined the market, she traded in produce, specifically beans, peas and later added on Irish potatoes.When MAVAP started in the market she was already aware of her HIV status and saw the project as a godsend, for it was bringing services nearer to her. She is one of the founders of Sikyomu Group, an association of vendors in the market that are living with HIV/AIDS. Gertrude at her stall Nakazzi is all praises for MAVAP for having demystified HIV/AIDS in the market. She has made use of MAVAP’s resources to spread her gospel.Nakazzi speaks of her HIV status with such openness that almost everybody in the market is aware of her status. “Anti-retroviral treatment and treatment of opportunistic infections at the Uganda Cares clinic in the market has also tremendously contributed to my good life”. Staying healthy has enabled me to remain strong, be regular at my work place, and therefore be able to earn a living for my family. All my children go to school, they feed well, have a roof they live under, and they get a square meal every day, all because she is able to work, thanks to MAVAP”.
Nakkazi adds that the awareness-raising sessions have provided her with information that has enabled her to talk to her children on HIV/AIDS prevention and protection. She feels good whenever she is interacting with the children on this issue for she would like them to remain safe and healthy. |
 Wasswa Evelyn – How MAVAP has changed a Trainer of Trainers’ outlook to life
Aged 49 and a widow with five children, Evelyn Wasswa started working in Nakawa market in 1990. She started off selling beer on a wholesale scale. She is an active vendor in the market belonging to a number of women associations.
“As a leader in the market, I have been empowered to speak authoritatively on HIV/AIDS awareness and this has endeared me to especially women and the youth, who always look up to me for advice on several issues. Because I am now a public figure, I make it a point to always look decent to project the respect that the market community expects of me. My visibility has led to my person being assigned responsibilities even outside MAVAP. For example, I am always called upon by the Catholic Women Guild to give talks to women at Naguru Parish Church on HIV/AIDS issues.
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 The story of Samuel Kasoma, a Liaison Officer who executes his duties with a passion
When training sessions started, his enthusiasm and resourcefulness were quickly recognized by the MAVAP Secretariat who did not hesitate to tap his skills. There has since been no looking back and Kasoma has been a resource at several training and experience sharing sessions both locally and internationally.Kasoma says that his participation in the MAVAP initiative has been a rewarding experience. “To start with, the training role has helped me to be a good time manager, for in training, each minute you lose counts. The training experience has also helped me to be an organized person, an attribute that I picked from the requirement to be organized when designing and delivering training sessions. Business development sessions have helped me to enhance my business skills and, hence, improve business performance. |
 The role of Music Dance and Drama in disseminating HIV/AIDS messages – The case of the Big Six Music Group
The Big Six Group is a Group of six lady vendors in St. Balikuddembe market who have put their acting talent to disseminating HIV/AIDS messages with commendable success while at the same time performing well in their businesses. Here we tell the story of three of these ladies.
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Jane Nabirye
“I take a lot of pride in my participation in MAVAP activities. Although when MAVAP was started in the market the Big Six Group was already in existence, MAVAP has empowered it to an unprecedented level; giving them moral support, costumes, equipment and always keeping them busy to come up with new presentations. I feel good that I am contributing to this noble cause of saving people’s lives.I am so grateful to the exposure that MAVAP has given me. I have been able to perform to audiences of people from all walks of life in various places that I had never dreamt of visiting as a market vendor. Through these activities, I have interacted with many people including vendors from other markets and have made many new friends and business contacts.The capacity building sessions that I have attended in the project have empowered me to great levels. Firstly, my self-esteem and public speaking skills have been enhanced and this is a big asset to me as a leader in the community.” |
Vickto Nnume
Nnume is another member of the Big Six Group who has been active in the implementation of MAVAP activities. Aged 44 years, she is a widow who is taking care of twelve children of his late husband and co-wife, since for her she never had children.Nnume speaks about the impact that MAVAP has had on her life with a lot of passion. “Firstly, without the intervention of the project in the market, I shudder to think of what the HIV/AIDS situation would be today. I recall how promiscuity among vendors had reached unprecedented levels. With the coming of the project, I was one of those that came out to start spreading the gospel in the community.Another personal experience is the fact that it was because of MAVAP’s HIV/AIDS awareness sessions that I made an informed decision to take an HIV test; something that has changed my life completely.About the music ministry under the Big Six Group, Nnume says that “Music is in my blood and I was happy when MAVAP came in and gave our group a boost. My self worth has been enhanced when I recognize that my talent is being used to sensitize communities on such a key subject as HIV/AIDS. The singing ministry has also enabled me to meet new friends who have turned out to be great assets in my social and business life”. |
 Ruth Nansereko Nansereko is a 40-year old single mother of three children. A member of the Big Six Music Group, Nansereko joined St. Balikuddembe market in 1990.
In hertestimony onher experience with the project and the impact it has had on her life, Nansereko says that “Before the project started activities in the market, vendors were very green about HIV/AIDS and this was reflected in people’s sexual practices. I am one of the people who embraced the project and participated in being trained, and in turn spread the messages in the market. The knowledge that I have acquired has been very useful and apart from disseminating it, I have personally used it to take care of a sick next of kin. |
 Sekabira Christopher shares his experience studying as an adult and sharing HIV/AIDS messages with his children.
Aged 60, Sekabira Christopher heads the MAVAP Drop-in Centre at St. Balikuddembe Market. An electrical engineer by training, Sekabira joined the market in 1973 after resigning from the Ministry of Works where he was working attending to generators and boilers in kitchens in government hospitals and schools. He is married to two wives and they have 28 children.The HIV/AIDS awareness sessions that I have received have widened my knowledge on the subject; knowledge that I have been able to pass on to family members, friends and the general public, thereby saving lives.
I take a lot of pride in the knowledge and skills that I have acquired through participating in MAVAP’s capacity building sessions. As someone who is always thirsty for knowledge, I had, as an adult, attended training in community policing and fire fighting drills, so when MAVAP introduced capacity building sessions I embraced them. Through these sessions, I have been able to gain skills in such areas as business management, something that has helped me to improve on the way I run my business enterprises.The empowerment that I have received through the project has enhanced my visibility in my home community where I am increasingly being viewed as an opinion leader”. |
 Dan Luswa Kiwanuka- The story of a dynamic community mobilizer
Aged 46 years, Dan Kiwanuka is the MAVAP Liaison Officer in St. Balikuddembe market.
He joined the market in 1979 and under the tutelage of an elder brother who had started work in the market earlier, his first line of business was trading in produce.In his testimony Kiwanuka says that “MAVAP has had a big impact on my life. The HIV/AIDS messages that I have received through training have been an eye opener leading to behavior change. I now do appreciate that blood testing is the only way to know one’s HIV status and I have given up on promiscuity.I have gained a lot from the various capacity building sessions that I have attended. On the side of training in Business Development, I now conduct business in a better-organized way; keeping records, giving attention to customer care and undertaking market analysis, among others. |
 Disabled but gifted in the area of performing arts, Samuel Sekajugo uses his singing ministry to pass on HIV/AIDS messages.
Samuel Sekajugo is a Peer Educator who, through his singing ministry, has been able to communicate HIV/AIDS messages to thousands of people. Aged 49 years, Sekajugo started working in Park Yard market in 1990, dealing in general merchandise and he has maintained this line of business up to today. He is a member of St. Balikuddembe Disabled Traders Association and actively participates in a weekly radio program on Star FM Radio, which advocates for the observance of rights for the disabled.
Sekajugo testifies that “MAVAP has had tremendous impact on my life. The project has enabled me to acquire new information on HIV/AIDS. I have been able to pass on this information to others through training and I feel good that I have contributed towards saving people’s lives. I also feel good that I was empowered and took an important step to take an HIV test.
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 Kisuze Kasasa Dan: The story of a dynamic mobilizer and communicator
Kisuze Kasasa Dan is a dynamic businessman who has played an important role in the implementation of MAVAP activities. Aged 47 years with two wives and ten children, Kasasa Dan joined St. Balikuddembe market in 1986.
“I am one of the presenters at the Vendors Voice and I take a lot of pride in this experience. Passing on messages that save people’s lives is something that I cherish. The fact that I am participating with my wife in the implementation of MAVAP activities is something I take positively, for we organize work together and the participation has also helped to build the capacity of my wife.
My outlook to HIV/AIDS has changed a lot. Before the project, I had lost 3 siblings to AIDS. However, with the coming of the project, I havesaved several of my relatives and friends benefiting from ART.
I have changed my behavior as a result of the messages I have received. I am proud of the knowledge acquired and the fact that I can share it with others.
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 Zaitun Nansubuga – A Muslim woman trainer who has overcome religious challenges to deliver effective training
Zaitun Nansubuga joined Park Yard market in 1998 and started with dealing in second hand clothing under the tutelage of an elder brother. She has continued with the same line of business to-date. Aged 33, she is married and has one child.
“I am a Trainer of Trainers under the project and have played a key role in mobilization and referring people for Voluntary Counseling, Testing and Treatment. It is gratifying to me when I reflect on the people I have been able to counsel and interest to go for an HIV test. These people have totally changed their lives and many have come back to me to express their gratitude.
As a Muslim woman teaching about HIV/AIDS, I have faced a big challenge, with several people in the market criticizing me that it is against my religion for me to engage in such activities. I have, however, been able to confidently respond that what I am doing is helping to save people’s lives and I believe that the Almighty Allah, God should be happy about this.
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 Dick Kayemba – The story of a person living with HIV/AIDS who has turned his situation into a resource to save other people’s lives
After losing his wife to what was suspected be to AIDS in 1990, Dick Kayemba decided to go for an HIV test that same year. His fears were confirmed when the test turned out positive. This is a time when a lot of stigma was attached to HIV/AIDS and Kayemba considered himself dead.
While in the market he met his present wife who is also a person living with HIV/AIDS. Kayemba is 44 years and has five children.
“I consider MAVAP as the savior of my life, for even though the project came in when I already knew that I was HIV positive; its services have improved my life considerably. After attending HIV/AIDS awareness sessions through the project, I made a life-changing move to go public. This was in 2005. When I went public I started speaking for people living with HIV/AIDS in the market and was a founding member of Sikyomu Group, an association of people living with HIV/AIDS in St. Balikuddembe market.I am proud that I am a role model for people living with HIV/AIDS, not only in the market but in the country as a whole, for I participate in meetings across the country to discuss issues affecting people living with HIV/AIDS.My wife is also a member of Sikyomu Group and when the two of us team up at a forum to pass on HIV/AIDS messages and especially positive living, people look at us as living examples and take our messages seriously.I feel full of life and look at the future with great aspirations. I would like to educate my children up to university level and I want to see them get good employment on graduation. I also look forward to growing my second hand clothing business to a level where it can generate income whereby life would not be a daily struggle. I would like to see myself acquire a plot of land in Kampala and put up a house. After I have put up a house, I would like to work hard and acquire a vehicle.
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 Nabukeera Justine – A market woman leader who has excelled in training and leadership
Nabukeera started working in Park Yard market in February 2001 after completing her A Levels. Her first line of business was trading in bed sheets and she has maintained operating this business up to today.
Nabukeera testifies that “I enjoy the training role very much and it is gratifying for me to see that I am imparting knowledge to fellow vendors; knowledge that will ultimately help in saving people’s lives. I also enjoy participation in music and drama activities to pass on HIV/AIDS messages to people.
MAVAP has tremendously improved my life. The capacity building sessions have been an eye opener in many areas. To start with, it has improved the way I run my business. Originally, I never used to keep records, a practice that made it very difficult to track receipts and expenditure and therefore, the trend of business performance. After sessions in business management, I now recognize that record keeping is a must if one’s business is to be run on a profitable basis.
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