‘I use the barrel of the pen to battle the HIV monster’
Nov 18, 2009
AS I park in front of his house, Joseph Kachope, a short, dark skinned man wonders whether I have not parked too near the road. He insists that I move further inside, towards the house.
By Joshua Kato
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until the end of November
AS I park in front of his house, Joseph Kachope, a short, dark skinned man wonders whether I have not parked too near the road. He insists that I move further inside, towards the house.
He later tells me why he insisted I do so. On September 28, 2003, he lost his child after a vehicle veered off the Masaka-Kampala highway and hit his house which is about 20 metres away from the road. At the time of the accident, Kachope was in the house but survived without a scratch.
“People said this was not an accident but a planned move to kill me,†he says. However, Kachope did not listen to them because he believes in God and this explains why the walls of his sitting room are covered by photos of the cardinal, paintings of the Holy Mary, photos of Rubaga Cathedral and several others.
Kachope is a respected resident of Kalagala village, irrespective of his HIV positive status. “We call him our hero here because he is one of the very few HIV-positive people who came out openly to teach us about HIV/AIDS,†says David Kibuuka, a resident of Kalagala.
On August 22, 2002, Kachope tested HIV-positive. To any other person, the revelation would have meant an early death. But for Kachope, this was a passage in his life. “I realised that if I despaired, I would die sooner,†he says.
Before Kachope tested positive, he had been going for tests at least once a year since 1996. “I first visited the testing centre in Kisenyi on September 25, 1996 and the results were negative,†he recalls.
Kachope says the miserable death of his relatives prompted him to take regular tests. “I saw my relatives suffering and realised it was because they did not openly disclose their status. I vowed not to hide my HIV status if I got to know about it.â€
“I did a test again on May 25, 1997 at the AIDS Information Centre in Kisenyi and again, I was negative. “I went back on July 22, 1999 and like before, the results were negative.â€
He did not go back to the centre until 2002. “On that day, things were not good. My results indicated I was HIV-positive,†he says. However, the counsellor told him to be firm and calm. “She said my status did not mean I would die the next day,†he recalls.
Kachope says he was not frightened by the results because whenever he went for the tests, he was counselled and prepared for such a situation. “In fact on that day, I went to the city centre and bought goods as usual before returning home like nothing had happened to me,†he says.
Back home in Kalagala, he told two of his friends that he had tested HIV-positive. However, he decided to hasten his plans to construct his houses and carry out other development projects. “At that time, I had two houses, one in Mpigi town and another one at Kalagala. I decided to construct a residential house so that if I fell sick, those who came to see me would find me in a comfortable house,†he says. He also built a house for his mother. This shows that rather than despair, knowing his status gave him the strength to develop his enterprises.
Although Kachope was aware of his status, he went back to the AIDS Information Centre on May 20, 2005 to check his progress. Just like the test three years ago, this was also positive. After this very test, he went for a CD4 cell count that showed that he was not yet ready to start on anti-retrovirals.
“All along, I had not told my wife that I had the virus. However, when I came back from the centre, I resolved to tell her and also ask her to go for a test. She accepted,†Kachope says.
On May 23, 2005, Kachope’s wife took a test that surprisingly turned out to be negative. He told his four children about his status which first upset them but the strength of their father gradually gave them hope.
“This was a learning period for us. Our father’s strength kept us firm,†says Frank Matovu, one of Kachope’s sons. Kachope says the impact of the disease on his relatives was overwhelming because they did not accept they had the virus early enough to seek treatment. “My message to the community is even if you do not feel any pain or see signs, go and test. Once you know your status, you will know how to lead your life,†he says. “Many people are deceived that it is witchcraft and end up spending millions of money on witchdoctors. But, once you know your status, all this money will be saved.â€
Kachope has written and published books about his battle with HIV/AIDS. “I tried to move around preaching about HIV/AIDS, but realised I am not a good speaker. This is why I decided to write,†he says.
The book is an account of his life and fight against the scourge and the stigma that comes with it. He has given out copies to members of the community including local leaders — Badru Kabega, the LC5 chairman of Mpigi, Jane Nakyomya, the LC5 councillor and some teachers.
“He has been an eye opener to everybody here. He has taught the community that a person can live positively and still carry out development projects,†says Juliet Nansamba, a teacher.
Kachope has been able to establish long-term projects from which his children can survive. “I set up a tree plantation, three fish ponds, houses for rent and two shops. Although my children are attending formal education, I have also taught the boys how to do manual work like motorvehicle mechanics and running my businesses, while the girls have learnt hairdressing,†he says.
He also stopped drinking and indulging in extra marital affairs. About his life Kachope was born in 1964 at Kyengeza village, Malangala sub-county in Mubende district. In 1980, he sat for Primary Leaving Examinations, after which he joined his brothers and uncle in charcoal burning.
“The business was not paying, but from my charcoal savings, I went to Mpigi and learnt tailoring,†he says. Kachope then moved from Mpigi and settled in Kalagala Trading Centre as a tailor.
“I constructed a small house there, which I later sold and bought a taxi,†he says. He married in June 1986 and then started doing business in 1987. “I went to Busia and bought goods, but realised it was not profitable,†he says.
Kachope later went to Mbale and bought rice and flour. “I was trading while at the same time working as a tailor,†he says. He then ventured into the coffee business which was booming at the time.
“I got good money and even bought a taxi. In 2001, he bought more land and constructed more houses,†Kachope says.
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until the end of November
AS I park in front of his house, Joseph Kachope, a short, dark skinned man wonders whether I have not parked too near the road. He insists that I move further inside, towards the house.
He later tells me why he insisted I do so. On September 28, 2003, he lost his child after a vehicle veered off the Masaka-Kampala highway and hit his house which is about 20 metres away from the road. At the time of the accident, Kachope was in the house but survived without a scratch.
“People said this was not an accident but a planned move to kill me,†he says. However, Kachope did not listen to them because he believes in God and this explains why the walls of his sitting room are covered by photos of the cardinal, paintings of the Holy Mary, photos of Rubaga Cathedral and several others.
Kachope is a respected resident of Kalagala village, irrespective of his HIV positive status. “We call him our hero here because he is one of the very few HIV-positive people who came out openly to teach us about HIV/AIDS,†says David Kibuuka, a resident of Kalagala.
On August 22, 2002, Kachope tested HIV-positive. To any other person, the revelation would have meant an early death. But for Kachope, this was a passage in his life. “I realised that if I despaired, I would die sooner,†he says.
Before Kachope tested positive, he had been going for tests at least once a year since 1996. “I first visited the testing centre in Kisenyi on September 25, 1996 and the results were negative,†he recalls.
Kachope says the miserable death of his relatives prompted him to take regular tests. “I saw my relatives suffering and realised it was because they did not openly disclose their status. I vowed not to hide my HIV status if I got to know about it.â€
“I did a test again on May 25, 1997 at the AIDS Information Centre in Kisenyi and again, I was negative. “I went back on July 22, 1999 and like before, the results were negative.â€
He did not go back to the centre until 2002. “On that day, things were not good. My results indicated I was HIV-positive,†he says. However, the counsellor told him to be firm and calm. “She said my status did not mean I would die the next day,†he recalls.
Kachope says he was not frightened by the results because whenever he went for the tests, he was counselled and prepared for such a situation. “In fact on that day, I went to the city centre and bought goods as usual before returning home like nothing had happened to me,†he says.
Back home in Kalagala, he told two of his friends that he had tested HIV-positive. However, he decided to hasten his plans to construct his houses and carry out other development projects. “At that time, I had two houses, one in Mpigi town and another one at Kalagala. I decided to construct a residential house so that if I fell sick, those who came to see me would find me in a comfortable house,†he says. He also built a house for his mother. This shows that rather than despair, knowing his status gave him the strength to develop his enterprises.
Although Kachope was aware of his status, he went back to the AIDS Information Centre on May 20, 2005 to check his progress. Just like the test three years ago, this was also positive. After this very test, he went for a CD4 cell count that showed that he was not yet ready to start on anti-retrovirals.
“All along, I had not told my wife that I had the virus. However, when I came back from the centre, I resolved to tell her and also ask her to go for a test. She accepted,†Kachope says.
On May 23, 2005, Kachope’s wife took a test that surprisingly turned out to be negative. He told his four children about his status which first upset them but the strength of their father gradually gave them hope.
“This was a learning period for us. Our father’s strength kept us firm,†says Frank Matovu, one of Kachope’s sons. Kachope says the impact of the disease on his relatives was overwhelming because they did not accept they had the virus early enough to seek treatment. “My message to the community is even if you do not feel any pain or see signs, go and test. Once you know your status, you will know how to lead your life,†he says. “Many people are deceived that it is witchcraft and end up spending millions of money on witchdoctors. But, once you know your status, all this money will be saved.â€
Kachope has written and published books about his battle with HIV/AIDS. “I tried to move around preaching about HIV/AIDS, but realised I am not a good speaker. This is why I decided to write,†he says.
The book is an account of his life and fight against the scourge and the stigma that comes with it. He has given out copies to members of the community including local leaders — Badru Kabega, the LC5 chairman of Mpigi, Jane Nakyomya, the LC5 councillor and some teachers.
“He has been an eye opener to everybody here. He has taught the community that a person can live positively and still carry out development projects,†says Juliet Nansamba, a teacher.
Kachope has been able to establish long-term projects from which his children can survive. “I set up a tree plantation, three fish ponds, houses for rent and two shops. Although my children are attending formal education, I have also taught the boys how to do manual work like motorvehicle mechanics and running my businesses, while the girls have learnt hairdressing,†he says.
He also stopped drinking and indulging in extra marital affairs. About his life Kachope was born in 1964 at Kyengeza village, Malangala sub-county in Mubende district. In 1980, he sat for Primary Leaving Examinations, after which he joined his brothers and uncle in charcoal burning.
“The business was not paying, but from my charcoal savings, I went to Mpigi and learnt tailoring,†he says. Kachope then moved from Mpigi and settled in Kalagala Trading Centre as a tailor.
“I constructed a small house there, which I later sold and bought a taxi,†he says. He married in June 1986 and then started doing business in 1987. “I went to Busia and bought goods, but realised it was not profitable,†he says.
Kachope later went to Mbale and bought rice and flour. “I was trading while at the same time working as a tailor,†he says. He then ventured into the coffee business which was booming at the time.
“I got good money and even bought a taxi. In 2001, he bought more land and constructed more houses,†Kachope says.