Celebrating Christopher Kaleeba's life

CELEBRATING LIFE

Christopher Kaleeba died of AIDS in January 1987 and his wife, Neorine Kaleeba, in her grief and outrage, founded The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) to educate Ugandans about HIV and AIDS.

TASO blossomed into a pioneer movement that addresses stigma and prejudice, restoring hope and dignity among HIV positive families in Uganda. As a way to celebrate Kaleeba's life, Noerine Kaleeba posted on her Facebook page excerpts below, as brought to you by Elvis Basudde.

As the clock continues to tick today, the 23rd day of January 2020), the pace of my wandering mind begins to accelerate. But this time the wandering is in reverse gear going back to the same time thirty- three years ago.

I rewind back to vivid memories of our final Forty-eight hours of struggle to ease the pain of cryptococcal meningitis, to rehydrate and generally keep our Christopher alive. I go back to the final moments of loss and feelings of devastation as the love of my life; father of my children took his final breath and lost his final battle to AIDS!

I precisely remember in 1986 getting a call from England, where my husband Christopher was studying to get a master's degree. "Come quickly," they told me, "your husband is very ill."

When I arrived from Uganda, I was devastated by Christopher's deterioration. Although I was able to bring him home, I was forced to care for him myself because no health care workers in Uganda would touch him.

For our family the AIDS diagnosis opened a door into the dark and devastating world of stigma and shame associated with AIDS, which we soon realised was even more painful than the physical illness itself.

It also helped us to meet others with who we created refuge for each other, cultivated a spirit and culture of care and support and mobilised families and communities to restore hope and uphold dignity. We ignited a fire which we are confident it is making good progress.

My grief and anger that I founded The AIDS Support Organization. Today the 23rd of January we are celebrating Christopher's life, the love and short life we had with him. We are also celebrating other frontline fighters with who we started TASO: Rose Ojamuge, Nester Banyenzaki, David Lule, Jason Bazzebulala, and Nampologoma.

We are celebrating the grace, the blessings, the love and support of family and friends which have sustained us through the years. We invite our global family to join us in celebrating the hope we now have to defeat AIDS during our lifetime

Comments from people

Lusala Edward Laxwell 

We shall also celebrate your unwavering personal efforts in this struggle. We say bravo to you and pay homage to those Comrades who fell along the way. May the Almighty place them in a befitting place.

Charles Opolot I feel your pain Ma'am. All is well with Papa Christopher's soul. He is in a better place. May he Rest in Power

Sheila Tlou I celebrate the day I met you and the colleagues at TASO, whose spirit convinced me to fight against the disease even though I didn't know anyone who was infected at the time. We have come a long way and we will see the end of AIDS during our lifetime !

Love conquers all. We celebrate the life of Christopher Kaleeba and all TASO founders whose legacy lives on. God bless you and yours in all you do

Florence Ngobeni-Allen We gave thanks to all the medical team especially the help offered by doctors, nurses, careers and community members who fought endlessly and comforted the sick in their dying days

Joel Muwonge.

 It's a celebration. From the cries and broken heart, there rose a gleam of hope for humanity. A spirit worthy to emulate.

Stephen Talugende Walking in darkness without sense of direction. The human face of HIV you gave a light at the end of the tunnel. Stigma ruled the world of. But we look back, what's the stigma situation today. God bless u mom as we celebrate Christopher

Sandra Justine Kyagaba Basajja As We celebrate the life of late Christopher , We Thank the Kaleeba Family, for lighting the candle, and keeping it Burning for Decades. We Thank all those who gave HIV a human face, by being open and challenging Stigma with other related HIV/AIDS issue. The struggle continues especially in the diaspora .Stigma is surfacing.