Ugandan girl to address US Congress
Sep 11, 2005
TWELVE-year-old Josephine Nabukenya, who is living with HIV/AIDS, will today address the United States Congress and implore the legislators and other government officials to do more to help children living with AIDS grow up like other children.
By Alfred Wasike
TWELVE-year-old Josephine Nabukenya, who is living with HIV/AIDS, will today address the United States Congress and implore the legislators and other government officials to do more to help children living with AIDS grow up like other children.
Ashley Wolfington, the spokesperson of Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), who are sponsoring the event, said Nabukenya, a paediatric anti-AIDS activist, was accompanied by her mother Margaret.
Nabukenya, a pupil at Kasubi Church of Uganda Primary School, is the chairperson of the Young Positive Generation, an organisation for HIV-positive children.
At the EGPAF’s Call to Action meeting in October 2004, Nabukenya recited a poem on AIDS before various dignitaries, who included President Yoweri Museveni.
During the event, EGPAF honoured Museveni with the esteemed Commitment to Children Award in recognition of his leadership and commitment to the health of children and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
EGPAF has been working with the Ministry of Health since the launch of its “Call to Action†project to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in 2000.
EGPAF supports more than 60 health centres in Uganda with funding from USAID and private donors.
Wolfington said, “Josephine will tell her story to US lawmakers and other government officials and encourage them to do more to help children like her who are living with HIV/AIDS but want to grow up like any other child.
“This is a very courageous Ugandan girl. It is a great story to see how a girl living with HIV is travelling across the world to meet with US government leaders and show Americans how one person can make a difference for children with AIDS.â€
Wolfington said Nabukenya would also meet another anti-AIDS advocate, Jake Glaser, a 20-year old son of Elizabeth Glaser.
TWELVE-year-old Josephine Nabukenya, who is living with HIV/AIDS, will today address the United States Congress and implore the legislators and other government officials to do more to help children living with AIDS grow up like other children.
Ashley Wolfington, the spokesperson of Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), who are sponsoring the event, said Nabukenya, a paediatric anti-AIDS activist, was accompanied by her mother Margaret.
Nabukenya, a pupil at Kasubi Church of Uganda Primary School, is the chairperson of the Young Positive Generation, an organisation for HIV-positive children.
At the EGPAF’s Call to Action meeting in October 2004, Nabukenya recited a poem on AIDS before various dignitaries, who included President Yoweri Museveni.
During the event, EGPAF honoured Museveni with the esteemed Commitment to Children Award in recognition of his leadership and commitment to the health of children and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
EGPAF has been working with the Ministry of Health since the launch of its “Call to Action†project to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in 2000.
EGPAF supports more than 60 health centres in Uganda with funding from USAID and private donors.
Wolfington said, “Josephine will tell her story to US lawmakers and other government officials and encourage them to do more to help children like her who are living with HIV/AIDS but want to grow up like any other child.
“This is a very courageous Ugandan girl. It is a great story to see how a girl living with HIV is travelling across the world to meet with US government leaders and show Americans how one person can make a difference for children with AIDS.â€
Wolfington said Nabukenya would also meet another anti-AIDS advocate, Jake Glaser, a 20-year old son of Elizabeth Glaser.