Market vendors living with HIV get a new lease on life

Sarah Nankya and Dick Kayemba were HIV/AIDS counsellors, but they were devastated on discovering they were HIV-positive in 2001. To them, life was not worth living. However, through the Market Vendors AIDS Project (MAVAP), the couple has been given a new lease on life, writes Flavia Nakagwa

“When I tested HIV-positive, I thought my world had come to an end. I became mute for a while, as thoughts of death filled my mind. I couldn’t feel many parts of my body and tears kept streaming down my cheeks,” says Nankya, 32, a vendor in St. Balikuddembe Market.

Prince Dick Kayemba, 42, her husband’s reaction was equally numbing. “Suddenly a cloud of fear engulfed me. I felt like my life had been shattered.”

For a couple that had been peer educators in Afya ya Sokoni, an association that was carrying out HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among vendors, their reaction was a mixture of emotions for a few months in 2001.

“Although we didn’t have pronounced symptoms of AIDS, we were prompted to go for the HIV test. As peer educators, we were taught that testing had to start with us,” they both recall.

Although it wasn’t easy to come to terms with their new HIV status, the couple, however says, that the grace of God was sufficient for them. “We didn’t only find solace by praying to God, but we had to act upon our faith by going on antiretroviral treatment. We never blamed each other for what had happened, but looked for ways to support each other. We also told our children our status. They have been supportive and remind us to take our drugs in case we have forgotten.”

In spite of living positively with AIDS, the couple lacked the one important thing that drives life — hope. And that hope was brought to them by MAVAP born out of Afya ya Sokoni, a project that was started by Angelina Wapakhabulo. “We were in despair, but Mama Angelina encouraged us. She, unlike many people who just talk in workshops and never get to grassroots, is exceptional,” says the couple.

Vendors in the markets of St. Balikuddembe, Park Yard and Nakawa living with HIV/AIDS have been given a lifeline with free Voluntary, Counselling and Testing (VCT) clinics, antiretroviral drugs and literature on HIV/AIDS prevention and care through MAVAP.

After several sessions of counselling and seminars organised by the project, the couple has learnt that a positive HIV result is scary, but it’s not a death sentence.

“If you learn by testing, you have a chance to slow or prevent some of the possible health consequences. If we had waited for disease to present itself, many of our best medical options would be lost.” Kayemba says.

As Nankya recalls the death toll in St Balikuddembe, she says: “In the past before MAVAP came into the market, several vendors were falling sick, dying and we kept blaming it on witchcraft; we didn’t know it was AIDS.”

“We believe that as better therapies continue being developed, it’s possible to live normally after testing HIV-positive. The key is to get health care and free yourself from self-stigmatisation,” the couple states.

Through their fight against stigmatisation the couple realised that knowing their positive results was important in helping them live longer. “We decided to open up about our HIV status because we want to help other people who have lost all hope as we fighting against HIV/AIDS,” he adds.

With a sigh of relief, Kayemba says all their six children tested HIV-negative.

“People used to think that we were hired to speak on behalf of the project as a way of making money, but why would one pretend to be HIV-positive?”

People living with HIV/AIDS need to be given a chance to access drugs and information about HIV/AIDS prevention and care, Kayemba advises.

In his call to the Government, he says VCT services should be taken door to door especially in the rural areas.

Kayemba says, “Markets were neglected institutions, but Mama Angelina has given us hope. Through her efforts, we have been able to fight stigmatisation in Si Kyomu (Not for one) Market Vendors AIDS Association. Over 50 vendors living with HIV/AIDS are members.”

He adds: “Those stigmatising people living HIV/AIDS must stop. Disclosure is medicine and a sort of treatment.”