Living positively: Search for Miss Y+ and Mr Y+ continues

By Elvis Basudde

The search for Miss Y+ and Mr.Y+ (young positive) continues as auditions in different regions attract overwhelming numbers of HIV positive young people.

The Y+ beauty pageant is comprised of young men and women between the ages of 16-25 years, with the spirit of fighting stigma among young people living with HIV.

The eastern auditions held in Jinja at Aids Information Centre (AIC) branch attracted over 25 contestants from various districts of eastern region.

Twenty-year old Rose Namusoke and Mbalya Derrick, 22, were crowned Miss Y+ and Mr.Y+ Eastern region respectively.

They were followed by Rose Mbiriire, 21, and George Sseruwandagaza, 19, as runners-up respectively.

Namukose, a peer educator at Bugembe Health center IV, came to know her HIV positive status in 2002 at the age of 15 when she got involved sexually with a boyfriend who was positive.

She has since become a peer educator and goes around fighting for the rights of young people living with HIV.

Meanwhile, Mbalya, who is a S.6 vocalist, found out he was HIV positive when he was in S3 in 2009. He is on ART and currently a volunteer and peer educator at AIC Jinja.
 

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The youths that have come out on their HIV positive status have been called "real fighters". (Credit: Elvis Basudde)

Auditions were graced by the presence of distinguished representatives and directors local organizations that included Dr. John Balidawa, the HIV focal person, AIC-Jinja regional manager Kanyoma Loyce and the District PHA forum representatives.

Former Miss Uganda Fiona Bizzu headed the team of judges that included Zaitun Nabaterega from Straight Talk and Lumumba Musa from CYSRA.

‘Real fighters’

The auditions continue in northern region at The Straight Talk, Gulu branch on September 6, courtesy of the Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV&AIDS (UNYPA) in conjunction with SRHR Alliance, HIV Bible Movement (HBM), Marie Stopes International Uganda (MSIU) among others.

Jacquelyne Alesi, executive director, UNYPA, hailed the few brave youngsters who have come forward to show their faces (without putting a mask) and use their real names (and not anonymously) in order to help those scared to stand up for themselves.

“Thirty-three years since Uganda identified its first case of HIV/AIDS, it is a pity that stigma associated with society is still a big problem,” she said.

“Stigma is more lethal than the HIV virus, and there is no way the struggle against HIV/AIDS will ever succeed without addressing stigma. These young people are real fighters.”