Prisoner's wives urged to desist from risky sexual behaviors

Prisoner's wives have been advised to desist from risky sexual behaviors that could lead them to infection of HIV/AIDS scourge, Eva Suubi the Executive Director Wells of Hope has advised.

"While prisoner's spouses try to cope with having their husbands in prison, there is a bigger threat awaiting them. Some men take advantage of these women by luring them in risky sexual behaviors as a result infects them with HIV/AIDS," says Ssuubi.

Suubi made these remarks while officiating at a graduation ceremony organized to hand over certificates  to  prisoners' wives who had successfully completed a tailoring course  held at Wells of Hope Ministries offices  at Wakaliga on Thursday.

"You shouldn't regard yourself as a spouse of an inmate therefore cannot do anything. Utilize the skills acquired to create employment to enable you look after your children instead of depending on men who in return will sexually want to exploit you" Ssuubi advised prisoner's spouses.

Research conducted by Wells of Hope indicates that while the impact on women of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is at its most stark in sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of women infected with HIV is on the rise in high-income nations as well.

So as to avert that, Wells of Hope  initiated the   Psychosocial support  to  empower prisoner's spouses  and caretakers with vocational skills to ensure they are able to create  employment therefore, look after  their children  in the absence of their husbands.

Hadijja Nakintu a wife to Ramadhan Magara a police constable who was jailed for 14 years for killing Besigye's supporters at Bulange Mengo says she has greatly benefitted from the tailoring course because she's able to make all sorts of garments which was not the case before.

"The current sentencing guidelines do not take into account the plight of the inmate's children, for that reason, children with a parent in prison end up getting punished for a crime they did not commit," Nakintu observed.

"Several  children with a parent in prison  have ended up on streets while others drop  out of school after the bread winner is  incarcerated yet again their  mothers  who  happen  to  be  housewife  cannot afford their fees," says Nakintu.

Nakintu who previously depended on her husband before he was incarcerated says now she's capable of catering for her family thanks to the vocational training skills offered by Wells of Hope Ministries.

Sam Aloci the in charge responsible for Farms at the Prison's Headquarters commended Wells of Hope ministries for initiating such a project noting that it has helped to empower caretakers with skills hence supported prisoner's families.

"Now that your husbands are away, you are the ones responsible for guiding your homes physically and emotionally. You are responsible for protecting your families, when we empower you, we expect you to teach your children as well," Aloci advised prisoner's spouses.