In many African societies, people living with albinism struggle to find social acceptance. In environments pervaded with albino phobia, stigma and negative stereotypes, it is a tall order.
There are people living with the condition however who are intent on shedding the negative stereotypes associated with albinos. One of those people is Gerald Byamukama; a 15 year old from Rubirizi district in western Uganda.
Many people ill advisedly regard albinism as a handicap, but I prefer to look at it differently, Byamukama says.

“Albinism is not a handicap in any kind of way. The only handicap I see is placing limits on myself because of people’s illusions about my condition. As long as my attitude is right, I know I can bring a value to my life. Albinism is not by choice and it should not be a basis for anyone to judge me or to hold me in a low regard. There are many great albino people out there making a difference in their societies and I intend to do the same,” a buoyant Byamukama says. “The difference in my skin appearance does not make me any less human as some people would want to make it seem. Albinos have rights just like normal skinned people and nobody should infringe on them. Nobody will make me hate myself. I will also not let people patronize me under the guise of trying to be friends,” he says. There have been moments however, when Byamukama has been inundated by some people’s indifference. “On several occasions, I have faced discrimination and disdain. People have called me ridiculing names. Some have even gone to the extent of calling my condition a punishment from the gods. It got to a point when I started hiding in the house, almost the whole day.  I can only wonder how life is for that beat down, often stigmatized and socially withdrawn albino child or adult who lives in an environment where traditional myths and superstitions about albinism abound. There is need to promote greater awareness of albinism throughout the country,” Byamukama says.

Before he passed on, my late grandfather, had always offered me good counsel.
“Have the grace to forgive. Let not your mind be held captive by memories of having been wronged in your childhood,” he told me.
My grandfather knew about my broken childhood experiences. He knew I had grown up resentful, depressed and disillusioned on account of the abuse I suffered at the hands of my late Dad.
The rejection and constant physical abuse I was subjected too at a young age had left me wretched and unnerved.
As a result, I grew up devoid of self esteem, will power and strength of character.
The indelible negative upshot as a result was my poor performance in school. My human relationship skills were also at a low ebb.
To most people, I came across as an eccentric introvert, yet in actual sense, I was just a young boy beset and inundated by a mood disorder I had no idea to overcome.
It was hard for me to figure out why I was at the receiving end of my late Dad’s anger.
Theories as to why, he did whatever he did to me came up later but I was too young to fathom.
When I got older, I was brought to terms with the harsh reality but I was to laden with bitterness and last thing I wanted to hear was talk about Dad and what he did to me.
It was not like I was not his child or I was disrespecting him. Far from it.
As fate would have it, Dad eventually chased me out of his house.
As a result, I spent close to 9 months living with a bunch of other young boys on the cold streets of Mbale town.
We subsisted on left over meals from Mukwano restaurant on Naboa road. Often we were chased. All the while, I could not go to school, though I was supposed to be in school.
Majority of the time however, we slept hungry. A short and a t-shirt is all I had on me.

Through mum’s efforts however, I was reinstated back home but I did not know who I was no more. The little self esteem, mum tried to bestow in me, at an early age was all gone.
I was disenchanted with Dad. What he had subjected me too had put a heavy damper on almost every aspect of my life.

I was young but my smile was always locked away. My friends frolicked but I was hesitant to join in because I felt worthless.
I bore a grudge; retaining bitterness in my heart at Dad for the wrongs he had done to me.
My anger did not draw forth any positives however and I was constantly depressed.

There was a silver lining however when I went and visited my ageing but deeply religious grandfather,(Bartholomew Wangasa) in Magale, Manafwa district.
Wangasa is the father to my mother.
He always had something positive to say to me.

First thing he talked to me about was Forgiveness.
“Forgiveness is a redeeming virtue, Richard. Your dad abused and mistreated you but remember the bitterness and anger you kindle for him will only burn you more. Look at it in perspective now and learn to forgive because when you forgive, your heavenly father will also forgive you,” Grandfather told me.

As if to emphasize his point he refered me to read Mark 11:25 and Matthew 6:14-15 which essentially talk about how God will forgive us our trespasses, if we learn to forgive others.

Grand father also laid emphasis on the fact that lingering unforgiveness was a sin.
“God will not bless you if your heart hangs on to unforgiveness. Unforgiveness only breeds bitterness, resentment and anger. If you read the parable of the unforgiving debtor in Math 18:21, you will get my drift,” he told me.

At length, I let go of the bitterness. It was hard but grandfather had prevailed upon. All gratitude to him. Reading helpful Biblical chapters he referenced like Ephesians 4:24, 31, 32 also came in handy.
Now whenever the opportunity presents itself and wherever there is need, I share with my friends my experience and how I have been able to cope.
I can not say I have completely forgotten and overcome all the hurt and ramifications of the abuse I suffered.
There are times when memories play back. There are times too when I inevitably predispose to depressive thoughts.
By and large, however, I have moved on.
I and my dad were on speaking terms before his demise.
The anger and bitterness was gone.

THE VIRTUES OF FORGIVENESS, A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Paul Wanetosi, a psychologist at Wanale community counseling initiative, Mbale says forgiveness as a precept helps people offset depression and other negative energies.
“The anger, resentment and bitterness fire you kindle in your heart only burns you more, not the person who wronged you. Forgiveness means you are letting go of the past, even if it is hard to forget. Mandela’s case is a classical example. Holding onto unforgiveness disrupts relationships. This eventually fans the fires of chronic stress, putting the body at risk of disease. When you forgive, you heal your emotional or physical wounds. Forgiveness allows you to redirect your emotions to more constructive activity. It may take a while but when you forgive people who have wronged you, your body lets go of all the feel bad chemicals responsible for mood disorders like depression and anxiety,” Wanetosi explains.

Letting go of anger and hurt by way of forgiveness is key in improving mental and emotional health.
“There is no greater nourishment to one’s emotional and mental growth than through forgiveness. Retaining bitterness in one’s heart adversely affects emotional growth in all areas of life. It robs one of the energy to stay healthy. Research shows that emotions such as anger and resentment often brought forth by unforgiveness, amongst other factors are risk factors for heart attacks. Letting go of negative emotions is therapeutic. It makes you feel better, happier and relate better. It also creates a sense of inner peace, hence less stress,” Wanetosi says.

The English poet, Alexander Pope put it well when he said to err is human; to forgive is divine.
“Forgiveness is a moral virtue that God himself exhorts us to practice. Learning to forgive is essential in moving along with God. It is an act of love as taught to us by Christ. It is a gift that we give to ourselves to live more peace filled and spiritual lives,”Pastor Fred Sseremba of the Living word ministries, Kyebando says.

Forgiveness sustains relationships and makes hope for reconciliation possible.
“When forgiveness is given a chance, damaged relationships can be repaired and rekindled. Relationships which are not necessarily shaky will benefit in a sense that there will be sustenance,” Sseremba says.

James Whistler, a famous nineteenth century American painter once said painting is visual poetry. While he may have said it in a different context, parallels can undeniably be drawn between his statement and the ingenious paintings of 35 year-old Ugandan visual artist, Veroniccah Muwonge.
It is easy to notice at first blush, that Muwonge wields a skilful painting brush. Hers is a paint brush that sketches expressionist and evocative art pieces. Most if not all of Muwonge’s paintings are heartfelt portrayals of everything from nature, traditional African cultures, people’s behaviours and everyday experiences of people she meets. In a sense, her art works represent an inward significance that is not outwardly obvious.

“I believe I was born to create. To create beauty in form of art. Painting feeds my soul. It is like food to me, I can not live without it. I use my art paintings to stimulate the mind. I enjoy making a world within another world. It is how I see art. The art process begins with imagination, generating ideas, and making up our own reality, fantasy, and dreams in a new form.  Art is a universal language so I use it to bring out ideas that people know but do not give much thought to. Painting as a medium of communication is fun for me because I love color and its powerful effect on human emotions,” Muwonge says.

INSPIRATION TO PAINT
Casting her mind back, Muwonge says she was inspired and eventually made the decision to become an artist whilst in high school in Trinity College, Nabbingo and Taibah high school in the early 90’s.
“I thought I would become a performer growing up. I also enjoyed playing soccer, netball and ping pong but I just knew what I wanted to do with my life early on. I do not remember anyone influencing me to become an artist,” she says.
Muwonge however started painting professionally in 2003.

Traces of Muwonge’s artistic talent showed early as she narrates.
“I noticed how much I loved to draw whilst I was young. I drew a lot at the ages of 5/6-10. I knitted, wove, built tiny mud houses and learned to sew and crotchet at a young age. A ceramics piece was the first artistic piece I sold. I was in my senior 3 then,” she reminisces.

Tadeo Masereka may be visually impaired but he never loses sight of his purpose in life. The buoyant 23 year old hopes to rise from his handicap one day and become an inspiration to both the blind and non blind in Uganda.
“People with disabilities are often looked down upon in Uganda. The blind, just like able bodied people should live and work with full responsibility. Being blind, I have experienced prejudice and discrimination on several occasions and I am hoping I can be the change. I envisage studying law at the university. I want to advocate for the rights of less privileged people especially the blind. At times, it seems as if we have no voice. With belief, courage and determination, I know I will make it,” Masereka says animatedly.
 
At present, Masereka is a senior three student at SAAD memorial secondary school in Kisinga, Kasese. From the look of things, he interacts freely with other students, though discrimination has stared him in the face, on occasion.  Masereka however tells me he has no qualms about being discriminated against.
“I consort with many people around school. I have had cases where people ask me impolite questions and treat me with impertinence but I have learnt to take things in my stride. If you were in my position, you would agree it is the best recourse. Anger is never an antidote if you are a person living with a disability,” Masereka says.

Just before the early morning school assembly on the day I visited his school, Masereka was joined by a posse of his friends around their classroom block.
They seemed to be exchanging pleasantries. There was poise about him as he moved around with his walking stick and as he spoke to his friends.
I noticed all of his friends were of 20/20 vision.  
The fact that almost all his classmates are of normal visual acuity, I thought to myself must be some kind of disadvantage to Masereka.

Franca Lucy Nacuge, Masereka’s teacher was however quick to dispel my thoughts.
“Masereka’s handicap has not in any way affected his performance in class. He has been giving a good account of himself. He is brilliant at reading Braille (Braille is a method ofreadingand feeling text through touch, rather than sight). He reads Braille books avidly. He is also excellent at communicating by means of the manual alphabet. Learning to spell words with manual language was not a tall order for him. He struggled a bit with his enunciation but he gradually got better. In class tests and exams, Masereka excels and is always amongst the top five. He has a great potential and I think if he does not get any distractions or financial challenges along the way, he will achieve his goal,” Nacunge says.

Masereka has created good rapport with his teachers, just like he has done with classmates. During class lessons, he is always attentive and active especially when questions are paused.
His teachers generally have a high opinion of him, saying he has been exceptional in his relations with others and in his class performance.
He comes to school early, well tucked in and always smart. He is also always open minded, inquisitive and eager to learn. It has helped him perform well in class. He has a bright future ahead of him. He is also deeply spiritual and reads the Braille Bible often. It is his valued possession. He has learnt great stretches of the Braille Bible by heart and has committed to heart verses that help him whenever he is feeling low. His spirituality has helped him a great deal especially in dealing with his visual limitations,” says Godfrey Abine, one of his teachers.

I watched as Masereka used his fingers to make sense of a document he had been writing as Nacunge taught. I sat transfixed, eager to see how he uses Braille reading.
I was amazed at how effortlessly he went about it and by all accounts, it has been a success for him.
“If Masereka was not using Braille reading, I figure he would not be performing as well as he has been performing. Unlike those with vision, he reads both at day and night time. We have taught him how to use Braille mathematical sets for subjects such as arithmetic and maths and also how to use invaluable materials such as Parkins Braille and geometrical sets. These have helped him a lot. The bottom-line however is that he learns and internalizes things fast,” Nacunge says.

After school, Masereka studies type writing. Nacunge has also chosen to take him under her stewardship.
Just like in his class sessions, Masereka is quick witted when it comes to type writing.  Nacunge says plans are in place to purchase him a desk top computer to get him in line with current trends.
“He should be learning how to operate and use a computer by now but we have been limited by funds. The sooner we get one the better, because he is very eager at learning new things,” Nacunge says.

Masereka is also passionate about music. He wants to study guitar, piano and drums in the future.
“Music is something I have a fascination for. I am inclined to singing and I want to develop my talent. Maybe one day I can make money out of singing. Singing is therapy for me. It sustains me in those quiet lonely hours when I retreat into that deep silence that only the blind know,” Masereka says.

Masereka has also been employing his entrepreneurial side in his free time. With a little financial support from friends and with training from the National Union of the disabled persons of Uganda, he managed to establish a small poultry business 3 years ago.
The business has grown by leaps and bounds albeit with challenges.
“The main challenge in the business has been finance and finding someone trustworthy to do the day to day running whilst Iam away at school. Financial and management challenges aside, the business has helped me a great deal. It has opened up my entrepreneurial side and with time, I plan to take root in another business, preferably a printing and photocopying business. This business has taught me how to make money on my own, rather than depend on others. I have always wanted to be independent,” Masereka says.

Besides the entrepreneurial skills, Masereka has also received trainings on human rights and HIV/AIDS prevention.
He has been returning the favour by sharing the knowledge he received with classmates and people in his community and other areas.
Masereka was born to John and Mary Ndyahikaho.


 





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Download and take a listen here to some new Lumasaba Hip Hop Music, from the fountainhead of Luma flow, Supaman.

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Thirty one years after the discovery of HIV, a cure still remains a distant reality.
The very complicated nature and variety of HIV has meant that the virus has resisted even the most vigorous of attempts by scientists to eliminate it and to quell its spread.
That a cure has eluded scientists this long, is in a way, an indictment in itself, but it is worth noting that there have been real glimmers of hope, in recent years, principally in the area of scientific research on drugs to mitigate and suppress the deadly virus.
Those glimmers of hope have manifested in the radical advances made by scientists in developing antiretroviral therapies that control HIV viral replication in a person’s body and allow an individual’s immune system to strengthen and regain its capacity to fight off infections.
The antiretroviral therapies may not be curative but they have, by and large, led to favourable outcomes amongst many people living with HIV, not only in Uganda but world over.
The upshot has been many of them living longer.

By Richard Wetaya
Few Ugandan basketball fans had heard of Stanley Ocitti until he made his debut for the Silver-Bucks (Uganda’s men’s national basketball team) at the 2015 Afro Basket in Tunisia.
Ocitti put on a clinic, impressing with his repertoire of skills, ranging from the fluid perimeter shots, deep range and aggression on both ends of the court.

His debut heralded a new dawn for the much maligned Silver-bucks front court.
In the estimation of many, the Silver-bucks had at long last, gotten a reliable offensive weapon; a 6 ft 8 and a 104 kg big man with mid air flair; a big man who executed well in the paint, cleaned the boards but also adeptly shot the mid range and rainmaker shots (three pointer).
Fans who had long gotten accustomed to blip on the radar performances from previous Silver-buck's big men like Sam Gombya were energized.
 
Ocitti’s game demanded attention. The guy who patterns his game after Tim Duncan seemed to be the spring that was missing from the Silver-bucks stride.
The other guys on the Silver-buck's team, principally Captain Steven Omony-seemed to feed off his-on court-aura and drive.

Of court, the 35 year old is as modest as they come. Basketball though has taken him places and made him a rolling stone of sorts.
In his playing career, he has made stops in leagues across the globe.
Besides playing in the United States, he has also brought his skills to bear in the Australian, Norwegian, Japanese, Dutch, Canadian, British, Hungarian leagues, amongst others.


Ocitti has played professional basketball for 11 years and once dropped 63 points in a league game in the Netherlands. Get it-63.
In the United States, whilst he played in the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the (NCAA), he came up against NBA greats such as Carmelo Anthony, Ray Allen and Ben Gordon, etc.
The NCAA organizes athletic programs for Colleges and  Universities in the United States and Canada and helps more than 450,000 college student-athletes compete annually in various college sporting disciplines . 

Ocitti’s accomplishments with the Connecticut Huskies in the NCAA stood him in a good stead.
The anticlimax however was that it did not propel him into the NBA- the best Basketball league in the world.
Ocitti looks back philosophically on the missed chance.
“As a younger player, I was unaware of the ins and outs of the NBA. So I didn’t really get a lot of interest from the NBA. Looking back on it now there are definitely some things I could have done differently. I however enjoyed my collegiate experience. The Connecticut Huskies are a power house and to be a part of a championship team was really humbling. Going up against future NBA stars like Carmelo Anthony was really amazing” he opines.

In the 5 games, Ocitti played for the Silver-bucks at the Afro-basket in Tunisia; he brought flair to bear; averaging 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
He was by far, Uganda’s premier best scorer. The Legend-Steven Omony came in a close second.

At the recent Zone 5 Afro Basket qualifiers in Egypt, Ocitti again showed his mettle, averaging 14.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for the Silver-bucks.
Just a few months earlier, he had laid down the law as he played for the City Oilers at the FIBA Africa Champions cup for men in Egypt.
He averaged 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and got an Honorable mention from the organizers after the tournament.


In his career, Ocitti has stacked up quite a number of trophies. He was part of the 1998-1999 Connecticut Huskies men’s basketball team that won the Big East regular season championship in the United States.
The Connecticut Huskies represent the University of Connecticut.
The Huskies went on to win the Big East basketball championship and later the NCAA men’s division/tournament championship also known as March madness.
Ocitti later played for Suny Binghamton- the state University of New York basketball team.

In 2006, he was part of the Norwegian national championship team-the Asker Aliens.
In 2009, Ocitti was part of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix team in Japan which won the Japan regular season championship.
In 2013, he was voted Defensive player of the year at the University of Worcester in England. In England, he got 4 team of the week honorable mentions.

The experience of globetrotting as a player is something Ocitti has relished.
“If you cannot make it to the NBA, then the next best thing is to go overseas and try your luck in the international leagues. I had always wanted to see the world and through basketball, I have been able to experience different cultures,” he says.

Though he is calling time on his playing career, Ocitti says he is still open to playing for the Silver-bucks.
“Am focused on playing as long as the team needs me. As of now, am in the process of becoming an internationally licensed agent. Iam intent on helping Ugandan players get exposure at the international level. There is a lot of talent in Uganda. As things stand now, there are many hard working people associated with Ugandan Basketball and I feel there is a bright future ahead for the next generation of ballers. For the young Ugandan players, just focus on the fundamentals and do something to get better every day, no matter how small,”

OCITTI-UPBEAT ABOUT THE SILVER-BUCKS
“It’s been great playing for the Silver Backs and the Oilers. There has been a lot of success for both teams at the East African regional level. The next step is to have success at the continental and international levels. I hope we can really just organize better and show the world that Uganda can compete on the bigger stages,” he reckons.

Ocitti was born in Kampala in 1980. He began playing basketball at age 12, inspired by his elder sibling.

By Richard Wetaya
The idea of personal branding has been gaining traction in recent years.
Many proponents

American Historian, Henry Adams put it aptly, when he said teachers affect eternity and can never tell where their influence stops. That maxim in many ways speaks to the legacy and influence of 60 year old veteran teacher, Mary Khalayi Mayatsa.
Mayatsa, a mother of 9 has been teaching for 40 years and is on the face of it, not about to slow down. She recently decided to come back in harness and teach, though she had formally retired. “I retired honorably as a secondary school head teacher. I still teach because I want to serve as an example and to help others achieve,” the Mbale based mayatsa says.

Mayatsa’s erstwhile students speak of her in high terms especially as regards the influence she had on them. 28 year old Rogers Wekesa, a construction worker says Mayatsa molded her into the disciplined and hard working person he is today.
“She was an outstanding teacher and a strict disciplinarian who emphasized hard work and diligence to all her students. In many respects, the precepts she stressed to me at school have laid a strong path for me in life. That path has seen me bring a value to my life and to other people’s lives,” Wekesa says.

Mayatsa came out retirement in 2012. She is currently head teacher at Nyanga Integrated Primary school in Bumboi, Mbale. The school is family owned and a brain child of her late husband, George William Mayatsa, who himself was an Educationist.
At present, the school only has only a Primary section, though it had a Vocational section in its early fledgling days. In Mukhuwa and Bumarobole village, Bumboi, where the school is located, Mayatsa has struck quite a chord with the locals.
“Most people living in the villages surrounding the school are thankful that the school is operating again and that Mayatsa is in charge. She is a lady with a big heart and down to earth as a person and as a teacher. She like her late husband has helped a lot of people in this area and not only in terms of education. In many ways, the teaching service she is offering now at the school is a welcome development as most of our children are now going back to school,” Idi Makhafu, an elder in Mukhuwa village notes.

ACADEMIC FORTUNES CHANGE
There was a favourable change in Nyanga’s academic performance trajectory when Mayatsa took over the reins in 2013 after her retirement. 12 out of 14 school pupils got second grades in the PLE exams that year. That was quite a feat considering that the school was just getting back on track and is located in a remote place, devoid of power and short on teachers. Last year 15 pupils sat for PLE exams. 12 got second grades. The rest got third grades. Mayatsa expects even better results this year and even more pupils to enroll at the school.
She teaches Mathematics. Erick Sakwa, deputy RDC Jinja, one of Mayatsa’s erstwhile students says the good performance of the school’s pupils in the years after Mayatsa took over speaks volumes about her dedicated efforts towards teaching.

ON MAKING THE TRANSITION TO TEACH IN PRIMARY
Mayatsa is a secondary school teacher by training but she says making the transition to teach in Primary was not a tall order. “I had to break the mould and bring my wealth of experience to bear at the school. We had few teachers and I owed to myself to myself, my family and the school to teach and pass on knowledge. The area where the school is situated has many children but few go to school. I wanted to be part and parcel of the change in that status quo in the area,” Mayatsa says.

LOOKING BACK AT HER BEGINNINGS
Mayatsa begun teaching and tutoring in the late 70’s. “After completion of my studies at Kyambogo and Makerere, I taught at Shimoni teacher training College. That was from 1976-1981. From 1982-1991, I tutored at Nyondo Primary teachers College in Mbale. From 1992-2002, I taught and also shouldered responsibilities as a deputy head teacher at Mbale high school.  From 2003-2009, I was head teacher at Wabwala Secondary school,” she says.

Mayatsa says she cherished the experience of teaching at the threshold of her career, because of the consistent acknowledgement and respect, teachers got.  “Notwithstanding challenges like low pay and the turmoil the country was experiencing, teaching in the years of old was in many respects a worthwhile endeavour. There was a certain fulfillment that deeply endeared us to the teaching profession. Most people formed the decision to join the teaching trade because of the acknowledgements and laurels teachers often got. It was hard to find people who joined the profession as a last resort, like the way it is these days. The government needs to rethink the issue of teacher supervision and evaluation to improve the quality of teachers being churned out,” she says.

The Ministry of health in Uganda has secured $20 million from the Global Financing Facility to foster the result based financing initiative, which aims at improving the quality of health care at health facilities country wide.
Prof. Anthony Mbonye, the Director of health services in charge of Clinical and Community Health in the Ministry of Health revealed this while addressing Journalists at the first national symposium on universal health coverage that took place last week at Silver springs Hotel.

“The hope is that more private and public health facilities will get accreditation because the more a facility avails services to pregnant women and children of immunisable age, the more funding it gets. This performance based funding is meant to improve quality of care at health facilities and to make sure health workers get allowances, uniforms and buy supplies. This will be one of our stronger paths to universal health coverage,”He said.

 At the symposium, there were further earnest deliberations on how best Uganda can build an understanding on attaining universal health coverage. Universal health coverage, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is the goal that all people have access to health services and do not suffer financial hardship in paying for them. It ensures that all people have access to needed promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services of sufficient quality. The symposium was convened by Makerere University School of Public Health under the umbrella of the Supporting Policy Engagement for Evidence-based Decisions (SPEED) project- an initiative that focuses on advancing Universal Health Coverage in Uganda.

Speaking on the opening day of the symposium, Prof. Freddie Ssengooba of the Makerere University School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) noted that the trajectory towards achieving universal health coverage in Uganda is gaining momentum, notwithstanding the many challenges, the country faces.  "As a nation, we need to begin positioning ourselves on how best to achieve this development agenda. Universal health coverage is central to the question of how health should be represented in the new development agenda that will succeed the Millennium Development Goals this year," said Ssengooba.

"The process of developing the new Health Sector Strategic and Investment Plan (HSSIP) of 2015-2020 by the Ministry of Health is a welcome development and a step in the right direction. The goal of Universal Health Coverage which is being inserted into Uganda's health policy is still new to many. These deliberations are meant to help us understand the idea of Universal Health Coverage and what its implications are for the different stakeholders like the government, the private sector and academia."

       Whilst everyone acknowledges that the goal of attaining universal health coverage will be no mean feat, the government seems intent on making it feasible and bringing changes to bear especially as regards the provision of cost effective health interventions for the poorest of its citizens, a key prerequisite if the programme is to fall in line with the requirements of the WHO. Mbonye noted that the government was obliged to provide interventions such as antenatal care, family planning, curative and rehabilitative care to all its citizens. "In South Eastern and Eastern Uganda, a Voucher system has been introduced to enable poor pregnant women to access antenatal and delivery health care services at every visit. A woman will only be required to pay 3000 shillings. The Voucher scheme will be rolled out in the next six months countrywide," Mbonye said.

"The pilot project registered many successes. It is on the basis of that, that we were able to get funding from the World Bank for the scheme. We are also working on the National Health Insurance Initiative, which essentially aims at improving our health indicators. It is now with the Parliamentary council and there is green light from the Ministry of Finance regarding funds for it."   Dr. Patrick Kadama, the Executive Director of the Platform on Human Resources for Health at the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation underscored that for Uganda to accelerate towards universal health coverage (UHC), a number of critical reforms need to be put forth to achieve equity.  "There is need for reforms to manage the social determinants of health through stronger inter-sectoral action. We also need reforms to introduce patient centered or family based health care services, and reforms to strengthen health governance and management," Kadama explained.

 SOME OF THE CHALLENGES HIGHLIGHTED THAT MAY IMPEDE PROGRESS TOWARDS ATTAINMENT OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS

Low access to safe, clean drinking water and sanitation
          Dominic Kavutse, an engineer from the Directorate of Water Development, Ministry of Water and Environment noted that the current access to safe water supply and sanitation in Uganda stands at 65%. 
          "That leaves 35% of the Ugandan population with access but not safe access.  That translates into 10 million Ugandans exposed to water-borne diseases due to consuming unsafe water. There are 110,000 water points in the country.  Out of the budget we have we are able to produce new water sources for about 800,000 people per year but the population increases by at least 1.2 million people per year. At the present rate of investment, the coverage of water supply and sanitation is going down," Kavutse said.

The inaptitude of the health system in Uganda
            Dr. Stephen Lock, the acting head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union noted that whilst there have been notable declines in the infant mortality ratios and HIV related deaths, the health system in Uganda is still lagging behind in terms of providing assurance to Ugandans of adequate social protection.  "Deaths for example related to pregnancy and child birth remain unacceptably high with an estimated 20 women dying daily while giving birth in Uganda. There are still pertinent questions to answer regarding the functionality of public hospitals which are the most visible aspects of health system capabilities," Lock stated.
 
Out of the pocket payments as a major barrier to health access
       "Direct payments have serious implications for health. Making people pay at health facilities or other points of delivery dissuades them from using services (particularly health promotion and prevention). That in essence means they do not receive treatment early and they steer clear of health checks. The absence of financial protection in Uganda's health system calls for concerted action aimed at reducing the large proportion of out-of-pocket payments currently present in total health financing." Ssengooba observed.

By Richard Wetaya
If there is, at present, a suburb in Mbale enjoying unprecedented growth, it is

The early part of Saturday (last week) got me curiously wending my way through Boma Ward, the once famous and glistening Mbale suburb. Boma ward-commonly known as Senior quarters is found in Wanale Divison.
Many people, who grew up admiring the beauty and peace of this place, feel it has, in many ways, lost its sparkle.  To all appearances, they are right. For starters, Senior quarters, Mbale was and probably still is the hub of Mbale’s rich, more like what Kololo is to Kampala.
Therein, you will find residential homes for Mbale’s rich and famous. Stephen Wekomba, owner of Mt. Elgon Millers is on that A-list. He owns several rental houses and other buildings in the area.
Senior quarters is also home to several senior civil servants and many of Mbale’s upscale and affluent hotels, to wit Mbale Resort hotel, Crown Suites, Kayegi hotel and Mt Elgon hotel.

Senior quarters is also where you will find the famous Mbale Presidential lodge. It is a place almost every student wants to visit, especially when they know the President is around Mbale. Here you will also find Mbale’s most popular and classy night hangout spot, the Thatch gardens, owned by the famous Mbale Doctor, Dominic Martin Waburoko. Through the years, Thatch gardens has obtained a footing as Mbale’s number one happening place, hosting parties, concerts, weddings and conferences.

Whilst it is fair to state that Senior quarters has gotten more residents through the years, it is out of the question to state that it has improved infrastructure wise. Moving around, I bore witness to many of the quarter’s infamous poor roads. Many residents I had spoken to earlier had lamented about the poor state of the roads in the area, principally the road from the Presidential Lodge to town via the Resort Hotel. That evidently is not the only bad road here. The road from the Presidential Lodge to town via Mooni has also been in quite a sorry state for some time.
 “Good roads used to be this area’s claim to fame in the days of old. A little tarmac was laced on the road between Mooni to the area where Mount Elgon Hotel is located but it was substandard. The road was heavily pot holed, yet the President uses it whilst going to rest at the Lodge. Concerned residents speculated that the President’s vehicles have strong shock absorbers and he never felt the impact of the pot holes whenever his car rode through the road,” Fred Bwayo, a resident, says.


Sam Wamutu, Chairperson of the Boma ward development committee says a feasibility study has been done and the road, right from Mbale’s regional block is going to be worked on in due course.
All that awaits is the funds to be released, Wamutu adds.
 
The Senior quarters of today also has quite a number of old and dilapidated buildings.
“In the good old days, you would be hard pressed to find old and unpainted buildings in this area. There is increased apathy on the part of the owners of some of the old buildings” Bwayo says.

Lots of new buildings are being constructed but they are evidently juxtaposed with the old ones.
In the colonial days, Senior quarters housed the colonial administrators sent to Mbale to oversee the governance of the Eastern region. The area according to old Legend had state of the art recreational facilities wherein the colonial overseers invariably went to parlay.
“Senior quarters was unquestionably Mbale’s cleanest suburb, especially in the times when Mbale was the cleanest town in East Africa. It was serene and its lush greenery was second to none. Many people always wanted to come and visit on account of that. There were no old buildings and bad dusty roads as is the case today. The place lost its glory, just like Mbale town did,” states Wangota Khaukha, an elder in Mooni, an area neighboring the quarters.

Tales are told also of how Semei Kakungulu used to frequent the quarters, often coming to consort with and consult the colonial masters. Kakungulu it is said planted many of the area’s existing eucalyptus trees, just like he did in many other areas in the East.
“The trees Kakungulu planted added to the beauty of Senior quarters. The road leading up to the Presidential Lodge was a boulevard, with well manured trees on each side. Obote as well was fond of Senior quarters. During his Presidency, he always visited and hosted visitors at the lodge. The road was in a good state in the 80’s. Much as the area has lost its splendor, we are happy Hotels like Resort and Kayegi have been taken root. Resort particularly is a modern hang out,” Khaukha says.


SCHOOLS
Senior quarters is also the place where you will find the famous Fairway Primary school.
Almost everybody who grew up in the early 90’s in the East heard of this prominent school. It was always in the best of the bunch academic wise.
Though it has lost some of its sparkle, it still stands in a good stead with many people.
“Fairway is one of the few schools existing in Senior quarters. Understandable being that the area is mostly residential. There is also Boma primary school and 4 to 5 other private schools,” Wamuttu says.

SECURITY
Security wise, Boma ward is safe and sound, albeit there have been sporadic incidents of crime reported, especially in areas neighboring less affluent suburbs like Mukhubu, Mooni and Busamaga. 
Wamutu says whilst there have been security lapses; the general peace of the area has not been compromised a lot.
“That problem is being looked into. Most of the area’s security problems are caused by thugs emanating from neighboring suburbs,” Wamutu says.

SANITATION
In terms of sanitation, the area has not done badly though Wamutu says they are waiting for the area’s sanitary sewer system to be connected to the main Namatala carriage system.

LAND PRICES
Though land prices have been fluctuating through the years, an acre of land in Senior quarters goes for about 150-200 million.

Clean and safe drinking water is a hard to comeby commodity in many hard to reach and distant villages in Bududa District, Eastern Uganda. In many of the villages, water shortage is a part of daily life, notwithstanding the fact that Bududa is richly endowed with rivers and other abundant water resources.
Fresh water sources in villages like Bushegi, Bunabuniu in Bushika subcounty and Bunakasala in Bulucheke subcounty are few and far between. As I moved around, I noticed there were many abandoned and non functional domestic water points.
Many of the hilly area’s potential for water supply is principally through rain water harvesting. Making do with harvested water is not bad in itself, but the containers I saw the villagers using to collect water were far from clean. In effect, this puts the lives of villages at a risk of e-coli and water borne microbes associated with diarrrhoea.

When the dry season sets in, usually at the threshold of each year; the few water sources in villages like Bunanyuma, Bushegi and Bunakasala are left half dry or completely dry.
Most of the water springs and wells as it seems, dry up due to the drought.

The little water the villagers struggle to fetch is itself far from clean but that does not seem to bother the children and people I saw queuing up to draw water. Unwittingly, they also expose themselves to water borne pathogens, which the World Bank says contribute to the high child mortality rates world over.
According to water aid.org, 12,000 Ugandan children die each year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water.

These unprotected water springs are our lifeline. It is the only water we have, rationalised Piyo Kuloba, a resident of Bunakasala village. “What do you expect people here to do? They have no choice but to use the little spring water at their accessibility however unsafe it may be. The springs are not protected and there are no boreholes or piped water systems in most of the villages around Bunakasala. During the dry seasons, the situation exacerbates as villagers are compelled to move long distances to get water. Moving from a hilly area to fetch water downhill is a tall order. When the rains come, the situation in a way improves because people can at least harvest water, though most do not have big containers that can store water for long,” notes Kuloba.

Water from river Manafwa is also in high favour with many people especially those living alongside its banks. I bore witness as children from Namasho village in Bulucheke subcounty drew water from River Manafwa using dirty containers for home usuage. All the while, other children swam in the very water. My attempts to dissuade those drawing water fell on deaf ears. Seemingly, Domestic animals also pollute the river’s waters going by the animal excrete I saw near the river’s banks.

In 2010, a ministerial statement presented to Parliament revealed that River Manafwa was contaminated. Most of the pollution the statement noted was from human feaces emanating from the pit latrines constructed near the river. In many respects, water from river Manafwa is still unsafe for usuage considering the continuous dependence on the river’s water’s for activities such as bathing and washing. That in essence means people living along the river’s banks are invariably at risk of water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, skin diseases, eye infections and infestinal diseases like schistosomiasis.

In some parts of Bududa, ill advised traditional attitudes still govern the usage of water, especially water from river Manafwa Unboiled water from the river is traditionally thought of as tastier than treated water. As such some people would rather drink it, than treated or boiled water.
“Many people use river Manafwa as a primary source of water. It is used for household consumption because people have waited for the piped water and the gravity water systems in this area as promised by the government for long. The government needs to redeem its pledge to build a gravity water system from the nearby mt. Elgon area. That needs to be fast tracked. The ignorant belief that water from river Manafwa is more tastier has been there but that can be stemmed through concerted educative drives in the villages concerned,” notes Wilson Wangota, an elder in Kushu village, Bulucheke subcounty.

Families living in the hilly and distant areas are hard pressed in going downhill to fetch water. The problem is areas downhill are also grappling with problems of access to safe and clean water. There is almost no guarantee that one will find safe water when they head downhill.
The gap between Bududa’s population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and those with access has gotten wider through the years. Manifestly, Bududa is amongst the districts where safe water coverage is still hovering below the 64% national average and where access to safe water has stagnated.
Five years back the situation seemed better. 
A 2010 report by the Directorate of Water Development, Ministry of Water and Environment, showed that 66 % of Bududa’s population had access to safe and clean water.
Recent records from the Ministry of Water and Environment however paint a grim picture. Recent accounts show that access to safe water in Ugandan rural areas has stagnated at 65%, in the past two years, yet Uganda’s target is to increase access to safe water in rural areas to 77% in 2015 in line with its millennium development goals.

“The government’s investment in the water sector especially in the rural areas needs to be improved. Interventions also need to be fast tracked especially when people are facing a problem like it is in Bududa. The government as well needs to invest in water purification schemes for the rural areas. Communities should be helped to protect their wells. Access to safe water is a critical disease prevention investment and a recipe for good health. It can go a long way in helping communities in Bududa and other areas around the country to confront the health based poverty trap. With the construction of the first phase of the Bududa-Nabweya Gravity Water Flow Scheme, there will hopefully be a new lease of life in the above sectors,” says John Okumu, a water and sanitation engineer in Manafwa.

According to UN Water.org, Investments in water and sanitation services result in substantial economic gains. The return on investment of attaining universal access of improved drinking-water is estimated to be 2 to 1. To cover every person worldwide with safe water and sanitation is estimated to cost US$ 107 billion a year over a five-year period.

The Bududa district Community Development Officer in charge of Water and Sanitation, Anthony Wakholi says the district in unison with the Government is working on a gravity water flow system, which will pump and generate water from Mt Elgon.
“Water will be supplied to different areas using this system. It will cover 6 sub counties, namely Bukigai, Bududa, Nabweya, Bushiribo, Bushiyi and Bulucheke. The district has developed protected springs, groundwater wells and gravity flow systems before in some sub counties like Bukibokolo. There is also the Bukalasa gravity flow scheme, which covers 3 sub counties. Drilling boreholes in hilly areas is a hard task. That explains why there are few of them. Rain water harvesting as recommended by the government has however been gaining currency amongst the people. As regards the usuage of water from river Manafwa, people do not do it on purpose. It is largely because they have no choice and because they are averse to messages dissuading them from using that water,” Wakholi says.

Wakholi however says some of the water problems in Bududa are sometimes brought about by the residents themselves.
“There is generally a problem of poor water supply management in some of the villages. Counterproductive activities like the cutting of underground water pipes in some villages has adversely affected the sector. These pipes transport water down from the hilly areas but certain mischievous people have continuously tampered with them. In some areas, people have continuously cut the water pipes to irrigate their crops,” Wakholi says.
 
Many people’s livelihoods have also been affected as a result of the lack of water in many of Bududa’s villages.
In Bunakasala for example, crop diversification has become a problem. Villagers barely grow crops that depend on rain or water to flourish. The lack of water has in some ways also led to a reduction in the usuage of land in many of the villages, though families still subsist on staple crops that grow without much rain.

By Richard Wetaya

The Namisindwa cave in Matuwa,

It is a piping hot Saturday morning and I find myself treading through the hilly Bunanyuma village in Bushika sub county, Bududa District. There is not much semblance of human activity but the vestiges of an ominous landslide are clearly discernible. The landslide which occurred in June last year, left in its wake huge land fissures. The land fissures cover a surface area of about 35-45 metres. Huge swathes of rocks were swept downwards when the landslide struck.  Homes, crops, water sources, eucalyptus trees and livestock were laid to waste. Many residents were however able to evacuate in time, partly in response to a distress call from a fellow resident at the pinnacle of the hill.

“There was a heavy downpour that night. The rain lasted over four hours. Rocks were coming down from the apex of the hill with a vicious force. That was a cue for us to flee and to evacuate. People’s homes, livestock, coffee trees and a family of 7 were swept away, never to be seen again. This area has a history of landslides and when it rains, it floods. That was the third time; landslides were ravaging the area. Geologists and a team from the office of the Prime Minister came here in 2014to access the situation. They advised us to relocate, noting that there was a contingency plan to deal with the situation. We told them we are ready to move but no course of action was taken. The landslide occurred in 2014 just a few days after they had left,” states 63 year old Wilson Manga, a resident of Bunanyuma.

Against that backdrop and with the rainy season now fast on the horizon, one would expect the residents to be making arrangements to leave. One would also expect the government to come to these people’s rescue. At the moment however, there is no sign that any of the above is happening.
The residents I managed to talk to are apathetic to say the least. Much as there is a mood of apprehension, many seem resigned to fate, reasoning that they rather stay than move to other areas, where their safety, freedom and health is not guaranteed.

“People are reluctant to move on account of the stories they have heard about the conditions in Kiryandongo and the nearby IDP camps in Bulucheke and Bukalasi. Acclimatizing to a new area far away from your home area is a tall order. We would move if the conditions in the camps are improved. Many people are also reluctant to move for cultural and ancestral reasons,” states Luwulendi Wakinya, an elder in Bunanyuma.

Similar sentiments are echoed by some residents of Bunakasala village, Bumwalukani parish Bulucheke subcounty Bunakasala bore the brunt of landslides on the 25th of June 2012. 12 people died and many remain unaccounted for. Unlike Bunanyuma, the landslide in Bunakasala occurred at day time.
Kuloba James, a resident of Bunakasala says his family escaped by a hair’s breadth.
“My house was grazed by huge stones as the landslide swept. Fortunately only one side of the house was destroyed. The kraal for my cattle and my banana and coffee plantations were completely destroyed however. I also lost chicken. It rained heavily but nobody ever imagined the damage the rain would cause. I and my family of 6 survived narrowly. A family of eight who were my immediate neighbors were all killed in the landslide and their bodies, like those of many other victims were never recovered even when the bull dozers and excavators were brought. The rains are imminent but I do not see myself moving to any other place. I would relocate again if conditions were favourable in the places where the government wants us to go and if there is compensation. I was in an internally displaced people’s camp only last year but the foods the government disbursed were few and far between. When the food rations ran short, many of us were compelled to leave. The pit latrines were inadequate; there was inadequate access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Water was hard to come by in the camps even with the gravity system,” Kuloba says. 

In the same breath, water seems to be a problem in Bunakasala and Bunanyuma villages. All the water sources seem to be drying up or have dried up. Around the villages, young children can be seen queuing to fetch little drop of water from makeshift wells and water ponds that look far from clean.
Fresh water sources seem to be a real problem and the hilly terrain does not help matters. Families are hard pressed in going downhill to fetch water. Kuloba regrets that the promise made to them by the government to avail a gravity water supply system has not been redeemed. As such locals have to make do with the little unclean water at their availability.

Geologist Sam Owach says landslide losses can be avoided if the problem is recognised early. “Landslide susceptibility assessments need to be done at various spatial scales in Bunakasala, Namakansa, Bunanyuma, Namitsi and in all landslide prone areas around Mount Elgon. With the rainy seasons imminent, that needs to be fast tracked. Most landslides in the Bududa area are triggered by heavy rains and to larger extent by counterproductive human activities like digging in the hilly areas. By now, there should be contingencies in place to gauge the likely intensity and duration of the forthcoming rains, so as to avert any calamity. There should be continued assessment of soil depression and the land fissures like those in Bunakasala and Bunanyuma. If they are deemed dangerous as indeed they are, early preparations should be made to relocate the communities in those areas to safer zones. The residents of Bunakasala and Bunanyuma need to stop cultivating in areas around the cracks and in areas far up on the hills,” Owach says.

By Richard Wetaya

At 5 p.m, Bunamasongo Village was crawling with Initiates and their

Initiates dancing their way to Manhood during the Inemba dance rituals in Bushika subcounty,

Initiates from Bukhaukha village join in the Inemba Dance in Bushika. Photo by

One of the Initiates is taken through the mill of the Inemba dance. Photo by