When the second daughter died in 2001, she left three children, two boys and a girl with Kisembo.  “The girl died shortly after the mother’s death. The youngest boy who was about three years was getting sick so often and it was becoming a nightmare to manage his sickness,” Kisembo recollects.

                                       Video Interview with Flavia Kisembo

It only dawned on her when one of her neighbours, Rev. Ezra Musobozi who had visited her suggested they take the young boy for an HIV test. It turned out that David Nyakoojo was HIV positive. The elder boy too, was HIV positive.

KIDA comes to the rescue

Rev. Musobozi who is the founder of Kitojo Integrated Development Association (KIDA) offered to take care of the orphaned boys. His organization which had started in 1999 was among its programs running an Orphan and Vulnerable children support program by offering them education and home care, as well as Anti Retroviral medicine to those that had been confirmed to start the life prolonging drugs.

“In July 1998, my wife and I purchased a piece of land in Nyanswiga, a small village located in Ruteete sub-county. The community we came to was as welcoming and friendly as any, but a decade and a half of the AIDS epidemic had devastated the families that lived there.The disease had taken parents away from children, friends away from friends, and husbands and wives away from each other. But more than anything else, it was robbing people of their fundamental right to live,” says Rev. Musobozi. Kisembo was just one of the thousands in Kitojo finding life hard because of the HIV/AIDS effects and poverty.

Kisembo, additionally tussling with old age and a chronic pain in her legs was still worried on how she will manage to continue taking her grandchildren for routine medication to the nearest hospital over 40 kilometers away.

Flavia Kisembo’s hospital dream

“As my life gets weaker, my biggest wish is for a hospital to be built in this area. We need a place nearby where our sick can be examined and admitted. Since many of us have sick people in our homes, it will be easier to take them for treatment if there is a hospital nearby,” Kisembo said in a January 2010 interview. She says she appealed to the Rev. Musobozi to help them get a hospital nearby.

May turned up for launch of KIDA hospital

As she stands today among the hundreds of people that turned up for the family health day at KIDA on August 2^nd 2011, Kisembo carries a smiley grin of someone whose longtime wish has been answered. At least almost answered!

KIDA’s family health day was organized to launch the services of KIDA Hospital, which though still under construction has been licensed by the Ministry of Health.

KIDA Hospital launches services

“We are going to offer general medical services, including antenatal and delivery, surgical services, immunization, laboratory services, in-patients admissions and outpatients services, as well as improve our HIV/AIDS counseling, care and treatment services,” Rev. Musobozi says.

It is a dream come true for Rev. Ezra himself, who says he has watched many people die or suffer pain due to inability to make it to the nearest hospital, or afford the high fees at those hospitals. It is also a big relief for him, since many people in the community have long thrown their lives into his organisation’s hands, which through its clinic has been offering health care services including ARVs to more than 1,000 people.

He says they are hopeful of getting anti retroviral drugs to supply soon. The satellite center of Virika hospital they were hosting was withdrawn, making it hard for many HIV positive people in Kitojo to access treatment for HIV/AIDS and opportunistic infections.

Counting on the Friends of Ruwenzori

With the help of their funding partners, the California based Friends of Ruwenzori, Rev. Musobozi says they are expecting a consignment of hospital equipment that will make them one of the best health service providers in the region. Page 2

The post A dream come true as KIDA Hospital starts health services first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Speaking to hundreds of SACCO members at their head office at Kitojo Rutete sub county Kabarole district, Rwabuhinga disclosed that the only way to attain government support is to form groups. The KIDA SACCO is made up mostly HIV positive women who are members of the Kitojo Integrated Development Association (KIDA)

He warned SACCO members against spending all their money and time in bars but to be innovative and focused on development activities.

Stephen Kagwera the Burahya county parliamentarian appealed to the SACCO members to utilize the advantage of being in the SACCO to improve on their well being.

Kagwera challenged the parents to prioritize education if a bright future is to be realized.

Businge Victoria the Kabarole district woman member of parliament urged the KIDA SACCO members to inspire others to join them.

The SACCO which was started in 2007 currently has a population of over 700 members and a total savings of 270 million shillings.

By Rogers Sunday

The post Kabarole leaders hail KIDA SACCO first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.