Life Skills Education and Counseling - Mpumiro - Mpumiro Primary School

Visit by Lorna Katagara on 2021-03-22

Report ID
12453
Created by
Lorna Katagara
Created date
2021-03-23 12:11:28 UTC
Modified by
Lorna Katagara
Modified date
2021-03-24 07:06:36 UTC
Trip Time
10:10-17:00 (6 h 50 m)
Village Time
12:30-14:03 (1 h 33 m)
Travel Time
5 h 17 m

Life Skills Education and Counseling community lesson

School
Mpumiro Primary School 
Lesson Taught
Facts and Myths about HIV/AIDS 
Girls Attended
Boys Attended
Total Student Attendance
Teachers Attended
Fathers Attended
Mothers Attended
Total Parent Attendance
10 
Staff Attendees
Lorna Katagara 
Government Attendees
VHT 
School Staff Attendees
Life Skills Teacher 
Visitor Attendees
None 
Total Attendance
Learning Objectives
To understand the history of HIV in Uganda and what it was like as time has revolved
Notes
Overview Lorna went to Mpumiro where she was to introduce HIV/AIDS Awareness . This lesson is taught to remind ourselves the seriousness of this disease that , HIV is still there and and still has no cure. Overview On the way to the village Lorna communicated to the chairman that she was on her way to the village. However on reaching the village she was met with a group of men who broke to her the news of they had lost someone in the village in the morning and burial was going to be at 5pm. They also mentioned that infact other community members had also just left for another burial to Jinja. The chairman unfortunately did not mention this to Lorna. When she asked the few community members that had come to the meeting whether they should postpone , they said no that Lorna should teach them for a few minutes and then they also go to the burial site. The road was very busy as one could tell the community members were going to the burial site. Without wasting time, Lorna decided to introduce to them the topic HIV/AIDS . She mentioned the topics they were to learn together and then told them unfortunately this topic needs everyone to be present that is both men and women but it was okay. She mentioned that they were going to look at the history of HIV/ AIDS in Uganda. Since they were few, Lorna encouraged everyone to share their knowledge of how HIV came into this country and how the situation was. Kawanguzi mentioned that HIV came in the president Musevenis era which was so hilarious and the rest seemed to agree as well. He continued and mentioned that in President Amin’s Era , there were only STDs but no HIV/ AIDS . Another person mentioned that HIV was spread a lot by the women back in the day because different people coming from further countries came into the country with money and they would entice the women by giving them a lot of money and sleep with them and in turn these women would come back to the villages and spread it to their husbands . They even gave an example that it happened to one man in their village back in the day. Another man mentioned it spread from the fishing communities where there was exchange for sex for food. Another man mentioned different expatriates brought the virus to Uganda. Kassim mentioned that it spread during the war times in the 1970s where the soldiers had sex with the natives which later led to spreading the virus to their families. They were right in the sense that many books say that the spreads of HIV was a lot in the fishing communities in the 1970s and also others say when there was the Uganda - Tanzania war. We also looked at how the situation was like back then and now. They mentioned that one would just see someone shrinking , developing rushes, sitting in the sun all the time , diarrhoerating all the time and they had such a large appetite for what they called “good food” which was chicken, fish. Another man said they would die talking and people feared even being close to them. Another man mentioned that the body would then divide itself which was interesting the upper body would separate from the lower body. Lorna was shocked by this and said maybe it was another disease or a myth. Lorna asked then how did the times evolve, kasadha said they started coming to the villages picking groups of people whom they taught and these people were expected to teach others, different organizations came in and started raising awareness and testing peoples status . When it came to codoms people did not know it’s proper use as they would hear stories of condoms getting stuck in women’s vaginas which scared them and also the saying that “ how can candy or a sweet be tasty with its wrap on “. They detested condoms. There was still stigma and shame associated with HIV and it being a death sentence. Lorna then asked them and now? They mentioned now people know better and even girls fear pregnancy more than HIV because they know HIV you can treat and hide but pregnancy comes with evidence. Conclusion Since the community members wanted to go for burial and most of the community members were absent, we decided to postpone and start from there with the rest of the community members. They will also look at the immune system. She thanked them for their time and asked them to get tested to know where they stand so that they can take care of themselves better. One man mentioned that Lorna should talk to the women that why they fear testing is if their results came back positive, the women would not be patient but run away from them. 
Next Visit
2021-03-29 - Purpose: Continue with facts and myth and then teach on the immune system
Program Success
No
Program Critical Needs
HIV /AIDS
Program Ownership
Even though there was a burial, a few community members came to the meeting
Other Program Observations
The community is ready for water
Program Expected Of Village
Attend in bigger numbers
Program Staff Preparations Next Visit
Prepare notes
 

Report Photos

17799
17802 During the introduction of HIV /AIDS topics