By Anzoo Evaline.

A total of 24 young adolescent persons living with HIV/AIDS and teenage mothers in Adjumani District have graduated after months of intensive skills training under a UNICEF-funded initiative aimed at empowering vulnerable youth with practical livelihood skills.

Iranya Ronald, the District Mentor, explained the background of the program.

“The YAPS program started in Adjumani in 2019. By then UNICEF was funding through AVSI. For you to qualify as YAPS, you must be virally suppressed and there must be consistency in taking your medication. And then you also have to be HIV positive and below the age of 22 years,” Iranya said.

He further revealed the financial support behind the initiative.

“UNICEF gave Adjumani District Local Government an amount of 91 million for skilling of the Yaps Today we graduate the 24 of them. At their graduation, they are given a start-up kit of 400,000 Universal and they get a stipend of a 3 months per month. They are given 140,000. So, at the end they will go home with Ugx 840,000/=,” Iranya added.

The beneficiaries were encouraged to make good use of the funds.

“They were encouraged to put this money into use to invest in their various uh projects. We will appeal that UNICEF continues uh supporting these young people because there are a lot of young positives outside there,” Iranya said.

For many of the graduates, the journey has been marked by stigma and hardship.

Atim Teddy Gloria shared her experience.

“When I was tested HIV positive that was 2017. From there, people most especially like the neighbors and some relatives of them, they were discriminating me and nicknaming me with various names like a walking stick, a standing coffin, and life was so hard. Just when I joined YAPS activity that was in 2000 At least from there I felt that I’m not left alone. So, I gain the fears were not there even the stigma wasn’t there,” Atim said.

Konyio Josephine Bakhita also narrated her story, “I was born in a family of 23 kids, and I happens to be the last born. I was tested positive when I was three, but then I don’t know what means by HIV. At times I will ask my mom, “Mom, why am I taking this medicine every day?” She tells me you are having a sickness that cannot be cured. In 2013, so they took us to the Hospital, but then they want to enroll us to ARV. That is when I knew I was HIV positive. I finished my senior for last year. Now, I chose the skill of art and craft. Right now, I can make a bag, a suit, a key holder, and I can sell. I really appreciate these people so much for this program.”

Leaders in the district used the occasion to call for greater responsibility among parents and communities.

Hon. Anyama Ben, LC5 Chairperson of Adjumani, said “UNICEF, as I said, as a long-term relationship with the district. I want to ask you, I’m very happy for the testimonies you gave before us here. If you pick these 10 months right, two things there. One, we, the parents, are abusing our responsibility. And we are abusing the rights of children because if you are forcing someone to marry, and you know this is a young girl that is abuse of children right. In that case, I want to say arising from these statements of these three girls here, we the leaders we must really put our parents to understand the situation on the ground because the future belong to the young generation.”

Resident District Commissioner Toko Swaib offered words of encouragement to the graduates, “Don’t give up. Life always has those rough paths. And the once you’re in that path, know that you are going to succeed. But when you give up, if only think things are not difficult, there are young persons like you who will now think perhaps I must commit suicide. Never give up. This was a language used by Churchill that never give up in life. Keep trying even when you meet challenges, try. One day you’ll succeed.”

The graduation marks not just the end of a training program, but the beginning of renewed hope for the young beneficiaries as they step forward to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.

END