Monday 29 January 2007

HIV PATIENT LOST A JOB


When you are looking at his face he is a charming man most of the time but he is humble, he is guy who is liked by many poor and peasants in the mountainous villages. He has served the community by working as watch man and a cleaner. He has been cleaning all the bed sheets for the hospital with more than fifty beds, when he is sun drying clothes he would be send there and here, bring this or go call that one, only that he would be busy for the whole day.

By the end of 2004 he was diagnosed HIV positive, he could not hide, he stood in front of his working colleagues, he declared his status, he told everybody about HIV and he was put on treatment.

This man is called Kabuyu Kamabanyuma Kyando. He is well known as Kambanyuma, he is very popular in the mountains in the district because he became the chairman of the self support group of the HIV positive patients. The group within one year has transformed the life of many in the district. The group has made so many people to be aware of the disease and to take action like testing and prevention.

This man has been fired from his employment in the hospital. His employment has been terminated because he has been a leader and a member of this active group. Under his leadership the patients have managed to stand up and criticize the church hierarchies for bureaucracy, theft, fraud and embezzlement. He told the church leaders that they are hypocrite for they preached different things from their deeds.

The hospital has lost more that two hundred million the amount which is equal to two hundred thousand Euros for a period two years. The money has been chewed by the big people in the church leaving the service deteriorating in the hospital.

When I was taking to him he said there are no reason been given to him about the decisions of the church and the hospital on terminating his service, they told him that they have to fire him because they feel he can not serve two master, the hospital and the group. When asked about his personal feeling on the decision, he said, ``I feel this intimidation on my effort to combat corruption and I believe it is stigma towards people living with HIV/AIDS``

Kabuyu is a married man with several children; he is the chairman of the self support group of the people living with HIV called PIUMA. There have been millions of most of them donor money from Europe which were donated for the purpose of helping the patients and the hospital. The money has gone in the pocket of few. In his letter to the partners Rev. Sheckenbarch of the Bavarian mission in Germany the organisation that have poured millions of cash in the south central diocese the owner of the hospital that it was sad to see how local representative misappropriate support for their own people.

There is no enough action from the donors from Germany; they are embracing the corrupt system a gang of thieves, they always ask for proof, Kabuyu would tell them you want proof go to Makete ask if there solar power system , biogas system that would cost more than forty thousands Euro money donated through KPS. I agree with him, we don’t need to see nice justifiable paper reports, we want to see the result in the field. If money was donated to build a vocational school we want to see a well organised running school equally to the amount of the money donated.

It is pity that Kabuyu has lost his job and the greedy thieves are still in position asking for more money leaving the needy and the poor.

4 comments:

Neurologist said...

My respect and admiration go out to Kabuyu and to you Jackson. Keep up the fight. Justice will prevail in the end.

Unknown said...

Your great,
the blog is so beautiful,
keep it up
Do your party,the world will remember you for that.
Frank

robman said...

kaka tuko pamoja katika vita vya kuleta maendeleo hasa katika kuelimsha jamii na kuyaweka wazi maovu hapa duniani. Kazi nzuri nimeikubali.

Be Blessed and Stay Strong!

Manyerere, Robert(UK)

UnemployedMama said...

Shame on those embezzling funds intended for the struggling poor! Inasikitisha zaidi to learn ni wachungaji wa watu...

I commend you for the good work you have set out to do. Keep them honest Sir!

Ubarikiwe!