Straight Talk, June 2008

Youth volunteers at STF

Straight Talkers, what do you do in your long vacs? ST is looking for young people aged 18-21 who speak Lukonzo, Ateso, Kupsabiny and Lugbara! Send your CV to PO Box 22366 Kampala.

2008 . 6 June o N 4 1 l. Vo

Boys, is your father a leader or a ruler? Girls, are talkative women appreciated in your village? Why? Why not? Send true stories and win a copy of Dreams from my Father, by Barak Obama, Democratic candidate for US president.

Telling your life as a novel Chimamanda Adichie is the author of Purple Hibiscus. She wrote it when she was 23, the same age as many Straight Talkers. She is a role model and inspiration.

In February we asked Straight Talkers to write short stories: almost 100 responded. As promised, 20 of you win copies of the novel Purple Hibiscus. Ten runner up winners will each get a T-shirt. Thanks to Dokolo Progressive SS, Ruhaama SS, Agwata SS and Isoke Memorial in Kitgum for being star schools! We especially liked Annet’s story. When you start reading, you do not want to stop! Enjoy reading. Please note that some of the stories are fiction.

A love story gone wrong By Namagembe Annet, Dokolo Progressive Secondary School

I was the type of girl who easily gave in to peer pressure. If I had resisted the influence of my friends, I would be telling you a glorious experience. But this is what happened to me. My friends got me a boyfriend. Peter was tall, handsome, gentle and smart. I loved it when he gave me money. The first flowers I ever received were from Peter. He made me feel loved. One day Peter took me out. He ordered wine but I refused because I was born again. Then he ordered a Coke. It was already opened when it came. I sensed something was terribly wrong. I knew in my heart that alcohol or sedatives had been added to it. But I did not want to offend Peter. So I neglected my conscience and accepted the soda. It was not long before I became oblivious of what was happening to me. I awoke in the morning to find myself lying in a derelict room. My petticoat was hanging on a nail on the wall. Beneath my skirt, I felt my knickers was missing. Then I saw it strewn on the floor. Three used condoms also lay there. I felt so dirty. Suddenly I felt a searing pain across my heart. From behind the door, I heard male voices thanking Peter for letting them sleep with me. I was dumfounded. Peter entered the room. “Get up and we go,” he said. “What have you done to me?”

I screamed at him. “Easy,” he said smiling sheepishly. I broke into tears. As I dressed, I noticed that wounds had developed between my legs, and I was discharging blood. But Peter was courteous to lead me back to school. But this courtesy ended there. Weeks later he was found bragging among boys that he had used me. Boys began to resent speaking to me while girls out rightly abused me as a ‘finished’ one. I became a disgrace among the born again community and a laughing stock at school. Three months later I developed a daily sickness that confined me to the dormitory. I was confirmed pregnant and dismissed from school. I missed my S3 third term examination. I was deep in the village, far off in the rural area in Dokolo. A year has gone by and I now have a healthy baby boy. But I do not know who his father is since many boys lay with me that night. I also worry about HIV. I pray for strength to test.

eens t + V I H r o f s w Ne Currently, Uganda has about 140,000 children Living with HIV, and each year another 20,000 are born with the virus. Of the 50,000 children and adolescents who currently need ARVs, only 8000 are receiving them. But all this is set to change. Next month Baylor University, working with local government, AIC and other partners, will start offering ARVs to children and teens

I am proud to be a winner. My dream is to be an accountant or agriculturalist.

I am a Straight Talk chairperson in my school. There are so many benefits like educative messages. I am very concerned about the plight of girls who get unwanted pregnancies and drop out of school. A Namagembe at 32 new sites. The number of young people on ARVs will double over the next few years. If you think you need ARVs, please visit a health centre. Straight Talk works with the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic and Mildmay to support HIV+ teens. Positive teens, send your stories to PO Box 22366, K'la.

BEST LETTERS WIN PRIZES

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2 Straight Talk, June 2008 Barak Obama hardly knew his father, a brilliant but difficult Kenyan. To this day, he still has questions about why his father left him and his mother. Fathers are important!

Stories of our fathers Instead we went to a home on Naguru and to our surprise Dad introduced us to a woman, saying: “This is your new mom!” Liza asked: “But Dad didn’t we leave Mum at home?” “OK, this is your second mom,” said Dad. We found Mum in the village and took her to our little cottage. This hurt Dad. He was in a state of conflicting loyalty. He pointed at Mum, declaring to whoever cared to listen: “You are no longer my wife. I have found someone better. Leave immediately.”

L

ike Barrack Obama's search for the father he never really knew, many of you also wrote about fathers.

New wife By Joel Otim, Naalya SS, Namugongo

Dad went to stay with his new wife, but after a year they broke up. Mum gave us the perfect gift of love that was to never remarry but raise us.

Mum used to tell us how Dad left her soon after she conceived Liza, my younger sister. After seven years, we had learnt to live without a father. One day Mum said: “Nicho, Liza, I have a surprise. Tomorrow we travel to Dad’s village.” After that, a new year came, and Dad came back to live with us. He would drop us at school, which saved us the humiliation of taxis. The bliss went on for two years.

“Liza, Nicho, hurry up because we’ve got to reach early!” Said Dad. Another trip to the village – Mum was not coming so she gave us money and made us pray. “You

I was nine when my father escaped from home. No one knew why but people guessed that he had many unpaid loans. I am the first born so mum and I had to toil for our family’s survival. I would wake up at 5 am to milk the cows. From school I would escape to rush home to graze the 10 goats we had. People would say: “He has copied his father’s behaviour,” referring to my escaping. Only in 2005 had my sisters grown enough to graze the cows. One evening I saw a vehicle. At home I found a man conversing with my mum happily as if they knew each other. At the dining table, she said: “He is your father.” Excitedly we all hugged him and started crying. He then narrated that he was an army man. One month later he left. Now we are sure he is alive in the army. Tarsus Niwamanya, S3, Ruhaama SS

t ARVs e g to e r e h w : s n e HIV +ve te Kawempe HC IV Awach HC IV Gu lu IV Amuru Atiak HC IV Amuru Anaka HC v Kit gu m Kit gu m Go Ho spi tal IV Kit gu m Padibe HC sso li bro Am Dr. r de Pa Me mo ria l Ho spi tal , Ka lon go Anyeke HC IV Oyam Aduku HC IV Ap ac IV Do ko lo DokoloHC

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go Ma sin di Kir ya nd on Ho sp ita l IV Bu liis a Buliisa HC IV HC ete Ntw a og Kib sp ita l Kib aa le Ka ga di Ho IV HC o joj en Ky o Ky en joj HC IV KamwengeRukunju maire Ntungamo Rwasha He alt h

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IV Am uri a Amuria HC Ku mi Ho spi tal Ku mi IV Bu da ka Budaka HC IV HC i dir da Bu ko on Sir spi tal Pa llis a Pa llis a Ho spi tal Bu du da Bu du da Ho IV Ma na fwa Magale HC IV Bu tal eja Busolwe HC Masafu HC IV Bu sia Bu gir i Ho spi tal Bu gir i spi tal Ka mu li Ka mu li Ho

We did not go straight to the village.

d Reunion with da

Army man

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Africans, trying to emulate foreign traditions,” was the murmur we heard from Dad.

Another precious gift was Dad becoming a Christian. He pays for all our necessities. Recently he confessed that he hadn’t mean to hurt us and said he has good plans for us. You can never know how beautiful it is to be at the top of a mountain unless you have been in the valley. That is how we finally experienced fatherly love.

Ce nt re IV

IV Ka nu ng u Kihihi HC HC IV Ka ba le Bukinda HC IV a Ka ba le Hamurw

Ka m pa la

Mu lag o Ho sp ita l Naguru HC IV

Ka mp ala s Ka mp ala Sa tel lite Kitebi HC IV Kiruddu HC IV ntr e Kanyanya TA SO Ce

So ro ti

So rot i Ho sp ita l Kaberamaido HC IV Lwala HC IV

Ka se se RC OE sp ita l Kil em be Mi ne s Ho Bw era Ho sp ita l Rwasande HC IV

s four. I My father left when I wa ed. I en never knew what happ uld wo y would feel sad. Mumm his In bi. say he was in Nairo for absence I was sent home a me ca be rty ve school fees. Po had m mu use ca be us problem for lize I rea d no job. That was when r. In P6 I the importance of a fathe e she tim asked Mum again. This wife. er oth an told me: Daddy had ed urn ret y dd But one Sunday Da a kis Mu . ed rat home. We celeb , S3, Moreen, Writers Club rd da an Brixton St

ls me from the rebe When Dad came ho return. It was long since the rebels had

that he would r sisters We had given up hope o deep poverty. My fou int nt we we ht ug ca s wa We were so captured him. When he five years he returned! er aft en Th . us for s rvived. married just to get thing ask him how he had su happy that we did not lo ko ta SS, Do Obura Raphael, Agwa

Other winners • Twetiise B, Ruhama SS, Ntungamo. • Nantale A, Brixton Standard High School, Gayaza • Niringiyimana A, King Jesus College, Kasese • J Kalyegira, Bwikya Muslim SS, Hoima • A Niwahereza, St Paul’s Seminary, Kabale • J Angwec, Agwata SS, Lira • D Opio, Amolatar SS • A Apio, Medical Student, Gulu University • E Katushabe, 15, Madindi HS • L Opio, Dokolo Progressive SS • Murerwa Diana, Old Kampala SS • Ahiro Vicky, Rev Jabuloni Isoke Memorial College, Kitgum

Luke Opio rejoices over his win. We will send the prizes to the rest of the winners through your school post office box. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ce nt ra l

HC IV Mu ko no Nkokonjeru tal spi Ho e nd Lya nto

3

F

alling in love and managing that first relationship is not easy. Sometimes you fall in love, and there’s no relationship: just love from afar. Sometimes you have a relationship, and there is no love. Whatever your situation… stay very safe.

Straight Talk, June 2008

Love & relationships with flowers. I could not help gawking. The petals smiled. But Martin was nowhere to be seen. My boyfriend was everything a woman could look for. His eyes reflected a bright future. After twenty minutes I dialed his number: no answer.

Banana smile By Stella Naluyinda, S4, Kaberamaido SS “Wow, you look incredibly beautiful,” mother flattered. “Where are you going dressed like this?” “I am not letting the cat out of the bag,” I answered, meaning: I am not telling you. I quickly ran out.

“Martin is always an early bird…” A thousand thoughts raced through my mind and persuaded me to go to his apartment. I found him with a girl. “Who is she?” I asked rudely. I gave Martin a heavy and wellcalculated slap on his cheek for his betrayal.

At the hotel, I was ushered by waiters in black and white. “Are you Madam Stellah?” they asked with a banana smile. ”Yes, I am,” I answered proudly. I was a celebrity and had become famous like Juliana Kanyomozi. The waiters directed me to a place decorated

“All I have done is love you and that’s how you have paid me,” I shouted. “It’s over!” I cried for eternity. Later I got courage to move on with my life. I decided to live without a boyfriend.

my heart The best boy in were in the same school.

I loved him very much. By then we But I would tell him: “Be patient, my This was a boy who wanted to have sex. g you up to S4.” love.” He would say: “My dear, I am givin s. But I stood my ground. I told him: “I He even had the support of my relative e studying.” I would plead: “I will do have a role model and want to complet standard.” anything you want when I reach my saw in, he wrote abusive letters, secretly give to g goin When he saw I was not if I me ive forg ase “Ple : him to te up. I wro other girls and threatened to beat me on.” willing to share you with another pers have disappointed you but I am not now settled in my new school, reading I couldn’t stay in the same school. I am , 15, S2, Dokolo Progressive SS to realize my dream. Pasca Atworo

Take your time and choose the best! Says Betty Amusugut, Moroto HS, ST club chairperson

Straight Talkers, always think critically and express yourself.

Big

When I joined secondary I clicked S2 without getting a girlfriend. But in second term came a girl so beautiful that she beat my understanding. Always I could dream of her but feared to tell her. Then I got the idea to convince her to be my girlfriend. Unfortunately she was a Manchester United fan. Still I fired her the question. She totally refused. But the next day I brought her big boom sweets. From that day she believed I loved her. Samuel Amanyire S4 King Jesus College, Kasese

Surprise in exam room Jamillah is 16, a double orphan who lives with her grandmother. Her granny starts to hear rumours that she is in love with Ahmed. Granny says: “My child, I request you kindly to leave alone Ahmed.” Jamillah reacts: “Leave me alone, you always watch over me even when I go to the latrine.” Unfortunately Jamillah has sex with Ahmed and becomes pregnant. In her O level paper – physics – Jamillah is seen uncomfortable but tells the supervisor that she is just thinking about the answer. Hardly had he turned his back, when Jamillah knelt down. Suddenly a baby is crying. “What’s this?” The supervisor shouts. Ahmed completely denies Jamillah, who becomes helpless. Her granny sends her away and she now goes around looking for local jobs like digging to survive. Ninsiima Eunice, Kamwezi PS, Kabale

boom sweets

The herdsman

I was five when my sister started a romantic relationship with our herdsman. One day he tried to convince her to have sex but she refused. The second time she gave in and the herdsman infected her with gonorrhea. After she recovered, my parents begged her to tell them who had played sex with her, but she was adamant. Eventually she started going with him again to see the cattle. One Monday evening the herdsman again asked my sister for sex. Then he raped her. My sister got pregnant. When the pregnancy matured, she spent sleepless nights of pain. On a Friday at exactly 4 pm, the time for delivering came. The doctors decided to operate. This marked the end of her life in this world. Orishaba Bless, Ruhama SS, Ntungamo

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4 Straight Talk, June 2008

Dear

SYFA 3666 2236 Boxx 22 O. Bo P.P. O. L M P A A KK AA M P A L A

Dear Straight Talkers, Do you know that by listening to Straight Radio shows you can get answers to burning questions? We have shows in 14 languages! Nurses Namusisi Zaitun and Angela Baitwabusa (above) answered the questions below on our Luganda ST show. They work at Hope Clinic, Lukuli, Kampala. All young people are welcome!

HIV and AIDS Are HIV and AIDS the same thing, and can I get HIV and I don’t get AIDS? C Navvubya, High Standard SS, Kateera, Kiboga

and disorganizes the immune system. AIDS comes after HIV. AIDS is the sicknesses got when the HIV virus weakens the body to the extent that it cannot fight off infection and diseases like malaria, cough and others. That is why people living with HIV need to resort to positive living.

Washing the vagina People saying that when washing the vagina, you have to put a finger inside to clean it. What is the right way to wash it? M Makyonddwa, Kyotera Don’t put in fingers because they can bring infection or even damage you in case you have long nails. You may feel like a queen with those cutely-shaped nails. But long nails can injure you. Keep them short. The best way to wash is to use plain clean water, not-harsh soap and do not put fingers inside.

PLWHA and condom use Why are PLWHA (people living with HIV and AIDS) advised to use condoms yet they are already infected? Ssinabulya H, Bukulula, Masaka. Thanks, they need condoms to avoid infecting other people. It also helps to protect themselves against reinfection. Reinfection is really bad because it gives the virus more energy to destroy you faster.

Septrine and VCT Some people say that when you take Septrin and you go for VCT, even when you have HIV, the virus is not detected. I am worried that a girl can

Thanks, Christine, HIV and AIDS are different altogether. HIV is the virus that attacks the human body

trick me in this way. S Turyatunga, Mityana Agro Vet Institute. Thank, Samuel. That is false. If you have HIV, the test will show positive because Septrin does not kill the virus, it only helps the infected person to keep strong. All those you hear are false “stories”. If you are worried about a girl tricking you, do to test together. Couples, we want you to test together.

HIV transmission If I get HIV today and the following day I get a new girlfriend, does she get the disease or not? M Waburoko, Manafwa Yes, Moses. You can infect her! In fact, you are extremely infectious when you yourself have just been infected. But what we want to know if why you, Moses, would have sex with a person when you do not know their status? You are being like a child who tries to touch a lamp to really see whether it burns or not. Test together, and use condoms.

Tenderness in the breasts What causes tenderness in the breast when you are menstruating? P Nanziri, Kisweera, Masaka It is caused by hormonal changes during menstruation, which cause the breast tissue to hold more water than normal. Some people feel like the breasts are full. For some, they are hardness. This is normal. But if the swellings are severe and painful, visit a health centre.

Tight pants & menstruation If I put on tight pants, can I prevent

Know about cancer of the cervix

C

ancer of the cervix is the leading cause of cancer death among women in Uganda. The cancer is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV is transmitted through sex. So cancer of the cervix is actually a cancer that is transmitted as an STD. Cancer of the cervix can be treated and cured if detected early through a Pap smear (an examination of the cervix by a doctor). Unfortunately the test is not widely available in Uganda.

infection by delaying sex, having as few partners as possible and always using condoms.

Boys and girls, the best protection for you is to reduce chances of HPV

CALLING ALL BAMASABA YOUTH! Peter Matanda, 24, is Straight Talk’s new Lumasaba radio presenter. Here you see him packing prizes for winning listeners. Yes! ST honours its promises and sends out many gifts. Peter says: “I have finished a degree in mass comm at Makerere. Reading Straight Talk helped me a lot. In secondary school, I learnt to abstain from sex and alcohol and to avoid friends who mislead. I concentrated on my education using ST. Without ST, maybe I would not have been focused enough to reach university. To the young people, sex is not everything.”

Peter is an old boy of Bugobero High School. Shouts to all students of Bugobero. Listen to the Khukanikha Lubuula on Open Gate, Saturdays 7:30pm, and on UBC Sundays 8:30pm and send stories to PO Box 22366, Kampala!

menstruation? B Mirembe No, tight pants cannot prevent menstruation. Every girl undergoes menstruation. It is a body change that shows that a girl is going from one step to another. It is internal.

A vaccine has been developed against HPV. Countries like the UK and US have started giving it to girls who are aged about 10. The vaccine may soon be coming to Uganda. Listen out for news of it.

If you become ne pregnant, everyo did. u yo will know what popular. un e m co You be labour You suffer during e too ar because you normally. un yo g to deliver High, Lydia T, Rock Tororo

Wearing tight jeans cannot stop menstruation. It is internal.

New QUIZ Straight Talkers, what do know about condoms? Please advise your fellow youth. I hear that the condom prevents pregnancy: does it prevent HIV? I hear that if a boy has sex with a girl using a condom for the first round and the second round he does not use it, she cannot get pregnant. Is it true? What can be done if the condom remains in the girl’s vagina? E Kayondo, R Yiga, M Nakiganda, Kizza Memorial School, Masaka

Send sincere advice and your stories to Straight Talk, PO Box 22366 Kampala

STRAIGHT TALK FOUNDATION Plot 4 Acacia Avenue, Kololo, P. O. Box 22366, Tel: 0312-262030, 0312-262031, 0414-530088 Kampala (U), Fax: 0414-534858, E-mail: [email protected], Web: www.straight-talk.or.ug, Director: C. Watson, Deputy Director: T. Agutu, Editorial Manager: E. Kimuli, Editors: G. Awekofua, M. Akello, J. Abongowath, D. Agaba, Chief Designer: M.eB Kalanzi, Designer: G.B Mukasa, Funded by DANIDA, DFID, Irish Aid Printer: The New Vision

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