My final day

This is a day that has been full of education for me. The message that came across most strongly for me is that there is resources within ourselves to improve on the food security and nutrition needs within our society. We can also improve on the social support and care of our constituents who are living with or are affected by HIV/AIDS.

The brief speech made by Dr. Lydia Mungherera of Uganda summed this up in not too many words. She spoke of her own experience and how she had been sent home to die. Her mother took it upon herself to find books on nutrition and in in her words "Put her cooking pots together and began preparing healthy meals for her". This reminds us that in most parts of Africa healthy foods grow around us but as Princess Kasure of Zambia put it "Ordinary people do not know what a good nutrition is". Is this a wake up call for all of us on the ground? YES. Let us educate our constituents on what is nutrionally good for them that is locally available and stop waiting for international aid and supplements.

Dr. Mungherera said she is well today because of her mothers cooking, the palliative care she received and the social support of her loved ones. This is something our own home based care providers can help provide given proper guidance and training.

I feel a great call for all of us on the ground to put in greater efforts in holding our governments accountable on delivery of services because the Joint UN Action Team works with our governments. The question is how many of our governments are as aware of the situation on the ground as we in the Civil society are? Are they aware that there is a gap in decisions reached in meetings such as this one and delivery of the promises made? As Princess Kasure aptly put it "People living with HIV/AIDS cannot continue to live on promises".

I go back home tomorrow determined to make a difference through advocacy and education. I want my sisters and brothers to know that we can find good nutrition locally and that palliative care and social support plays a great part in bringing healing and improved quality of life to all living with HIV. Empowering my constituents to know that they can help themselves instead of helplessly waiting for aid will bring a light at the end of the tunnel. I go home to take a message of hope and strength and help fight for proper delivery of services and government accountability. This is so these meetings will not just be meetings but will make a difference in the lives of our constituents through us who get the wonderful opportunity to attend them.