The Power of Faith and the Impact of Peace
Arriving at 8.30am with 17 year-old Gaby at Bwindi Community Hospital in Buhoma, Uganda I was struck by the vibrancy of the prayer, drumming and music that welcomed us.
Sitting in the covered walkway and entrance to the hospital, all staff and volunteers were starting the day in both song and silence. Hearing the powerful words of those commencing work and their positive affirmations and interpretations from the Bible was both rousing and deeply peaceful at the same time and the contrast to the way we start work each day in the Uk really hit me.
Anyone is welcome to speak and last up was a lady of middle age….I think in her 50s and she had me captured with her words of avoiding judgement and being thankful for just being here. I was rapt and after saying a few words to the group about plans for Gaby that week I went to her to introduce myself.
It turned out that this was Peace Atwongyeire, head HIV Counsellor at the hospital and the very woman I was waiting to meet. I was delighted.
Peace’s story is one of hope and positivity. In 1996 her husband tested HIV positive and sadly passed away leaving Peace to be diagnosed HIV positive too and with three children to raise. Thankfully none of her children contracted HIV and all have gone through school successfully and are now out looking for work.
Peace, along with a team of 29 other counselors support 1038 HIV ‘clients’ (to use her terminology) including 68 children. There are more women than men receiving care but that is a reflection of the fact that women find it easier to come forward more openly. Men struggle with the idea of having the illness, finding it harder to confront.
This is being tackled though, through an innovative Moonlight Outreach programme, whereby Peace and team visit bars in the evening and talk openly about the issue and encourage testing. Increasingly men are coming forward, being tested and putting themselves in the best possible place for treatment and a positive future.
I am fascinated by Peace and the way she talks so calmly through all that has occurred, what she continues to deal with and the fact that she can so positively and energetically support so many others.
“Where do you get YOUR support from Peace?”, I ask. “Who helps YOU?”
Smiling widely she answers: “Me? I draw my energy and positivity from my faith in God.” This is when you stop and fully witness the power of faith – whatever it might be in, and accept the importance of it. Clear and positive belief that an answer will be found gives Peace (and many others in Uganda) the energy to move forward each day.
For those with HIV there is help at every stage here; from confronting the immediate panic and fear of learning the news and during the initial stages of acceptance to dealing with the stigma and giving people real hope of a future, to providing practical advice and ongoing counseling for as long as they need it. In practical reality here too a lot of care is taken to ensure that babies born to HIV positive mothers, do not contract the illness.
The statistics here speak for themselves. While the national prevalence rate for HIV stands at 6%, it is just 2% in the catchment of 70,000 here at Bwindi Community Hospital.
Private consultation and ongoing treatment at the hospital are offered to all with post-test and diagnosis counseling helping clients to understand what the results mean, what the implications are, and help to stablise the client and assure them that they are not alone. Focus goes on communicating the benefits of Anti-Retro-Viral drugs with thriving survivors sharing how they have benefited from the medicine. All drugs, treatments and counseling are provided free of charge and private and group consultations are run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week.
This is one impressive unit at Bwindi Community Hospital – an inspiration and a valuable lesson in keeping faith, enjoying the life we have and celebrating Peace.