Ntungamo Development Network- Uganda

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS HIV/AIDS MESSAGE ON WORLD AIDS DAY

1st December 2006

As we commemorate the World AIDS Day 1st December 2006, parents, teachers and local communities should keep the promise and Fight AIDS and guide the children and youth on how to survive this AIDS Pandemic.

The voice of school children in the fight against HIV/AIDS are loud and clear as exemplified in one of the children’s voice, of Public Trust High School:-

OUR FOE
Oh, my fellow youth
The greatest enemy of all time
The one against whom
All the earthly nations are fighting
The devil that gets publicity at no price
Formal and informal alike
In newspapers, magazines, readers, novels
On radios, at work places, at school assemblies
The one discussed by the NGO’s
Let alone the international organizations
AIDS AIDS AIDS
In people’s minds do you linger
In whispers are you mentioned
Source of agony are you
To victims and closer associates
You are a big thief, a robber
Grabbing energy, money and time
Depriving us of life
Causing death and destruction
A real thief that comes to steal
To kill and to destroy ruthlessly
AIDS AIDS AIDS
How do you feel as people sob
When loved ones pass away
Orphans are many, widows innumerable
In churches, the wages of sin is death
What about mother to child cases
No, that is misconceived
Oh my youth
Let us ask the Creator
Not to lead us into temptation
We no longer wish to die
We say no to sex
We are young
Faithfulness for the married couples
Why not
Indeed the ABC strategy
Lest trauma comes
To hasten the suffering
The medical staff
The engineers of life
Strength they need
To counteract the menace
As the global fund forgives us
And the rest repent

by Constance Ninsiima
Age 17
Public Trust High School
Ntungamo District Uganda
Poem presented at the competition organized by Ntungamo Development Network. This poem was the best from among 16 competing schools, October 2005.

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