Born with HIV/AIDS and growing beyond the stigma associated with it, Namutebi Ruth Elizabeth has become a beckon of hope to people leaving with HIV/AIDS. Through her nonprofit organization Daria Kayitesi Safe Space, she is championing a safe environment free from stigmatization for those leaving with HIV/AIDS. In this chat with Project Inspire Africa, she tells her story of trial and triumph.
Can we meet you?
My name is Namutebi Ruth Elizabeth, a 29-year-old freelance architectural draftswoman with six years of experience. I have worked with seven reputable companies making me capable of structural designs, hands-on drafting, site investigations and supervisions. I am single, never been married and without children born, raised and living within the capital city of Uganda, Kampala.As a seasoned draftswoman, I am very passionate about motivational speaking and HIV/AIDS advocacy which I carry out in schools, churches, rotary clubs etc driven by the need and desire to help people living with HIV/AIDS under a non-profit organization I founded called Daria Kayitesi Safe Space having been born HIV positive and endured stigma.As means of generating income and facilitating the NGO, I ventured into small scale farming and I also recently graduated as a seamstress having been enrolled in three (3) months fabrics and textiles class at MOTIV to acquire bag making skills.In addition, I have been part of building, grooming and the nurturing process of three (3) start-up Non-Profit Organizations that’s to say Exulansis Uganda (Mental Health NGO), Spreading Wings International (Charity NGO) and Fearless Smiles Of Hope Foundation (Sickle cell NGO).I am also an alumni of a six (6) months mentorship program called “The Mentorship Class” in which I double as the Head Coach for the current 2021 cohort having been appointed. I am also a Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights advocate making me a peer educator with Reach a Uganda. I am a member of the Secret Initiative which is a company that helps create platforms for public speakers. Alongside that I recently got enrolled into the Stanbic Business Incubator and the Tony Elumelu Foundation which are enterprise development programs that help young business entrepreneurs and start-ups do better. My hobbies include lawn tennis, travelling, public speaking and volunteering with organizations.
Tell us briefly your childhood experience.
Since my childhood, I had a dream of being an architect, wife and mother. I worked hard in school and was pressing on towards my vision until hell broke loose. Since then, I have hardly known happiness, but despair, rejection and ill-treatment for being born with HIV. I strongly believe on several occasions, I has been denied opportunities such as scholarships because of my HIV status. Meanwhile, I vowed to fight against stigma until my last breath. I have become a voice for the voiceless. I motivate young adults to live positively. I dream of sharing my story worldwide on platforms like TED Talks and Goal cast among others.
I was born in a family of three girls, but was raised by my extended family. I was born in Makindye division, a Kampala suburb and it’s where I reside.
Life without a mother
My last picture of my mother was at the hospital. She was lying lifelessly on the bed with tubes inserted in her nose and mouth. I was seven years old and my sister five. I remember visiting her at the hospital and she failed to recognize us. The sickness had affected her sight. After her death and burial, dad told my sister and I never to shed a tear again. Life became hard, I remember father picking me from school (Shimoni Demonstration School) and we would walk to the taxi stage. When he did not have taxi fare, so he would tell me to seat on the kameeme, and he sat at the back seats. Sympathetic conductors would drop me home at no fee. However, on bad days the conductor would chase me, but fellow passengers would plead on my behalf. On good days when he had money, dad would treat me to lunch at the Subway Restaurant opposite Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and, thereafter, board a taxi back home.
After some time, father fell sick and my paternal aunt took over the responsibility of looking after us. When he was admitted, they did not allow us to visit him. I think because of the trauma we had gone through seeing mother bedridden. I remember sending him a Bible to help him get better.
Life at secondary school
While in Senior One, I fell sick and my doctors prescribed septrin. According to school rules, anyone who had medicine had to keep it at the dispensary. Whenever, it was time for swallowing my medicine, the nurse would ask me questions, which made me uncomfortable. By then, I had not yet confirmed if I was HIV positive or not. So, I had no answers for her. In Senior One third term, I fell sick and my doctors decided I start taking Antiretrovirals and ART stands for Antiretroviral drugs. They, however, suggested starting during holidays. In May, 2007, I started taking ARVs. I remember my aunt taking me to the balcony of her incomplete house and broke the news. I did not take it seriously, I was still young. I joined Senior Two in second term because I was under observation if the drugs would respond to my system. I was taken to a nearby school in Muyenga, which made my life better because it is near International Hospital Kampala (IHK), where I would go for my routine treatment (refill).
Tough times
Thoughts of being HIV-positive began hitting me deep. I badly needed to let it out and I confided in a friend; little did I know it was the beginning of my dreadful days at school. Before I even left school that day, another girl had already known my secret. I let go, thinking that it was only them who knew. However, surprisingly, the entire school was gossiping about me. I was depressed, but did not tell anyone because I had lost trust in people. I was living in denial, hated my mother and wished she terminated me. On several occasions I would question my existence.
When I was seen walking with anyone at school, he or she would be considered dead. The most hurting part was fellow students thinking I had contracted HIV through sleeping around. Every night, I would cry to sleep. Many times, I wished someone would walk up to me and tell me everything is fine, but it did not happen. I isolated myself at school. Eventually, I intentionally stopped attending classes mostly the biology classes faking that I was sick. Each time the teacher discussed about diseases, such as HIV, it made me feel terrible because everyone would turn and look at me. My favorite activity at school was dancing, in it, I would lay my sorrow.
Turning point
At one point I had to put my foot down and asked if any of those students stigmatizing me would matter in years to come. I also thought of my sister and the example I would be setting for her. Senior Four was getting closer. So, I had to focus irrespective of what I was going through. I picked my broken pieces and dedicated my time on what was important. I did my final exams and passed well. In Senior Five second term I changed to a new school, Kibuli SS. I started a new life putting behind rejection and stigma. However, this did not last because fate was following me like a shadow. Students from my previous school also joined. They began telling whoever cared to listen about my status. By that time, my sister was admitted to Butabika Hospital. I lost concentration and performed poorly in Senior Six.
Pursuing my dream
Architecture was my dream course, but given the 12 points I had scored; no university would admit me. I was advised to pursue other courses, but I was not ready to give up. I thought of repeating Senior Six, but fortunately contacted a gentleman called Ananais Semusu (my mentor), who advised me to apply for a diploma in an institute located in Masindi. Luckily, I was admitted. During my stay in Masindi, I made every day worth. By the time I left, I was known for being good at architectural software. I have worked with several architectural firms on different projects and I have learnt a lot. I still dream of pursuing a degree.
However, because of my financial status, I could not afford it. I resorted to applying for scholarships in different countries, which at times I am successful only to be rejected when they get to know my status. I have written to influential people, like Winnie Byanyima, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, Minister Nakiwala Kiyingi, former USA President Barrack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Rose Clarke Nanyoga, Mark Daniel Maloney and the Rev. Canon Prof. Gideon Byamugisha in vain. I still have hope of pursuing a degree one day.
Public speaking
Because of the way I was treated at school, I vowed to help people in such a situation. I have gone to schools, churches and clubs narrating my story and I have seen people’s lives change. I hope to become an influential motivational speaker, share my story worldwide to end stigma, as well as motivate young adults. I dream of speaking on platforms like TED Talks and Goal cast.
What’s your educational background?
• Certificate of Appreciation in Fashion and Textiles obtained from MOTIV in 2021
• Certificate of Participation in The Mentorship Class obtained in 2020
• National Diploma Certificate in Architecture from the Uganda Technical College-Kyema in Masindi district obtained in 2015.
• Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education from Kakungulu Memorial School in 2012
• Uganda Certificate of Education from Muyenga High School in 2009
What are your contributions towards making your country a better place?
Being a start-up organization, our major contribution has been basically providing psych-social support through creating awareness using our social media platforms, the media house interviews I have personally done as the founder but mostly the frequent school visits to motivate students to work hard academically and avoid practicing pre-mature sex or sex before marriage.
We as an organization have also made it a point to tap into the audiences and congregations in churches and rotary clubs as means of creating awareness surrounding proper parenthood to avoid the possibilities of young adults or youth suffering from emotionally absent parent.
What have been your achievements?
We work to improve access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights information that helps reduce the vulnerability of those living with HIV/AIDS. We are also providing free medical services which helps to increase the rate of ART drug adherence which in turn control the spread of HIV.
I have been hosted by some of the biggest and most trending Ugandan media houses such as televisions, radios and newspapers where I have shared my story. Our campaigns to schools, churches and communities have directly reached over 10,000persons.
What motivated you to do what you are doing?
My pain, the heavy heart I have carried with me secretly throughout life motivated me to take the step and help others. I know for sure that multiple people worldwide living with HIV look up to me for strengthen and motivation to live through the next day, whenever I rise, they rise with me and together we win. And also them genuinely knowing that I relate to their psychological and emotional issues.
What has been your major challenge since you began your nonprofit?
Financially sustaining the non-profit organization has made it hard for us as a team to meet multiple logistical requirements such as branding materials, facilitating volunteers, purchasing assets i.e. land to set up the home. Also being a start-up organization, we struggle with design thinking and innovation stage or call it brainstorming on how to create logistical free activities.
How have you been able to raise money to implement your ideas?
We haven’t raised any money, the non-profit organization entirely survives off a dedicated monthly salary percentage which is most times extremely draining for me because there are days when all my part-time income generating activities aren’t bringing in anything. In most cases I find myself proposing business partnerships to invest in a particular business idea that way I don’t feel the pinch entirely myself.
Could you share with us one or two experience(s) you have had in the course of your campaign that has impacted on you?
Positively, I have been impacted by the change I have invested in young adults, students or youth. It’s very emotionally fulfilling knowing that I am God gifted with a talent of motivating people irrespective of age. Originally I thought I changed the lives of young adults until I started meeting the adults (parents/working class). I have experienced fulfillment when an HIV positive individual reaches out to ask me to take them to a hospital to start taking ARVs, this speaks to me in a way that everyone pays attention when I speak.
Negatively, I have faced silent stigma that goes un-noticed. Publically disclosing my HIV status has affected me in a way that shortly after being interviewed by some television stations than some old students came into my inbox throwing shade at me, As a matter of fact I had some claiming I wasn’t stigmatized and that I am lying which I found ironic because the same very students sent me apologies for the way they treated me.
One thing people forget is that stigma isn’t a tangible or physical item that you can touch it. However stigma can be felt and seen, so just because no one saw it happening to me doesn’t take away the fact that I was stigmatized by fellow students. Throughout school my skin scars had everyone talking at least that’s the one thing I can’t forget.
Despite my being outspoken I wasn’t going to complain about students stigmatizing me and besides what will they have done about it, the mere fact that I couldn’t openly discuss my status means I couldn’t express the stigma I was going through.
Another gentleman who at the time majored in water engineering made it a point to warn any opposite sex that dared to come closer to me to stay away, this is the same very gentleman who came to my social media comment section and said that I was sleeping around with every male friend I had. Sadly these are the old students who claim to be close friends with me yet I last heard from them while at school.
To this day my male friends are constantly quizzed whether or not they are sexually active with me. Society is so rotten, human kind should be them reaching out to me to know how I am fairing in life which isn’t the case. Whenever I post a photo of me with an opposite sex, someone goes into their messages requesting them to stay away. We forget that what goes around always comes around.
What are your prospects in the next 5 or 10 years?
• I see myself and the non-profit organization (Daria Kayitesi Safe Space) partnering with the Obama Foundation. I hope to work with the Former President Barack Obama as well as doing goodwill work for World Bank and United Nations. I see myself as the next Winnie Byanyima-Executive Director UNAIDS, Harris Kamala-USA Vice President, Rosa Malongo-United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uganda and lastly Rita Auma Obama. I also vision myself as the next international motivational speaker (sharing my HIV story) who also made it to TED talk.
• I also see myself as a re-known intellectual entrepreneur also a fully certified Architect running not only an architectural firm but also a brick factory, agricultural farm, and real estate business. However through the brick factory and architectural firm, I intend to construct low cost homes for vulnerable families using re-cycled plastic waste. The major goal is to have these businesses contribute a dedicated monthly percentage towards the non-profit organization as corporate social responsibility.
What do you think is the major cause of unemployment in Africa, and how can we get over this?
I was able to compare and contrast between the American and British system. I appreciate the American system although the British is closer to our own Ugandan system. Uganda having a Britain colonial background to a great extent follows the British educational system where a teacher teaches students material and a student is expected to listen and not question the information they receive. They are then trained to regurgitate this information and are thus graded on how well they are able to reproduce in exams the material they have been taught. As a result, the system produces students who may be adept at managing systems that are already in place, but not necessarily thinking outside the box or solving existing problems. In Uganda, the situation is more extreme whereby children who are able to cram the information they receive in class and reproduce it in exams are rewarded by getting good grades and thus admitted in good schools and universities. However, the child who passes exams is not necessarily the brightest child. It just means they are good at reproducing information. That is why you find many university graduates who cannot take advantage of the abundant opportunities that exist in Uganda, or cope with the challenges we face as a country.
On the other hand, the American system teaches students to be thinkers and inventors. The professor is interested in your opinion, what you think and, more specifically, why you think that. Emphasis is placed on defending your position and being able to clearly articulate your thoughts and opinions. This is particularly true of a liberal arts education. So, a student who graduates from university has been trained to think for themselves and more importantly to understand that they can use their intellectual capacity.
If you had an opportunity to speak to presidents in Africa, what would be your message?
My message would definitely surround their nature of leadership, to stop making and taking decisions without involving public opinion, especially the youth of today who are also the leaders of tomorrow, the government shouldn’t make decisions for us without involving us otherwise it will be just against us.
Thank you for speaking with us.
It's my pleasure.
Ruth can be reached via the following:
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WhatsApp number: +256-750-707-551
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I am literally speechless. It's true God only gives His biggest battles to His strongest worriors🙏.The world needs more people like you 💥. You are going achieve everything you want and more.
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