My name is Lorvyn Mbabazi Tumugabe, the Projects Director at WESHARE-Uganda, am a Medical worker by profession and the Head of the Clinical Department at the HIV Clinic, Kajjansi Health Centre IV, working with Mildmay Uganda. Being part of WESHARE-Uganda has been one of my everyday inspirations, stirring my passion and love to make a difference in young people especially the young girls and women out there.
My story
While I was 10 years old, I was orphaned after my mom and Dad died of HIV/AIDs. It was a sad moment, where I and my 7 siblings, found that the world had come to an end for us, we went through a serious scarcity in our family, we lost the care and closeness of our parents, we lived without food, and we lived without education. By the time when my parents passed on, it was I and my other young sister who was still at school; the rest of my siblings had dropped out of school. After the death of my parents, my education ended and I was taken to live with my other auntie who lived in some village in Mbarara, helping her with housework, as her life had also deteriorated and she could not help herself anymore and she was also battling with HIV/AIDs. My auntie wasn’t working, she could only wake up at times to go in the garden and dig and get a daily meal but still, her energy had become less due to her illness. While I was with my auntie for quite some time, I wasn’t studying still, I used to see many girls of my age and above, who used to be seduced by “sugar daddies” (older men), some could be given some money and worthless gifts whereas some used to have some eats like Rolex and some pieces of roasted meat by the roadside in the nearby town where we used to live, that is the way most girls were earning a living in the village.
As early as 14 years, many of the young girls could either be pregnant or could be having a baby, and that was the norm in our village, with high rates of teenage pregnancies, since many of their parents could not have money to afford their school fees. Many of my friends and older girls wanted me to join their groups, and often went in the town during the evening hours, and many men could try me, seducing me to into sexual acts, and they used to promise me good things. My friends called me all sorts of names (kataala meaning fake or a fool), whenever I used to say no to these men who always disturbed me. But while I remembered the words of my mom before she had died, young as I was she told me, “my daughter I have always wished that you be the happiest girl in this world, that you study and after your education, you achieve what you wish to achieve, no matter how our current situation is in our family, that we can’t provide everything for you and your siblings,” those were the encouraging words of my mom.
While I was at the age of 13 years, what I call a miracle and the day that I will never forget in my life, while I was coming from the garden carrying some firewood on my head and food from the garden, I met a lady who was a longtime friend with my auntie, she had come to pay a visit to my auntie while she was sick, she had to inquire more about my education, till when my auntie told her that I had dropped out of school some years ago and I was brought to help her with housework.
The lady asked me whether I still wanted to go back to school as if my yes had waited for a long time, I told her I wished to go back to school and study like my other friends, While I was studying my dream was to become a Doctor after seeing at times my parents being attended to by the Doctor whom I can’t recall. This lady loved me and promised she would support me to go to school as much as she could with the little she had.
While I along the way, I completed Primary seven and then I had to join high school, this lady whom I always referred to as auntie Joy, though she was financially constrained by then, with the little she had, still helped me and I was able to complete my education up to Form 4 (for 4 years in high school), My dream was to be a Doctor and I had always wished to do a medical-related course, till when she helped me and later after my Form 4, I joined one of the clinical schools and did a course in laboratory science.
After my course and after quite some time, I got officially married in my local church to one of the most lovely gentlemen, who I had met for some time and God had favored me and found him to be the true friend whom I was to spend the rest of my life with, after turning down a number of sugar daddies (men who were seducing me and who would ruin my future). While we had given birth to two of our children, my husband supported me and made my dream come true of becoming a doctor, he sponsored me for further Education when I joined a medical school and did a course in Clinical Medicine.
After my course, I volunteered with Kajjansi Health centre IV for a period of 1 year, till when I applied for a job in Mildmay Uganda to work at the HIV Clinic of Kajjansi Health Centre IV and was a successful candidate for the job. Today I and my husband, we are a loving family, who have grown together with our children in the fear of God, my husband is an Accountant and a Pastor at New Jerusalem Community Church, Katale.
Being part of WESHARE-Uganda is an opportunity to make my story known that it may change a life; how I grew up as an orphan, throughout my adolescent stage, (how I treasured my body and denied the worthless gifts from sugar daddies and strangers), to becoming a lovely mother today and to achieving the profession I always wished to be. To the many young girls out there, I want to tell you that this world is full of endless opportunities for all of you irrespective of your family background; when you put first things first when you focus on achieving your dreams in life, I assure you that you can and you will make it. To those who have messed up with life, there is still a second chance for everyone in life and we are here to make it happen.