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The Association of Microfinance
Institutions of Uganda (AMFIU) and the National Forum of People Living with
HIV/AIDS Networks (NFPLHN) in Uganda have partnered to encourage all Mityana
financial institutions to guarantee business loans to HIV-infected Ugandans. In
the past, some Mityana microfinancial institutions and banks categorized
HIV-infected individuals as a financial risk and refused to approve their
business loan requests. AMFIU and NFPLHN aimed to reduce this stigma faced by
HIV-infected loan applicants by increasing HIV/AIDS awareness, developing
HIV/AIDS workplace policy, and demonstrating that HIV-infected owners can
operate productive businesses. Desired outcomes of the project would be an
expanded client base and increased revenue for financial institutions, and
economic stabilization and increased access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for
HIV-infected business owners.
The Ttamu Ssikyomu HIV/AIDS Positive
Group in Mityana district exemplifies a successful microfinancial institution
dedicated to self-reliance and self-sustainability for HIV-infected small
business owners. Coordinator Rose Ssemuwemba stated that the 75-member
group—which includes 40 women, five men, as well as orphans and HIV-infected
children—had disclosed their HIV status to the community. The group’s business
activities include poultry, pig raising, quarrying, handcrafts, and party
rentals. The group saves money in their own “bank,” and receives some financial
support from Mityana Hospital and Kiyinda-Mityana Diocese.
The Agency for Co-operation in
Research and Development, the Humanist Institute for Co-operation, and Stop
AIDS Now also agreed to support the project targeting HIV-infected clients of
microfinance institutions. AMFIU Executive Director David Baguma stated that
the project eventually would cover 20 microfinance institutions and 15 groups
of HIV-infected people in Uganda.
The Uganda AIDS progress report for
2012 noted that national spending on HIV/AIDS accounted for 15 percent of
domestic revenue, and the government’s budget allotted only $25 million for
HIV/AIDS efforts. The cost of supplying ART for all 540,000 HIV-infected
Ugandans would be $270 million.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
