Uganda Impressions

by Sally Hubbard

The Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha of Uganda (b. 1959) was the first religious leader in Africa to announce publicly that he was HIV+ (1992). His leadership against stigma, shame, denial, and discrimination, and his ministry to uphold the dignity and human rights of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, have brought him numerous national and international awards. Canon Gideon is a teacher (Makerere University), a pastor, and a theologian (Bishop Tucker College, Mukono and University of Birmingham, UK). His boarding and day high school near Kampala, Hope Institute, has to-date educated 1,000 orphans and vulnerable children. He is in the process of establishing a three-year university in Semuto. In 2013, Byamugisha was a Brown Foundation Fellow and visiting professor at the University of the South in Sewanee TN, where he formed strong relationships with faculty, students, and the community. He lives near Kampala with his HIV+ wife Pamela and his three HIV- daughters, Patience, Love, and Hope.

58 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2014