17-year-old Michael Mugisha was born with HIV, his father passed away when he was still a toddler leaving his mother to fend for him and his two siblings. His mum soon gave up on him as well. the young man's grandmother did her best to raise him but with time life became increasingly difficult for the old woman and she could no longer provide the necessary care and support for Michael. “We don’t have what to eat or drink. His father passed away. His mom isn’t working anymore. I am the one who raises him from a tender age up to now.” After many years of taking medications for tuberculosis, Michael showed no signs of improvements causing even more heartache and despair for his aging caretaker. His grandmother a resident of Fort Portal in Kabarole district Tooro sub-region eventually threw in the towel. She was at tail's end and she could not cope up anymore, she devised what she thought could end the boy's misery. “I don’t have anything to give him. If he continues to swallow medicine without the food he will die.” The old woman locked him in a room and every often slightly opened the door and pushed in a plate of food, she waited for him to die.
However, a Good Samaritan got rid of this kind of scheme and rescued Michael from the doors of death. “Michael has not eaten anything, I found food there then I told him to eat. For the very first time he ate and he asked me for a soda. After that, I got some videos; small clips and sent them to Barbra because I had no one to help me by that time.” Said, Douglas Mugabe – Good Samaritan. Douglas found Michael in a dire state but strongly believed that all was not lost, there was hope for the boy. Having no money for himself, Douglas thought help of Barbara Kemigisha the founder of Pill Power Uganda. Barbra who also lives with HIV is an advocate for the wellbeing of people like herself. "We went to Michael's place Barbara knew the story and they allowed us to bring him. Because they had seen that we had stopped from them the burden." Barbara who lived in similar circumstances of suffering stigma in her early years believed in helping her fellow youths to live positive lives. She, therefore, didn’t think twice before getting onto a bus to Fort Portal to rescue Michael. “I went and met Michael’s family, you know it was more like we are tired. So, you are like you’re tired but this is your son you can’t just push food and you expect him to eat it when he cannot even help himself. You know he is tired of medicine so he needs you to really like sweet talk him to take the medicine. Because he was on anti TB they are very strong so like he had gotten fade up. He really needed an extra push and that was not available for him. We found him sleeping the first day I went and that was like the entire times whenever Douglas would go there, he would find him sleeping without anything. So, he was very weak you would just need to hold him to really walk. All his clothes were not fitting so we just took a step of faith that’s what I can say and we came. So ever since then, we realized I think this was our calling and we had to take it on and work with whoever is willing to work with us.” Said, Barbara Kemigisha – Team Leader, Pill Power Uganda.
As a young person living with HIV, there are many challenges. Barbara urges families not to abandon their own even if they are living positively because HIV is not a death sentence. She has embarked on a journey to help young people living with HIV. However, she admits the task is huge and therefore can’t do it on her own. “We need a home because when we brought Michael here to the hospital that was giving him treatment then, they saw that it was hope for the rest of the kids. So they called us and told us there are other six.” Michael was literally brought back from the edges of the grave. Today, he has hope he can live a healthy life because someone cared to offer him a second chance.
