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02-23-2008 03:54 AM

On behalf of the MPWN website, we would like to thank Tracey and everybody on the Interference staff that were a part of this article.

Your kindness is very much appreciated.



We have had a wonderful week letting others know about our new website and answering the emails that we have received about our craft items.

We have sold over $100 in craft items made by the members of the MPWN already!



The sale of these crafts is the main way that many of the women of the MPWN have right now to support their families. And please remember - ALL proceeds from the sale of our items go directly to the women who make the items.

What could be better than that?



Thank you for all the good wishes that we are receiving and all the inquiries regarding our craft items. We'll be back with another update on our activities soon.


Thank you for all your support of our efforts.

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03-02-2008 08:45 PM

We have just received a new shipment of craft items from Uganda with several new items in it which I have never seen before.


There are beautiful new necklaces made from the seeds of local trees, new multicolored coin purses (quite cool) and HANDMADE GREETING CARDS!


We will be posting these on the website within the next week but if you are interested in any of these, you can contact me for more info at ultravioletlove_14@yahoo.com or through the website.


And Thank You, Interferencers, for supporting this project for these women who have a special place in the Heart of a certain Irishman.

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03-10-2008 01:10 AM

I just wanted to let y'all know that last week I received a new shipment of craft items from our friends in Uganda and the craft items look GREAT!


I've had a very busy week and haven't been able to post the new craft items on the MPWN website yet but I did want you to know that they are in so please be on the outlook for some EXCELLENT NEW CRAFT ITEMS soon.



I also wanted to extend to all of you an invitation to JOIN US at (LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!) or at (LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!) com where I am hosting several discussion areas about the Mulago Positive Women's Network (MPWN).


All the Best....


Living Positively, debbie

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03-10-2008 06:53 PM

Today, members of ONE from the DC office were in Kampala Uganda visiting the Mulago Hospital and the offices of TASO there.



TASO is the "mother" organization of the MPWN which is also stationed at the Mulago Hospital.


There is a lot happening right now in regards to this so, for now, let me just give you a link where you can find out more what ONE is doing in Uganda today!


(LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)


ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE LOVE -

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03-12-2008 01:46 AM

This was an email action alert that many ONE members got yesterday.


If you have not yet contacted your Senators to encourage them to support the Feinstein-Smith Amendment to restore $2.6 Billion in funding for programs that fight AIDS and extreme poverty in the International Affairs sector of the FY2009 budget - PLEASE DO IT TOMORROW MORNING!


It is ONE small thing that you can do which will have a big difference for good in the lives of millions of people.


Thank you.

============================================


Dear Debbie,


I am writing you from Kampala, Uganda. I just visited TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) Mulago, one of the largest treatment, prevention, and care centers in Uganda, and took this picture of the line of people waiting. They tell us that often there are more people in line than they have medication for. The need is greater than the funding here.


This funding comes from the international affairs budget. Unfortunately, the Senate is poised to slash billions of dollars from the president's 2009 international affairs budget, and, while we will deliver our petition asking senators to restore the funding, there is still much more we should do.


It's going to be a close vote to save the funding, and to make sure that Senators....vote for a budget that reflects our values, we need to start making some phone calls.


While talking to their staff, make sure to tell them:


You are a constituent and a ONE member.

You want them to support the Feinstein-Smith amendment to restore $2.6 billion to the international affairs budget, to match the House of Representatives funding level....



Uganda is home to one of the earliest African success stories in the fight against AIDS. Thanks to the work of groups like TASO, they have cut the number of people in Uganda living with HIV by more than half.


By restoring this funding we're one step closer to making sure that the U.S. adequately funds programs like TASO and others that help provide basic education, clean water, and lifesaving medicines. Making a phone call is the single best way to make this happen.



I was invited to a woman's home this morning who was receiving AIDS treatment from TASO. I asked what message she'd like to send back to America. She wanted us to convey her thanks to all those people who make it possible for her to be receiving treatment.


Thank you for your voice,

Josh Peck, ONE.org

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03-20-2008 01:09 PM

Here is an article about one of the members of the MPWN which was sent in by a supporter of the MPWN:


(LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)


HIV-positive women need their rights

Wednesday, 13th February, 2008


Katabaire encourages HIV-positive women

By Angela Hill


When Fausta Katabaire, 54, worked to found the Mulago Positive Women’s Network (MPWN) in 2004, she wanted to help HIV-positive women realise their lives were not yet over.


Now, as the treasurer of the organisation, Katabaire encourages HIV-positive women to train and get skills, work and fight for their rights.

Women are at a greater risk of contracting HIV than men because of social, cultural and biological factors like child marriages, polygamy, rape, defilement, wife inheritance, poverty, exploitation and ignorance.


Katabaire lost her husband to AIDS in 1997 and struggled to keep her children in school. She was lucky that after her husband’s death, his family did not try to take away her children or property, as is often the case in some areas in Uganda.



The Uganda Women Lawyers Association (FIDA), deals with so many issues surrounding unfair treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS and they have a project dedicated to addressing the rights of these people.

Barbara Babweteera is a lawyer working on the Legal Rights for People Affected by HIV/AIDS project and is based in Kamuli.


Babweteera says as long as a couple was legally married, when the man dies, the woman can be protected because the property belongs to both the husband and wife.

“In cases where the relationship is not recognised by the legal system, the assets go to the children. It is harder to protect the women in these cases.”


Babweteera says a major concern in her area is the practice of wife inheritance. When a man dies, his wife can be inherited by his brother, which when combined with polygamy, can lead to a greater spread of HIV.


The issues are not just surrounding the death of a spouse. When a woman is discovered to be HIV-positive she can also encounter conflict.

“Many women are sent away and their property is taken by the relatives. Some even had their children taken,” said Katabaire, about some of the women in her group.



FIDA tries to provide an avenue for these women to fight. They try to mediate between the couple to avoid using the legal system. Often times, says Babweteera, with counselling the issues can be resolved.

However, Katabaire says many women do not know where to go for help. It is these women the MPWN aims to help.




The organisation has mobilisation teams that target women who have gone to Mulago Hospital for treatment, those that have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and those who have been neglected at home.


The teams visit the women’s communities and meet their families to encourage positive living of those with HIV/AIDS, especially those who are facing stigma and hostility. A big part of their work relies on peer counselling, women sharing their stories and training.


The organisation offers information to women on topics such as adherence, nutrition for patients and their families, hygiene and trains them in small business book keeping.


“We encourage women living with HIV/AIDS to be active for as long as they are still strong,” Katabaire says.


MPWN is creating a training centre on Gayaza Road, seven miles from Kampala. When completed, the members plan to start mushroom growing, piggery, poultry keeping and fish farming. They will also be taught about beading, jewellery making and sewing.


The association encourages its members to plant fruits and vegetables in order to provide balanced nutrition to their families. To facilitate this, MPWN hands out seedlings.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I'll have some comments on this excellent article in the posts to come in.


Thanks to the person who sent this in. We encourage all of you to get involved with our efforts to help these women.

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03-28-2008 01:55 AM

I want to extend to all of you an invitation to JOIN US at (LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!) or at (LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!) where I am hosting several discussion areas about the Mulago Positive Women's Network (MPWN).


At the page for the MPWN at (LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!) I have posted several photos of some of the women of the organization - including one of Agnes sewing together an "Agnes" African mother and child doll and one from last year of Fausta, who was featured in the article above.


We hope that you'll check these photos out and let us know how you like them.

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04-09-2008 11:09 AM

If you receive regular email updates from ONE then you would have received this one on Tuesday from Agnes Nyamayarwo:



Dear Debbie,


My name is Agnes Nyamayarwo. I'm a nurse, a mother and an activist living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda.


It has been more than a decade since I lost my husband, Augustine, and youngest child, Christopher, to AIDS; another son, Charles, ran away from home to escape the stigma of this disease.


Now I honor their memory through my work with an organization called TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) here in Kampala, Uganda. At TASO, I work with HIV/AIDS patients, orphans and mothers to try and save others from experiencing the pain I have.


I am also a member of the TASO Board of Trustees, representing the views of people living with HIV/AIDS in all the 11 centers of TASO across the country.


Your work at ONE to make global AIDS an American priority has touched my heart. Last week, you asked your members of Congress to support the reauthorization of PEPFAR and fund the fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria and you won.


Now PEPFAR goes to the U.S. Senate and I'm asking you to please sign ONE's petition and urge your senators to co-sponsor this lifesaving bill.


(LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)


Tell your senators that a vote for this bill is a vote to provide TASO and other groups like ours with anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs and to help us in the all the work we do at the clinic and in neighborhoods across Kampala.

Two pills that cost only a few dollars a day can save a life. I know, because I take ARVs and I remember how sick I was before and am amazed at how strong I am now.


I use my strength to raise awareness among women about the risks of mother-to-child transmission so they can be tested and protect their children. I also talk to young people in my community about HIV/AIDS to help end the stigma and to teach about testing and prevention.


American generosity supports what I and so many other people are doing here to try and end the suffering caused by AIDS. PEPFAR has already provided women with treatment during ten million pregnancies and helped 30 million people get access to voluntary counseling and testing.


You can ask your senators to co-sponsor PEPFAR reauthorization and bring hope to a new generation here in Uganda.


(LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)



Being able to make a difference in this war against HIV/AIDS is the cause of my life and fills me with joy. I hope you can feel the same way about the work you do as ONE members. Together, our voices and our actions can win the struggle against global AIDS and save lives.


Thank you for joining me,


Agnes Nyamayarwo, ONE Member

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you live in the USA and haven't taken this action yet, I encourage you to contact your Senators and let them know that you support the full funding of the PEPFAR program - to help Agnes and all those in Africa who daily struggle with HIV/AIDS and poverty.


Thank you.

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04-17-2008 03:44 AM

It has been a few days since I last updated this thread so here it is.


We are working with the web masters of our website to update it with some more stories of the women of the MPWN and some new craft items that are available for purchase.


We'll let you know when these changes have been made so that you can check out our new & improved MPWN website!



In the meantime, I will be developing a few ideas of interest that surrounds the MPWN in the next week or so in order that people can get a better idea of how people in the "majority world" actually deal with AIDS & abject poverty in their daily lives.



Thank you all for your continued support of the MPWN website and of the efforts of these courageous women to live positive lives in the midst of all the challenges that they face.

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04-19-2008 03:25 AM

I just wanted y'all to know that if you're in the Austin TX area this weekend we would love for you to stop by our ONE/ (RED) booth at the Austin Reggae Festival.

This will be the FIFTH year in a row that I have staffed a ONE booth at this music festival and it is a blast!



The music is excellent, the food is great and the African/Caribbean crafts are beautiful. This is one Austin music festival not to miss.


Every year I sign up at least 200 people for ONE at this festival plus spread the message of (RED) along the way. This year there will be an additional separate side area from the ONE area to spread the word / highlight the crafts of the MPWN ((LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)).


It will be an IRIE time for all at the 2008 Austin Reggae Music Festival !!





Here is all the specific info that you'll need to attend this weekend:

(LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)


Austin Reggae Fest

Auditorium Shores
950 W. Riverside Drive

19 Apr, 12:00 PM

2008 AUSTIN REGGAE FESTIVAL Presented by the Capital Area Food Bank Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20 Music from noon to 10 pm both days Great people-watching, plus arts & crafts market and exotic foods! Admission is $10 per day plus two cans of food Children 12 and under free with adult. Handicapped accessible.




Hope to see you there - for Africa's Future !!


ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE LOVE - debbie

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04-23-2008 03:48 AM

I'm back after the most IRIE time at the Austin Reggae festival this past weekend!


I was able to sign up slightly over 300 more people for ONE, informed at least 300 more people of (RED) and, at another side booth, I was able to raise over $250 for the MPWN!


The weather was beautiful and the crowds were huge.
African/Caribbean music, crafts and food was all around - I simply was in heaven. (smile)


I had a day off work yesterday which was good because after standing on my feet talking to people about Africa for over twelve hours each day, I was completely exhausted and lost my voice!

I'm better today. More later....


All the Best, debbie

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05-02-2008 02:41 AM

Just to thank those of you who have either already bought some of the MPWN craft items or are in the process of doing so because your continued efforts for these women ARE bearing fruit.


Last night after work, I was able to send to Uganda the latest amount of money raised for these women in the last month.

Although compared to our standards here in the rich world, the several hundred dollars is not that much money, for these women the money is a life-saver.



It allows them to send their children to school (and buy them the clothes necessary to go to school), especially the girls, which all these women want to do so that their girls grow up to be independent, self-sufficient and happy people and so that they have a better chance of living a long and productive life.


Thank you on behalf of the women. Please continue to support them in their efforts to help their families.



ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE LOVE - debbie

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05-11-2008 11:42 PM

This morning I got a message from one of the women in the MPWN thanking me for everything that I am trying to do for the mothers of their group in their efforts to provide for their children.

She told me that, in a real way, I am a mother to these mothers and they are all grateful. ~



What a sense of gratitude that I felt upon reading these words - that women who struggle everyday to provide for the basics for their families while attempting to LIVE POSITIVELY with HIV/AIDS would take the time out of their day to remember me !

That says a lot about these amazing women.



So if there's a way that you could take the moment or two to check out our website for the women of the MPWN and read about THESE MOTHERS' COURAGEOUS FIGHT FOR LIFE in their battle with AIDS and poverty - please do.

And if there's a way that you could purchase one or two of their craft items that we help them sell at the site to help them take care of their families, that would be excellent too!



ALL proceeds from the sale of the MPWN craft items go directly back to the women who make them.

And what could be better than that?



LIVING POSITIVELY, debbie
(LINK HERE: To view this link you must Register. If you're already a member, Login Here!)



PS: Happy Mother's Day !

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