Not for SALE: No. 3 Vol.

11
March 2008
Young Talk •Know your rights
is FREE
•Stay in school
Sex education for
primary schools •Wait to have sex

Many young people are living with HIV/AIDS but they are healthy and have big dreams.

Positive Living
and Loving You cannot get HIV through
Q

Q
hugging shaking hands
Q

touching an infected person

sharing plates and clothes with an
infected person

Young Talk met this free and brave

James who shared his story.

I want to become
president of Uganda
"I came to know that I was HIV
positive when I was 11. I was in P4.
I had lost my parents and I was falling sick all the
time. My brother took me for a test. At first I
did not believe my results. I have never had sex.
But after being counseled, I accepted I had HIV
and needed treatment. I was tired of falling sick.
ARVs have made me feel better. I hope one day I
will get well. It is not easy taking drugs everyday,
it irritates. At times I feel like vomiting. But I still
want to live and become an important person in
future. I thank God that people treat me well.
When I was in school, my friends used to treat
me well. But now I am out of school. I lack
school fees.

My advice to Young Talkers is to

abstain from sex. They should also
test to know their HIV status. You may
have got HIV from your parents just
like me." Ewelu James of Mbuya
I believe the
come
I w l be of Uganda
il
si d e n t
Pre . I live
one day take my
si ti v e ly.I
po n time.
drugs o

• Would you tell

What Positive
Living means
• Visiting a health centre
whenever you are sick
• Avoiding sex; To avoid
infecting others and getting
even more HIV
• Disclosing your HIV status.
Telling other people that you
are HIV positive helps you live
freely and get their support
• Sleeping under a treated others if you
mosquito net to avoid malaria were HIV
• Taking septrin everyday. Septrin positive?
• Would you love
drug helps the body to fight
diseases that easily attack yourself the way
• Support and care for your
people with HIV, like; cough, James does?
friends who have HIV
pneumonia, and diarrhoea • Do you think it
• Having HIV is not the end of
• Drinking a lot of safe water is a good thing
life. You can still do great
• Looking after your body by to support
things
taking personal hygiene children with
•Knowing your HIV status helps
• Eating nutritious food. Have a HIV?
Share your you look after yourself well
balanced diet each meal and live long
• Doing light exercises to keep experience and
your views with • Sharing your HIV status can
healthy helps you live feerly
your friends.
YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7
2 Young Talk, March 2008

Support children with HIV What is

Help them stay in school HIV/AIDS
It is good to interact with children Our teacher told us we cannot get
who are HIV positive. You cannot AIDS is a disease that you
HIV by playing with children who
develop some years after being
get HIV unless their body fluids mix are infected. I play with them and infected by the HIV virus. It has
with yours. If you do not we also read books together. I no cure.
interact with them, you advised one of my HIV positive
scare them and some can friends to tell the teacher, so that How does HIV enter
drop out of school, which is she is not given heavy work at the body?
a bad thing. I Advise Young school. I encourage her to take her One can get HIV through:
Talkers who are HIV positive to get medicine. This can make her healthy QSex
treatment. They should also avoid and live longer. Young Talkers, if you QThrough an infected mother
spreading the virus to others. HIV is are falling sick all the time, ask your to her baby.
not the end of life. You can study parents to take you for HIV testing. QIf you share body piercing or
hard, reach the university and Angom Agnes, 12, P6, Obim cutting instruments like razor
become an important person in PS, Lira blades
future. Abonyo Rose, 14, P7, QIf your wounds get in touch
Obim PS, Lira with infected body fluids.
These fluids include: blood,
vaginal fluids and semen.

Stop HIV from entering

your body:
Q Wait as long as possible
before starting to have sex.
I have a friend who is HIV positive. Sex is the main way through
I play with him, guide him and eat which HIV is transmitted.
with him. I know HIV cannot be Q Do not share razor blades,
got through sharing food. needles or ear-piercing
equipment.
I try to avoid sharing sharp things
with him. I can get infected. We There is no cure or vaccine
should support people who are HIV for HIV/AIDS.
positive. It is not their fault. Gira
Moses, 12, P5, Ojwina PS,
Lira
Dictionary:
Disclosing: Telling people that you have HIV
Piercing: Making a tiny hole in body
Pnemonia: A sickness that makes it hard for someone to breathe

Make friends
Do not hate or run with children
away from your who have HIV
friends if they are and play with
HIV positive them

There are very

many kinds of
sex. If you are HIV positive,
do not lose hope.
for teachers
people who want to Practice the 6Hs Dear teacher, messages to them like
help children with which mean: you can also through pictures and
HIV. Doctor Hoping for the future, help children letters.
Sabrina Kitaka Celebrating Happy times, with HIV live Build trust and friendship
looks after Coping with Hard times, longer by giving with the children so that
children with HIV Recognising the Hand of them they confide in you.
at Mulago God in your lives, information on Categorise them
Hospital. Ssuna Your Heritage; do not nutrition, self- according to their ages
Cissy counsels forget where you come care and or classes, there are
them. They talked from. Your Home
Home; do not general hygiene. things that some of
to Young Talk forget your people or relatives. them are too young to
You can create an know.
As you grow up, you need to be Doctor Sabrina Kitaka, environment where they feel free
careful. Friendship does not mean PIDC, Mulago Hospital to talk about their status. Use Ssuna Cissy, counselor,
different methods to deliver PIDC, Mulago Hospital
YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7
 3 Young Talk, March 2008

Young Talk brings you Sara: your future. At the beginning of

The special Gift, part 1.
Welcome to the journey with
Sara, your role model and
symbol of girls’ empowerment
in Africa. In this series, you will
learn how to negotiate with
adults to stay in school. How to
do useful handwork and impress
this series “The special gift”, Sara
and Amina are very tired from
collecting firewood; they are
worried about failing to do
homework. Yet they will find
more work at home. But they are
happy that they can still go to
school. As they move home Zingo

The Special Gift your guardians to keep you in follows. As they reach home, Sara
school, which is also good for and Amina say good-bye to each
other. Sara’s uncle thinks of what
Near a small to say as he waits for the chief.
town in Uganda,
the hot sun is
burning fiercely.
Sara and her
friend Amina
have collected as
much firewood
as they can carry
and are going
home where
more work
awaits them.

Im really We never
tired Sara! have enough e you
time to do our Q Ask your parents to giv
homework. tim e to do hom e wo rk.
Q You should always
do some
work at home.
Q Nothing should ma
ke you
So am I Amina.
But at least leave school.
we can still Q Tell your parents if
you have
We have to walk long go to school
distance from home any proble ms .
every time.

As they reach the town, Sara and Meanwhile in Sara’s compound, her
Come on Zingo. Amina say goodbye and return uncle, who is looking after the
Do you want to be to their homes. family while the father works in the
eaten by a city, waits for the chief to arrive.
leopard? Bye bye.

See you at
school
tomorrow.

What will
I say to
him?

Good
I must say morning
something Yes, chief.
to you. How are you?
which will show
how much I am I’m glad you
known among could come.
people...

Sara and Zingo put Dictionary

down their loads
Watch out for and go into the EMPOWERMENT- Having the
the firewood! cooking hut where power/ authority or knowledge to
These girls! her mother and do something
grandmother are FIERCE - strong in a way that
preparing a meal. cannot be controlled
IMPRESS: To make someone feel
good
NEGOTIATE: To reach agreement
through discussion
PET - animal or bird kept at home
for company.
YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7
4 Young Talk, March 2008
DEAR
Young TALK
B0 X 22 36 6 Kampa
P.O.
When I am passing urine, I
feel a lot of pain. What is my
problem? KZ, 12, P7, Mushonga
PS, Bushenyi
Sorry KZ for going through such pain! It
is not normal to have pain while urinat-
ing. You may be having an infection.
Visit the nearest health center or clinic
immediately. In case you fear going
alone, talk to a friend or parents/guardian
or a teacher to help you get treatment.
What can we do with prob-
lems like forced marriage
and old men are forcing us into
sex? Ainemasiko A, 14, Nyamiko
PS, Bushenyi
Forced marriage and sex with children is
against the law. Stand firm and say No. If
they insist, report them to your teachers,
LCs, police or the district probation
office. You can also tell your teacher or
LCs of your village. Avoid gifts from old
men or other strangers. Do not move
alone at night or in lonely places. Thank
you for standing up against forced
marriage and sex with older men!
Is it true that a boy of 10
can produce sperms?
Asiimwe P, P7, Police Children
School, Kampala
YES, IT IS TRUE! Usually, from the age of
eight, a boy may be going through body
changes and among them is production
of sperms. So, a girl who has sex with
him can be at a risk of getting pregnant.
As a teenager, you should know what
Reading Young Talk helps us
to delay sex. Pupils of
Maganjo SDA PS, Wakiso
We love Young Talk. Some of the Young
Talkers of Kataho PS, Bushenyi
body changes you are going Is it true that a girl who from Candida? SG, P6, Mutir
through and what they mean wears trousers is a prosti- PS, Nebbi
to your life. tute? Atugonza R, Mother Sorry SG for what is happening. That
Care PS, Hoima could be an infection or an STD. You
I have missed my No. It is not true. It is just a belief among need to see a doctor.
menstruation some people. But, it is important for
periods for one month, children to learn how their communities My private parts itch a lot
la my friend told me that I and families expect them to behave, when I am near my periods.
am pregnant but I have including what to wear to avoid being How can I prevent this? NF, P6,
never had sex. What named “prostitutes”. But when you get a 15, Nkonge PS
causes that? Shadia S, chance, talk to the elders/teachers/parents Dear NF, it is normal for a girl to
13, P7, Ociba PS, Arua about the myths about dressing and experience premenstrual signs, but
It is normal for an adolescent girl like you other things. Learn what clothes to put itching may mean that you have an
to miss menstruation. You are still going on at certain times and places. Know infection. You need to see a doctor to
through body changes and your body is what to wear when you know why your private parts itch. Make
not yet stable. Sometimes the types of are with elders. sure you practice good hygiene by
food one eats and changing the bathing everyday,
environment in which they live may Is it true trimming your pubic
also cause them to miss their periods. that if a girl hair and having clean
Do not worry, your periods will rides a bicycle panties on.
become stable as you grow older. she can get
problems during Counselor:
I am in P4. I go to delivery? Ariyo R, Buliziba Faith Falal,
school everyday but PS, Ntungamo Outreach and
I find it hard to read Ariyo, IT IS NOT TRUE!! Bicycle riding is Training
and write. My teach- a good exercise for you. It can also be Department
ers teach me well and useful for your family. They can send Straight Talk
we have many books, you for something and you quickly Foundation
but I get zero in go for it. Riding bicycles has
exams. Should I nothing to do pregnancy or compli-
leave school? BJ, cations during child birth. If you
15, Kyamiza are a cyclist, be proud of Dictionary
PS, Kasese yourself. Discharge: A liquid that comes out of
BJ, NEVER a body part
LEAVE I have Myths: Beliefs or stories that are not
SCHOOL! never had true
You need to my menstruation Prostitute: Someone who can have
get help from periods. But sex for money
the people you every month, I Trim: Cut short
Quiz
Quiz
live with and your teachers. Do you have bleed from the nose. This has
brothers or sisters in upper classes? Talk taken two years. Can this be
to them so they can help you. You can menstruation? Nawera J, 13, P6,
also try reading with your classmates. Mashonga PS, Bushenyi
Find some time at home to revise your Judith, menstruation does NOT come
books. Have you tried talking to your through the nose, but the vagina. It is
teachers? I am sure you are good at also NOT normal to bleed through the
something and they can help you nose. Visit a medical person immediately.
discover it. You also need to believe in You can begin menstruation as early as 9 EXCESS PAIN DURING
yourself. You can make it. or as late as 15 years. It is still normal.
So, at 13, be at peace! MENSTRUATION MAY
NOT BE NORMAL.
Is it true that when a girl
reaches 18 without having Write to us and
periods, she cannot produce or describe the kind of
be normal? Maureen A, 11,
Rukungiri Modern PS pain you face during
It is not common that a girl reaches 18 menstruation. Tell us
without having her periods. Such a girl true stories, we will
should see a doctor for medical checkup give you advice. You
and advice. may also win a T-Shirt
Write to Young Talk P.O.
When I am passing urine, I
see some discharge coming
from my penis. Am I suffering Box 22366 Kampala.
We thank Straight Talk Foundation for caring
about us. Pupils of St. Mary's PS, Adjumani
STRAIGHT TALK FOUNDATION
4 Acacia Avenue, Kololo, Kampala, P. O. Box 22366, Tel: (031) 262030/1, Fax: 534858,
E-mail: strtalk@imul.com, strtalk@straight-talk.or.ug,
Director: C. Watson;; Deputy Director: T. Agutu, Editorial Manager: E. Kimuli,
Editors: G. Awekofua, M. Akello, D. Agaba, J. Abongowath,
Designers: M. eB. Kalanzi, Gb. Mukasa, Printer: The New Vision.
Young Talk is funded by DANIDA, DFID & SIDA.
www.straight-talk.or.ug