“Today it’s me
Tomorrow someone else
It’s you and me
We’ve got to stand up and fight
We’ll shed a light in the fight against AIDS
Let’s come on out
Let’s stand together and fight AIDS
In times of joy, in times of sorrow
Let’s take a stand and fight on to the end
With open hearts, let’s stand up and speak out to the world
We’ll save some lives, save the children of the world.”
These lyrics from Philly Bongoley’s song titled “Alone”, an HIV&AIDS educational song are some of the most popular HIV&AIDS awareness educational lyrics. The song has been played on airwaves countless times and widely used in dramas and plays on the subject especially in the 1990s. For his lasting contributions like this aimed at saving people from contracting HIV, Lutaaya will never be forgotten.
Philly Bongoley Lutaaya was a Ugandan musician who was the first prominent Ugandan to give a human face to HIV/AIDS. When he was diagnosed with HIV, Lutaaya was so shocked and withdrew from his family emotionally. It is said that on that day, he wandered around town until the late hours of the night without telling anyone what was wrong. The thought of death tormented him until he decided to go public. A press conference was organized for him to make his announcement. Fans woke up to New Vision’s blinding headline: Lutaaya has AIDS!
Before dying of AIDS at the age of 38, Lutaaya spent his remaining healthy time writing songs about his battle with AIDS, releasing his last album Alone and Frightened which included his famous song “Alone”. He also toured churches and schools throughout Uganda to spread a message of prevention and hope. For the community of people living with HIV, Lutaaya is a disciple; one from whom a lot can be learnt.
October 17 is the Pilly Bongoley Lutaaya Day in Uganda. During the course of this week, The National Forum of People Living with HIV Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU) brought together people living with HIV from different networks to celebrate the life of Lutaaya, talk about positive living and how to bring an end to HIV&AIDS.
Lutaaya will never be forgotten by the fraternity of people living with HIV. He is an icon in HIV&AIDS response. Here are some of the things that we can learn from the life of Lutaaya;
• Spread the word about HIV&AIDS, educate, sensitize as many people as you can about all factors to do with HIV&AIDS, how it is contracted, the fact that there is treatment if positive and one can live positive healthily.
• Do not stigmatize people living with HIV because anyone can be infected with HIV. If it is not you, it can be someone so close to you that it might as well be you.
• Encouraged more people to go public about their HIV status because by putting a human face to HIV in our various communities, many more people living with HIV have embraced positive living.
• He also teaches us that it is important to know your HIV status and that if you do not test for HIV then you are allowing HIV&AIDS to thrive.
• According to an interview the New Vision newspaper, when asked if there will ever be a cure for HIV&AIDS, Lutaaya answered that there is a cure. He said the cure lies in the strength of women, families and communities who support and empower each other to break the silence around AIDS and take control of their sexual lives. And even as the scientists continue to find the cure, it goes without saying that the position and role of women in a home and community makes us best placed to help with the fight against this epidemic and women should therefore be at the core of HIV response activities.
As we celebrate a fallen comrade, we applaud everyone who can publically say they are living with HIV healthy because like Milly Katana of NAFOPHANU said, you are the real disciples of Lutaaya.
