There is nothing like an African sunset and watching the golden sunset over lake Kivu in Gisenyi, Rwanda is truly a sight to behold.
It’s Friday 29th July and I’m sitting alone on the beach in the late afternoon listening to the gentle waves breaking on the shore as I reflect on the week that was and thinking to myself, it was well worth the effort. A beautiful end to the months of stress and sleepless nights organising the 2005 Uganda Bikers Association (UBA) annual AIDS awareness ride to Rwanda.
Flashback to Saturday 23rd, the honourable Mrs. Namirembe Bitamazire, Minister of Education and Sports flagged us off in Kampala on a quest to raise awareness on protection from AIDS. Ordinarily, a group of bikers would not be considered the ideal choice for such a mission. For one thing, the public perception of bikers is such that they would be considered more likely to spread the disease, but we are no ordinary group of bikers.
Sure, our primary interest may be to ride our bikes, and did we ever have fun on the twists and turns of Rwanda, but we also realise that there is more to life than riding bikes, admittedly, not a lot, but there is something.
Since 2003, the UBA has held national and international AIDS awareness rides/campaigns. In 2004, the Ministry of Health recognised our efforts in the fight against AIDS, christening the UBA, the Ambassadors of Hope.
The ride to Rwanda included awareness campaigns in Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kigali, Gitarama, Butare, Gikongoro, Ruhengeri and Gisenyi, covering some 1,700km. At each stop, we were warmly welcomed by enthusiastic crowd that also lined the road in several places, attracted by the roar of the bikes, which ranged in engine capacity from 400cc to 1200cc.
The team consisted of an even blend of Ugandan and resident foreign nationals including Bernie Runnebaum (Club Chair), Patrick Bahemuka (Club V.Chair), Milton Aineruhanga (Club Sec.), Peet Coetzee (Club Fin.). Other members participating were, Wayne Slack, Franco Masetto, Pietro Averono, Ben Bamulumbye, James Akena, Joseph Ssenyonga, and Patrice Basha with Okia Eremegio driving the support vehicle and James Opoka for media coverage.
The ravages of the disease are plain to see compounded by the lack of knowledge. For instance, a lady was reluctant to use condoms for fear that she may get cancer. Other questions raised included the effect of drinking alcohol on the disease, appropriate nutrition when taking ARV medication and the continued resistance of the Catholic Church to condom use.
As the sun continues to set, it is had to describe the adrenaline rush from 5 days on the twisted roads of Kabale and Rwanda, but as our mission comes to an end, my thoughts are on what we have achieved. We have spoken to thousands of people and distributed almost 9,000 condoms. Even if we have saved only one person’s life, it will be well worth it, in addition to raising school fees for AIDS orphans sponsored by the UBA at the Mbuya Parish Reach-Out project, with the generous support of organisations such as; Heritage Oil, Spedag, Victoria Motors and Engineering, Kobil, Ernst and Young and World Wide Movers and Standard Chartered among others.
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