U2 Conference: Agnes Nyamayarwo

Listening to Agnes Nyamayarwo has been a real treat. Agnes is a Ugandan nurse and activist whose fight against AIDS has led her from personal and family tragedy to meeting with President Bush and touring the U.S. with Bono. She is the facilitator and founding member of the MPWN (Mulago Positive Women’s Network) and a leader in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Her presentation today was entitled “We get to carry each other.”

A few thoughts from Agnes:

• A mother and grandmother who lost her husband and two children to AIDS in Africa.
• An activist for the One Campaign.
• Through personal tragedy she asked, “What can I do? How can I teach people about AIDS?”
• She created a drama/music group that would go out to talk about AIDS.
• She learned that she had AIDS and her immune system went down. She started getting a lot of infections and had a hard time doing her activist work.
• In May of 2002 Bono and other delegates from the U.S. came to Uganda. Agnes told her story. Bono asked if she was on anit-retroviral treatments. She said “no.” Then she was asked, “How do you find the strength to do your work?” She answered, “We must do whatever we can to save other’s lives as long as we can, until we die.”
• Bono provided anti-retrovirals (ARVs) for Agnes and 25 other clinic workers for life. Agnes responded well and is healthy today.
• In November of 2002, Bono called Agnes and asked her to join The Heart of America tour. This was the birth of the One Campaign.
• The tour began on Dec 1, 2002 for ten days. This was an awareness campaign for AIDS and Africa.
• Her goal, the thing she is working for, is an AIDS-free Africa.
• She is a very humble and gracious woman. She ended by thanking us. There’s way too much irony in that….