Birakwete’s mud-plastered house is some way up the slopes of the Ruwenzories Mountains in western Uganda.

With his slight build, and carrying his 72 years lightly, he walks down the mountainside each morning to open up his small second-hand clothes shop in the Kilembe mines township.

After working in the mines for 10 years, Birakwete lost his job when he became ill. The company paid him a little money, which he used to set up his business.

His health is not good and he chose to open a shop because it is not physically demanding, but it’s a business with few returns. Birakwete says that sometimes he can go for a whole month without making a single sale.

His health problems and limited resources prevent him from travelling further to find better and cheaper merchandise to sell.

Living positively

Birakwete is one of a growing number of older people living with HIV. He goes to a local hospital when the aches and pains persist. “But they only give me Panadol and send me home.”

Birakwete’s children have all gone to the capital, Kampala, to look for work, leaving him to look after his five grandchildren. His children only have casual jobs and give him little financial support.

But it’s not just the money he misses. “The grandchildren do not get love from their parents,” he says. “I too miss my children.”

He talks of how regular cash – no matter how small – could improve his situation. For example, if he were to receive a pension, he could borrow money to improve his business, or hire someone when he is too sick to work.

Rising food prices have exacerbated already difficult circumstances. The children are growing and need more food, so he has to work twice as hard to sustain them.

A memory book to leave behind

Learning to compile a memory book brings Birakwete some comfort. He is attending a series of workshops where he is creating a book filled with a combination of memories, thoughts and family history.

The workshops are run by HelpAge partner Uganda Reach the Aged Association (URAA). They are part of more wide-reaching project being run in five African countries, funded by the Big Lottery Fund. The project aims to reduce the spread of HIV and its impact on multigenerational households. 

Birakwete is glad that he will be able to leave the memory book for his grandchildren, to help give them a sense of identity and belonging.