Mama Charlie, a Congolese woman from Equateur Province, used to work in Bukavu before the conflict forced her and her family to flee to Uganda. “I am a widow, mother of six children and one grandchild. My husband died in the war, and since we had no one to protect us, we fled to another city called Bukavu, where we did not stay long because the war followed us to that city. In 2011, we finally reached Kampala; in the process of settling refugees, I learned that I was HIV positive as a result of sexual abuse during the war. Life was very difficult, but I was accepted into a program for HIV where I received counselling, training in business management, and capital to start a small craft business. Since I have increased my customer base, my life has really changed for the better”
