Sabita Banerji

Today is World AIDS Day. To mark the day, I am passing on a message on behalf of one of the most courageous, wise and gentle men I know. A man who has turned personal adversity into an international campaign of hope that I genuinely believe could save millions of lives. Canon Gideon Byamugisha was the first religious leader in Africa to publicly announce that he was HIV positive. He went on to co-found the African Network of Religious Leaders Living with and Personally Affected HIV and AIDS (ANERELA+) in 2002 and,  in 2006, a shelter for children who had been orphaned as a result of AIDS. I worked on Canon Gideon’s SAVE campaign (the name is explained in the message) in 2011. Whether or not you share the particular faith of this brave Anglican priest, his message is a powerful one. I hope you agree.