Gloria Nawanyaga: Born with HIV, now vying for Miss Uganda Crown

Gloria Nawanyaga is a 23 year old fourth year student of law at Uganda Christian University.

She will be one of the 22 contestants vying for this year's Miss Uganda crown in a grand finale that will be held on July 26, at Sheraton Hotel but unlike the other 21 contestants, Nawanyaga was born with the HIV virus.

She only got to know that she was positive at 11 years when her mother, who frequently took her and her sibling to hospital every Thursday, finally took them to John Hopkins Institute – a research collaboration that focuses on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis where they were told about their status in front of a professional councillor.

Knowing her status came with a lot of stigma that at one point she contemplated committing suicide. She now stands tall having overcame the fear and chose to stand tall.

In an interview with Nile Post, Nawanyaga described herself as a hardworking, caring, loving, kind and inspirational woman.

Asked about what inspired her to contest for the Miss Uganda crown, Nawanyaga says that the passion to make a positive impact in the community and the zeal to prove the public that being HIV+ is not the end of the world, brought her into the contest.

"My motivation was the passion to make a positive impact in the society or community. I was also motivated by the zeal to prove people that being HIV+ is not the end of the world and may be to show them that HIV can not define. I can do anything and I can also become someone in life regardless of my status," Nawanyaga told Nile Post in part of the interview.

Being a young person living with HIV can be difficult and challenging.

This was not any different for Nawanyaga. Growing up, she says that she always experienced stigma and discrimination amongst her would be peers.

But thankfully for her, her experience in the Miss Uganda activities and boot camp have been extremely different.

She told Nile Post that she relates well with the rest of the contestants and judges and this encourages her to keep going.

Nawanyaga describes the experience in the Miss Uganda boot camp so far as "educational and life changing."

In case she beats her fellows to the much coveted crown come July 26, Nawanyaga said that her first projects will be helping people living with HIV to acquire quality medical care and advocating against the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.

"I want to make a project of helping HIV positive people to acquire quality medical care, I want to advocate against the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and I also believe that beauty starts with being healthy. I want to focus more on the health and well being of people," she said in part.

Nawanyaga added that, she will also focus on advocating against gender based violence, teenage pregnancy, early marriages and menstrual hygiene.

She said that using her knowledge from the Law School, she will also educate young people about their Human Rights especially Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

To Nawanyaga, being HIV+ doesn't define her and she says that it should never define any one.

"Having HIV is not the end of life because it's just a virus in someone. Accept yourself, yourself and believe in your self.

She is inspired by the forty forth USA president who doubles as the first African American to be elected to the presidency of USA; Barack Obama.