A Ugandan- born American Human Rights Activist's Appeal Following Val Kalende's Renunciation Of Immigrant Benefits

The crow is a bird that gives other winged ones clues for where to find food and water. It never fails to find water or food, which as you are aware, enable other birds to feed, quench thirst or dip in the water to cool off on a really hot day. The only problem is that when so many birds decide to wash in this very water, it makes it so muddied up that they fail to drink it. There is a moral in this fable from Africa: in whatever we do let us not poison the well please!

I watched  Val Kalende’s testimony which was given in Luganda. I took time to transcribe it into English later, which made it accessible to many who are not Luganda speakers. Val gave her testimony at Pastor Bugingo’s crusade in Jjinja sometime in July 2018. After it was transcribed, more people made further comments and these comments are so varied and dizzying both in breadth and reception.

At first I was watching and listening not to react beyond what the sensory stimuli provided. At the same time, I was following a feed with comments to the same video. In the feed, various people asked for a transcription in English. There was a group which ridiculed her even while she made the effort to change to their side. There are others including myself, who with a human rights zeal applauded Val and wished her all the best.

Later, I took time off to reflect on my journey as an activist, most especially as an HIV services activist. I got to see much of my action in the hospital wards, homes of bedridden persons and was motivated to commit my personal hard earned cash to pay for and provide a drop-in center for LGBTIQQ in a suburb of Kampala, Uganda from 2005-2011. Because of the anti-gay backlash, we could no longer run the resource center. But, I would like to note it here. LGBTIQQ Activism in Uganda has for long been stratified between those who claim to have funders' ears, the elite and those who have to struggle by using raw grit. If one is not in the good books of the elite then one is not assured of funding to pay for office space or organizational recurrent expenses. There are further subdivisions. Those who have strategically positioned themselves from a legal point of view have had a watershed of funding going for them since 2008! Others who have strategically positioned as distinctly public and metal health organizations are finding it hard to get funded or to even get off the ground. I am of the latter discipline. Presently, I send money to support the organization I helped found in Uganda, via Western Union since 2012. The money is to support the HIV work we started way back in late 90's. We have lobbied for funding to no avail! It is no wonder that today, one finds those trained in the legal fields running HIV-AIDS services. There are allies who are willing to work with the LGBTIQQ and have good training in medicine, community-based health care, bedside care or counseling. Funding one or two organizations by giving them large sums of money is counter productive. It would be better to give all organizations small blocks of manageable turn-key funds. Not only is it relevant but is representative of felt needs and builds a critical cascade into, say, the 90:90:90 UNAIDS goal as far as HIV work in the LGBTIQQ community goes.

LGBTIQQ Activism in Uganda started around 1999 and still has the "historicals" around who are mostly unsung. Val Kalende is one of the historicals.  There is still a wrong impression in Uganda! One umbrella organization called SMUG, is not representing all the LGBTIQQ organizations. If one were honest in their analysis they will find that very few organizations are registered with them. An informal census puts the number to 55 Grassroots LGBTIQQ-led organizations. How wonderful would it be if the "historical" leaders who have had opportunities and have acquired the right skill-sets to create a culture in which they groom newer faces. A tally of who gets to be invited to embassy parties, enjoy overseas trips, have scholarships to conferences, the ones receiving all the awards and recognition will befuddle one. Yet, the work done to improve critical LBTIQQ self-determination is done by very many wonderfully dedicated persons. Shutting out the historicals or any other hard working activist who make so many sacrifices demotivates and is grounds for disillusion.

Three thoughts ripped me apart and like unhinged electrons with boundless energy somewhere in my grey matter, they fought for attention.

First off, Val’s action has consequences for the African countries’ LGBTIQQ refugees and Allies facing persecution with genuine need to relocate to Canada. I know of cases who face the threat of death. There are many who were beaten, raped, tortured, assaulted so many times, disowned by family, escaped death, escaped from prison, received phone threats, were victims of cyberbullying, faced all sorts of ridicule because of their sexual orientation and gender.  Even when they fled from Uganda, they still face abuses and the only hope is relocation. Many of them have a genuine need for relocation. They cannot go back to Uganda because they are no longer safe.

Secondly, a fictive kinship of the refugee gays and lesbians has been dented. All past cases may be determined on individual merit but the outcomes in form of need for housing, food, residence documents and health insurance are common and universal. Val's action is a threat and may lead to a deprivation of these universals. Once one gets relocated or a residence, one gets a home to stay and starts a new life with hosts.These hosts get the chance to be regaled with stories of pain, of horror, of hope and exoticness. It is no doubt, Val's story will be brought up. Asylees or immigrants have dreams and most are realized when they relocate. With luck and time the recent immigrant or asylee gets a job and an education opportunity. Which later leads to assimilation. This takes logistical and many other forms of support on a bedrock of the word the immigrant or asylee gave. There is an assumption that one has to receive whatever goodwill they are provided. It is not a poisoned cup, as it were, which needs to be returned without one sipping the contents. Yet, in returning whatever benefits Val enjoyed back to a country that provided these graciously it appears as a scorn. A country scorned is far more bitter than a leopard missing its cubs (pan intended). A judge must have listened to Val making her case. She was then provided residence on grounds of her account. Then suddenly, Val changed her mind and gave it all up. Much like biting the arm that feeds one! It is my hope that this act is not made a blanket excuse for all gays and lesbians seeking asylum in Canada from Uganda. Val’s case should be treated as an individual case. Again, it is my hope that this will not be used by Norway, Sweden, Australia, USA, UK, Germany to judge the rest of the refugees still waiting their relocation.

Third and last, people adjust differently to the countries of final settlement. Having the sensibility to seek counseling when stressed is not being weak or being a burden. I lost a fully paid for house which was given to me in 2014 and was homeless for two weeks! I was in a city where I was also working as a volunteer assessment officer. I knew who to go to for counselling and guidance. Within two weeks I got a place. It is not healthy to keep suffering in isolation.  The Western world to a person coming from, say, Uganda however educated one may be has its nuances. One who is not born and bred goes through an adjustment curve. It is called the W-curve or Zeller and Mosier curve (1993). People relocating to unfamiliar places go through phases: the honeymoon, culture shock, initial adjustment, mental isolation and eventually acceptance and integration. At any one time between 5-8 years into relocation, these people get homesick, require a stress-free life, are most vulnerable and impulsive. Some think taking mind-numbing, intoxicating drugs would be a solution. There are those who make the mistake of traveling back to a country of origin which they claimed was the source of trouble in the first place. Studies show that, engaging in host country community activities such as fairs, neighborhood events and other social events where one gets to meet and greet other people lessens the tendencies of isolation and inadequacies. It increases one’s recovery and self confidence. Will Val’s action be taken to be like the birds which muddy up the very water they drink? Hope not! Val left Uganda around 2011, one can blame the W-curve for the actions she made. It is my appeal to the Canadian government to consider this as an isolated case. This applies to other countries too. Community engagement activities will do so well to increase the critical hours contributing to one’s self confidence as a new immigrant. I hope this also becomes a necessary adjustment plan of action for newly relocated immigrants. On top of attending professional counseling for new immigrants, add opportunities to improve street-savvy skills and language training. 

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cdmasonphotography/16187929161/