HISTORY

 

Tokamalirawo AIDS Support and Action Group Awareness (TASAAGA) is a non-governmental organization which was founded in 1995, by Mutebi Musa Tokamalirawo (“Musa”). Musa began his work as a traditional African healer in 1967. From his small clinic, he began dispensing free herbal remedies to those affected by HIV/AIDS around 1989. In 1993, he was selected along with 200 others to partake in HIV/AIDS education and counseling training. This training was by the ministry of health and THETA (Traditional and Modern Healthy [P]ractitioners Together [A]gainst AIDS). The vision of THETA was tobridge the gap between modern and traditional  health practitioners in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This training exposed Musa Mutebi Tokamalirawo to the idea of formalizing his practice by forming an HIV/AIDS support group.

Musa Mutebi Tokamalirawo

As a herbalist, Musa had encountered many patients who believed that HIV/AIDS was something that was caused by sorcery, sometimes ancestral curses. Before the training, he had been treating patients for the disease unknowingly. Now, he was able to inform people about the disease, and correct them in their misconceptions.

Called to action, Musa founded the Tokamalirawo AIDS Support and Action Group Awareness (TASAAGA) in 1995. At the beginning, the organization consisted of solely 10 members. They began communicating information about the disease through music and acting. After a drama was presented, there would be a public talk about HIV/AIDS. These performances took place in community centres. The group increased in size after a short time, but the office remained the humble set of rooms Musa had always occupied at 5 miles Bombo Road.

In 2002 the son of Musa, Bruhan Mubiru joined his father to run the organization as its Coordinator. He had it established legally as a non-governmental organization within the year, moving away from the idea of just a community group. In 2005 Bruhan launched TASAAGA Volunteer Program with an aim of recruiting and placing international Volunteers in the organisation's projects and others in the communities where TASAAGA has operations. Between 2005 and 2009 Bruhan has recruited and placed 36 International Volunteers with different skills and training backgrounds.

 

 

 

In the picture is Bruhan Mubiru with Volunteers Hannah Clark from

Australia and Lindsay Little from Canada (Picture by former volunteer Karin Prescott from USA).