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Mama Terry: ‘Tanzanians have little value of life’She is widely known as Mama Terry. Her real name is Mrs Terry Gbemudu, a Radio Talk Show ace and frontline activist in the nationwide campaign against HIV-AIDS. Mama Terry, apparently is also a traditional herbalist who is about to establish her branch in Arusha.by Nyamanoko Bwire QUESTION: After participating in a number of local exhibitions and recently also, the Nane Nane show in Njiro, do you consider establishing a branch in Arusha?
ANSWER: Exactly, that is what I am planning to do. In fact, we are looking for premises to rent and set our offices. Here, I intend to offer HIV-AIDS education, supply herbal remedies for other ailments and even practise consultancy services. Q: How do the residents of Arusha respond to herbal medicine? A: The response is good, however, most people here tend to think that as soon as you take the medicine, then all the ailments disappear, that is not the case. This is one area that these people need to be educated properly so as to realize that healing takes time. Q: A few months ago, you were summoned to the Parliament in Dodoma about a program you ran in a local radio concerning Members of Parliament, how do you explain that? A: I would rather not talk about it, because it hardly affected me at all, nor did it hinder my freedom of expression. Q: What are your expectations in these campaigns against the spread of HIV-AIDS in the country? Especially for the future. A: When it comes to HIV-AIDS prevalence in Tanzania, the future seems bleak. This is because people here don’t exactly value life. It may take special efforts to make most Tanzanians realize that life can hardly be compared with other material things which people here seem to value very much. Q: Do you work with a specific organization? A: I have my own registered, non governmental organization (NGO) called, Health Heritage Trust (HHT) which deals with issues of human health, including matters concerning HIV-AIDS. Q: Any support from the Government? A: Hardly, the Government doesn’t assist any of my activities apart from simply encouraging my efforts. Actually, I would have liked to get some assistance from the Government, because on my own, I can’t get very far, but state organs have wider reach. The main idea is to ensure that, in the long run, everybody gets protected from HIV-AIDS. Q: Apart from being a front-liner in the fight against HIV-AIDS infections what else do you do, on your own? A: I am a mother, with prime responsibility for my entire family. I also run a herbal clinic, specializing in providing health services naturally. Those are my other activities. Q: So what drove you into carrying out campaigns against HIV-AIDS? A: My love and dedication to our community. I have seen people suffer, some being quite close to me. I started carrying out these campaigns in 1998. Before that I had also been working as a volunteer in various environmental efforts in Dar es Salaam. I have also been a board member for the Tuamoyo Street Children Project in the city, a position I held for three years. Q: Do you face any problems in your undertakings? A: Yes, first it is the lack of privacy, people hound me wherever I go, then secondly it is the fact that, in most cases others would always seem to want to discourage me. I also don’t have enough time to relax with my family.
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