Like many children with HIV, Josephine contracted the virus from her mother in utero, but grew up unaware of her status. After learning she was HIV-positive, Josephine sought support from children’s groups run by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation—and before long, she was leading and facilitating those very groups, speaking out about youth and HIV/AIDS in her community, throughout Uganda, and at high-profile international conferences.
Josephine has been profiled extensively about her personal story and the work she does in Uganda to support other young people living with or at risk of HIV, including in POZ and Devex. In 2016, Josephine was honored with a Queen’s Young Leaders Award, presented by Her Majesty the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace. Josephine has been outspoken in the American and international media about the value and impact of sustained commitment to the global fight to end HIV/AIDS. In a 2017 interview with Voice of America, she championed U.S. contributions to HIV/AIDS treatment programs abroad. In 2018, she co-authored an op-ed with Sir Elton John in The Times, urging the Commonwealth to increase its momentum in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
At the 2018 International AIDS Society Conference in Amsterdam, Josephine participated in a variety of sessions and panels, notably the first all-youth special session in IAS history, #PassTheMic: Meaningful Youth Participation in the Fight Against HIV, moderated by Charlize Theron, and a discussion on youth engagement with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. In June 2019, Josephine delivered a Power Talk, at the Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver, Canada, where she spoke about her background and lifelong passion for championing young people affected by with HIV. She also joined a youth Q&A with Ambassador Birx, where young people from across Africa shared personal challenges around stigma and access to treatment.
Josephine continues to reside in Kampala, concentrating much of her advocacy work in her home community. As a co-founder of Young Generation Alive, a youth-led group that focuses on fighting stigma and discrimination, she continues to educate and inspire her fellow Ugandans to change the way they talk and think about HIV/AIDS. More recently, Josephine earned a degree in Social Work from Makerere University and began serving as a Stephen Lewis Foundation Youth Program Coordinator at Makerere University-Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of a book, “Beyond Your Status: Thriving in Life in Spite of HIV,” which was released in 2019.