Uganda has a severe HIV epidemic. AIDS is the leading cause of death among adults. Widespread rights violations put some people at a greater risk of HIV—like widows, sex workers, children, and people with disabilities.

Family and neighbors often chase people living with HIV from their land because they believe that their death is imminent, and that their rights no longer matter. There is a an ever-present need for access to law and justice.

William Mulindwa is a teacher by profession. He is living with HIV. He also works as a paralegal for UGANET, a grantee of the Open Society Foundations that has trained more than 100 paralegals on basic principles of law enforcement, case assessment, conflict resolution, mediation, and negotiation.

Paralegals like Mulindwa are informing people living with HIV about their rights, mediating disputes, and empowering people to engage in community activism and perform simple legal acts like preparing a will. They are essential to improving outcomes for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Commissioned and Produced by the Open Society Foundations

Camera and sound: Sven Torfinn/Panos Pictures
Editing: Andrew Hida