Ms. Borah Kaabunga

Ms Borah Kaagunga’s Story

I spent nineteen years of my life in Uganda, East Africa, where I was born and then I moved to Virginia. My mother is from Congo and my father is from Uganda, which has exposed me to both cultures and people.

Growing up as a young girl in Uganda, just like most kids in rural Africa, I wanted to have a better life than my folks. However, I knew that would be a long road to tread. But I was determined to walk it. After my high school education, I was lucky to get an American visa to start a new life in this great country; something that many young people just dream about in Africa. .

Living in the USA has opened great opportunities for me. It has seen me accomplish my educational goals; two Bachelor degrees: Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Master’s degree in Public Health.

II am a strong advocate for the provision of services to underprivileged individuals and communities, especially in relation to HIV/AIDS related services..

A call to Serve

Giving back to life has always been a part of me. As a child, I saw my parents give to others less fortunate than us, and often participated in preparing gifts for others. I visited sick people in the hospital and ill in my village during the school break. As I grew up I found myself inclined to give as I count the many blessings I have in this life. My favorite way to volunteer was with an organization at work or school. One of my favorite volunteer experiences was with AIDS United /AmeriCorps in Chicago with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

I gave back a whole year to the poorest communities in South Side and West Side of Chicago. I completed a year of service with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago in the HIV/AIDS field through the AIDS United/AmeriCorps program. I supervised and worked with volunteers to provide HIV risk reduction counseling, rapid HIV testing, Hepatitis C testing and services to substance abuse clients, sex workers, women of color, LGBTQ community and have referrals to MSM youth experiencing homelessness for shelters and other services as needed. I also worked with clients living with HIV/AIDS in obtaining access to health care and social services in the community. During this time, I also volunteered with Chicago’s Greater Food Depository and helped box up over 8000 lbs of food in just a couple hours!

Volunteering, not only gave me a way to thank life for all the blessings, it also filled me with joy. Serving others made my life more meaningful and I began to see serving others as a life calling. I dreamed of working with an organization made up of people with big hearts, coming together and working to help the many souls crying for help but hidden from the public; the little child who could use a little help, the single mothers in some remote village. I glad to see so many good people working together to serve others, and most grateful to be part of that team.

Other Interests

Dancing has been my greatest hobby since early childhood. I loved to dance to different kind of music and joined a dance group in my teens. I’m very good at dancing tradition Ugandan dances and Congolese dances. These days I enjoy my dance at Zumba fitness classes at the gym, where I also take Kick boxing and Yoga. For relaxation, I like to watch TV when I can, go to movies with family and friends, and to spend time at the waterside listening to music. Cooking African dishes is also one of my hobbies, but I also enjoy eating ice-cream every so often and going shopping with my daughter. Traveling and seeing different places has always fascinated me. I take advantage of every opportunity to explore new a culture. Some interesting places I have traveled include Brussels in Belgium, Stuttgart and surrounding towns in Germany, Milano in Italy, Paris in France, Nairobi in Kenya, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and East London

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