More Than Just a Job
By Maureen Luyiga
Kampala, Uganda
February 19, 2009

Joining the Foundation has been a great learning experience for me. I have learned to appreciate the beauty of life, and that I can help someone else whose dreams and hope have been lost along the way. The Foundation has presented me with the opportunity to give and share with HIV/AIDS-affected families, something I never would have dreamed of in my old job as a cashier.

I thought that joining the Foundation was an opportunity to strengthen my career in finance and accounting, but it has turned out to be so much more. My wake-up call came when I saw the liveliness and confidence of the Ariel Children, who come to me for help with their school fee payments. I then realized that what I do is not necessarily about me and my career development, but about my meaningful contribution to the welfare of our beneficiaries. I am now part of the Foundation’s “BIG FAMILY.”

At my previous employment with Stanbic Bank - Uganda, on a daily basis I met men and women whose only interest was the size of their bank accounts. At the Foundation, it’s a whole new world, where everyone works with the passion to eradicate pediatric HIV — working hard to keep our promise of a generation free of HIV in Uganda.

At the Foundation, every day comes with a new learning experience and every person you meet is an opportunity to learn. What more can I ask for?

I am looking forward to meeting with the children at the Ariel Camps and hoping to learn more from their lives and experiences.

Maureen Luyiga joined the Foundation in December 2008 as a finance assistant. She formerly worked with Stanbic Bank as a cashier. She is single and currently pursuing her ACCA qualification. Maureen loves reading inspirational books and traveling.