Mama's Club has done Uganda proud by being one of the 25 such institutions from around the world to win the Red Ribbon Award at the 17th International Aids Conference that ended in Mexico City on Friday.

The award derives its name from the red ribbon, which is a global symbol in the movement to address HIV/Aids.

According to the organisers, the Red Ribbon Award, presented every two years at the International Aids Conference, is designed to honour and celebrate outstanding community initiatives that show leadership in reducing the spread and impact of Aids.

The award is a joint effort of the UNAids family together with the Leadership and Community Programme Committees of the International Aids Conference.

Receiving the award on behalf of Mama's Club at a colourful ceremony on August 6 was the organisation's Chairperson Rehema Gokyalya and her husband Sam.

HIV/Aids activist Lydia Mungherera who founded Mama's Club in 2003 was also in attendance. She described winning the award as inspirational. "It gives us motivation to continue inspiring HIV-positive mothers both young and old to come out and join these psychosocial clubs," she said.

And for Mama Club's Administrator Marion Natukunda, winning the award was one of the best achievements for the Gayaza-based organisation that has expanded to Masindi, Jinja and very soon Soroti.

"We are going to be visible," Ms Natukunda said. "At the ceremony, there were testimonies from the former red ribbon award winners. They have been doing a lot of work in the communities by reaching out to the grassroots but had never been recognised. In short, people will know the importance of psychosocial support in the Aids response."

Mama's Club is led by women living with HIV focused on addressing the impact of HIV, reducing the associated stigma, and providing support to and empowering HIV-positive mothers. The club provides psychosocial peer-to-peer support and provides training in HIV prevention and income-generating skills.