Behind the Veil of Lockdown
Throughout this pandemic, it’s those who are most vulnerable in society who have been the worst to suffer. During the first lockdown, our team rescued ten children from an urban slum in Mbale, Uganda. They were abandoned, isolated and extremely vulnerable.
Strong Covid-19 restrictions in Uganda have had a huge impact on the lives of children living there. These rules have meant that our team have not been able to check in with students at home regularly. Sadly, it took the rape of an innocent 14-year old girl to allow us behind the veil of lockdown in Uganda.
The young girl, Lucy*, is a student at our school in Uganda. Our team were permitted to visit Lucy home to support her after the rape and offer her a place of safety, which opened up the gateway to allow us check on other children at their homes as well. These visits shed light on the difficulties faced by children and families as a result of the lockdown and restrictions.
Three children were found alone while their mother was in hospital fighting for her life - she had been shot by a local defence unit while walking home after curfew.
Three more children were found sleeping outside with drunks in the slum - their mother had been unable to come home to them or pay rent, so the children had been evicted and made homeless.
In total, our team rescued ten children in similar, heartbreaking situations, and were able to offer them a place of safety.
Granted temporary custody by Social Services, we renovated rooms to make sure the children had safe places to sleep, and purchased mattresses, bedding, and clothing. This was the first time some of the children had ever slept on a proper mattress.
Lucy has been well cared for, and we are pleased to report that she is neither pregnant nor HIV positive, but she will require further support and counselling to aid her recovery. Four of the other children have now been reunified with their parents or guardians.
The most pressing matter now is the long-term care of the remaining six children. Authorities have not been able to locate any suitable guardians and therefore they will remain in our care long-term, until they reach independence.
We will not allow these children to be abandoned again. Working with Social Services to meet their requirements for permanent custody, we are now looking for suitable accommodation, as the room we renovated was only ever a short-term solution. The house either needs further, costly renovations, or we need to find an alternative, suitable property to rent.
Please consider making a donation to help us create a safe, secure home for these vulnerable children. Our 100% promise means that every penny we receive will go directly towards strengthening the care structure of the children.
Thank you for your support.
