Help this 8months blind baby see

Eight months ago, Faridah Nakalyango a resident of Masaka, Uganda gave birth to a bouncing baby Tasha Nakigudde.

All was well until the baby opened her eyes.

Faridah says when the child first opened the eyes, there was a milky coating, upon check up, the the doctors said the child could not see.

All diagnosis reveal that the child has an eye condition called primary congenital Glaucoma.

Consequently, the baby has since been blind.  On the outside, the eyes are visibly swollen, while closer look at them reveals how unstable they are in the eye case.

Doctors she has visited have recommended a cornea implant which is pretty expensive and worse still cannot be done here in Uganda.

Faridah has no option left but to look for 20 million to take the child for an operation in India. Unfortunately, she cannot raise the money by herself, she is only appealing to people of good hearts to give her a hand if her child’s sight is to be restored.

Faridah, who is a mother of two is also worried because her first born who got an accident that made one of her eyes blind. She seems the most unfortunate woman, having two blind children with the blindness arrived at in two different ways.

These are true tears of a mother…

Let us help Faridah live as a happy mother.

Re - Uniting Karamoja Children with their families

A Non governmental Organization in Kampala has embarked on resettling street children living in the city back to their homes in Karamoja district.

The organisation is among many that have tried getting children off the streets with little success being achieved. 

But as Gertrude Tumusiime reports the authorities are optimistic about finding a long-term solution to the problem of street children in the country.

My Nothern Uganda Children

By Gertrude Tumusiime Uwitware

I had a great time when I visited Amuru District, northern Uganda. There, I met a few children.

There is a previous post about this, but because I believe my words could not really say it all, I went back to my Gallery and got all the photographs I took while there with the children.

These are the pictures my friend looked at and commented that.."Ugliness is synonymous with Poverty as placed in the post."

I really disagree, these children amused me because of one thing, that even when they are poor, they smile about life, and to me happiness is the best gift you can give to anyone.

Sweet ones had gone to fetch water, they could not stop staring at the car we were in, I stole this shot.

This one ran after the car, he looks like an NRM supporter.

She asked me to take a picture of her, she has never got a copy though.

Then she called ll her friends, to come and pose for a photo.

The rest also asked for photos, they posed, smiled and made friends with me.

Oh, the poses went further, I even saw some movie star stunts.

Vulnerable but happy kids.

We really had a good time.

All poses featured here.

Dear African children.who holds your feature?

Random shots

Keen on something or what?

He posed too..honey.

Then.....they asked to have me in, and they taught me how to say smile, they say Nyer......

By the time i left Amuru, i was called Aber..meaning, the Beautiful, i also had a friend.

Poor Souls, who owns their future?

Children attending class in one of the areas in Tanzania.

By Gertrude Tumusiime Uwitware

I came across this Picture on one of the Tanzanian Newspaper's website. This is the way children go to class, the floor is their desk, slippers are their shoes, and uniforms are a nightmare. they are only lucky to have a book and pencils...OMG

Education is one of the rights that every child is mandated to have. It is however sad that not many children especially in our mother continent Africa get this opportunity.

Despite many Governments efforts to provide affordable education, many children still do not receive the basics the education gives, good example is the UPE in Uganda, it has failed to be fruitful. The good news however is, these programmes can be reviewed to make education better.

We want to see all children enjoying their rights, Governments and all stake holders, we must play our parts in the realisation of a better education for all children. Governments, please allocate funds and review programmes such that Education can be boosted in many especially the remote areas.

Children affected by hunger in West Africa

abcnews.go.com/International/cry-hunger-drought-crisis-west-africa/story?id=16449341#.T8XoX1ta8dU

Cambodia's Orphan Business - People & Power - Via Al Jazeera English

Cambodia's Orphan Business - People & Power - Al Jazeera English

War has not ended in the lives of northern Uganda children

the Writer with some of the children in amuru

By Gertrude Tumusiime

My friend looked at the pictures of children, I took while in Amuru District, northern Uganda, she said,

 “ugliness is synonymous with poverty.” 

 I laughed to the deepest  but later thought through the statement and realized its validity. 

While in Amuru, I  visited a few places, but of the few I went to, the children’s population outnumbered the adults'. 

Here, only the lucky ones wore very scruffy clothes while the unlucky wore only a shirt or a pair of shorts. It was also here that I realized that bear chests and feet are no surprises.  

Under scorching sunshine, the little ones happily stared in awe at every stranger who graced their territory and ran after any car that passed by. Their innocent eyes could have a lot of hope in the us ( visitors). 

These children are welcoming; they generously return a smile to anyone who offers one, not even the misery has robbed them of their smile- the little they have to give. Nevertheless, the smiles that brighten their faces have not completely washed away the misery in which they live. 

While here, you find reason to extend love to a soul of at least one child because practically speaking, none of them looks like he or she is well taken care of. But I personally believe that if they got access to proper care, they can look more beautiful than they look now, or better still who know if they had grown up in averagely well off families, they would actually look beautiful even when they are naturally not so appealing.

Now, although the insurgency that seized the northern part of the country in the 1990’s recently ended, the children in these post-conflict areas still experience war within their lives. Majority of them children are orphans, whose parents died during the war, they now stay with relatives and families outside their own. 

Many if not all of these relatives are living in abstract poverty, with extended families and typically poor standards of living which they have not chosen to live but fate has got them into. Like in any war torn area, they also suffered losses of property to the Rebels during the insurgency. Therefore, for as much as they would have loved to help these orphans and their own children enjoy their full rights, they do not have capability due to their state.

Going to school is a mystery for majority of the children here, even with UPE, many still do not go to school, and they stay home to play, help with house chores and activities of the sort, also, many of them are dropouts at a tender age. I visited Amuru on a weekday and all the days I spent there were schooldays and this means I did not expect any school going age children at home, but to my surprise, it was the opposite. For as long as they can secure a place to sleep and a meal, a day they do not mind the way the rest ends.  

At home, they sleep in congested huts because the families in which they dwell are extended; a small hut here on average accommodates about 4 adults and about 7 children. Disease in this case is inevitable and when they are ill, it is rare that they get proper medical care. 

Despite the fact that the war has practically ended, in the lives and situations of these children, there is still a lot of fighting and gunshots of poverty, ignorance, defilement, diseases, abuse, no shelter, and many other social ills. These are just a portion of the many vulnerable children suffering in Uganda.

But although the government and other stakeholders are involved in the cause of helping these children, a lot of help is still needed to make these kids look beautiful and regain the glory they were created to be. 

Save a soul of a child today.