FreeFufu.com

I have read the article and its the story of Africa, its the story of  Uganda and its the story of the Orphaned Uganda child. At one time we used to think that the orphans had been left behind by the Amin Era, and then it was due to the Sabasaba War at the end of the Amin Era. Then from around 1978 came the strange and funny disease called AIDS which was later on nicknamed SLIMU in Uganda. And because of Slim alot of adults and young adults have dies and alot of adolescents are dying, thus affecting the productive part of the nation's population. In the 80s and 90s it was kind of taboo to sayat the funerals that so and so has died of AIDS. But today its normal and people are less afraid of mentioning in their speeches that we are burring so and so who have died of AIDS.

The dead are dead but what of those left behind? its the widows and orphans. Well the story of pipo dying of AIDS and leaving behind widows and orphans can be some news of a very far event not untill it happens near you and now its ypour close relative and then you wake up and realize that we now have the problem of ORPHANS and WIDOWS. Due to AIDS the parents have died and then its the children staying alone as orphans. Some time back these orphans have been lucky to be helped by the grandparents, but as soon as the grandparents also die then it becomes more difficult for the orphans to survive.

ARE THERE MANY DESPERATE ORPHANS ? Oh  yes yes yes. This I witnessed when for the first time I was confronted with the reality that MY LITTLE NIECE HAD BEEN LEFT AN ORPHAN AND HAD BECOME THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY AT THE AGE OF 12 YEARS TAKING CARE OF HER YOUNG BROTHER AND SISTER SINCE THEY HAD LOST ALL PARENTS. The extended family that once gave the support in times of death  like this case, these extended families are no longer giving as much support because many of the adults are sick , weak and perhaps some of them are already dead. But its project like the NYAKA ORPHAN project that will come in and be of help to these orphans. The work done by NYAKA ORPHANS SCHOOL is very much commendable.

 And as the report has said it is true that although the nationa Govt has brought Universal Primary Education  UPE = BOONA BASOME PURAIMARE,  and the newly introduced Universal Secondary Education  USE= BOONA BASOME SINIA, there are the many orphans who cannot afford to buy for themselves things like school uniform, exercise books, pen and pencils, mathematical set, a pair of shoes and even to get lunch. On top of these problems is thebig problem of  walking  long distances say 5 miles from home to school and then back home another 5 miles every day making it a total of 10 miles on an empty stomach without breakfast, no lunch and at times with little or no supper. Now 10 miles  for 5 days Mon-Fri = 50 miles a week, 50 miles times 12 weeks in a term = 600 miles, and 600mls times 3  academic terms in a year = 1800miles in a year. No wonder by the end of the first or second year there has been a recorded high  level of school dropouts because these kids and especially the poor orphans have given up studying!! The boys may be aggresive and stay in school but the girl-child is the one most vulnabel and she will just miss the boat and not continue with her education. and not before long as she approaches marriageable age 16-18 yrs then she is forced into a life of early marriages or pregnancy of the young unwedmother who is just a kid and not a mature woman fit for marriage.!!  UNBELIEVABLE!! SAD!! and its a SHAME that Africa we have not found a way to assist the many orphans. That why NGOs and Govt and faith based organisations must come in and come in a strong way to help alleviate the situation of the AFRICAN ORPHAN CHILD