At 17years, she already has two children!
Nyamwamba division is one of the Divisions that comprise Kasese Municipality, Kasese District. It is densely populated with slum characters and all sorts of behaviors. The division is made up of over 20 cells but mere visits to only two cells; the story of young mothers is unbelievable!
Kabugho Rosemary a mother to two children describes her story. Her first borne is 3years old now and the second one 1year old but malnourished as in the photo above.
She says both of her parents died when she was still a young child at the age of 6 and parental care has been given by her old grandmother who lives in Nyamwamba East, Nyamwamba Division of Kasese Municipality. No relative apart from the aging grandmother accepted the responsibility to raise her. And she (the grandmother) has only one small business (charcoal selling) as the only source of income to cater for the family.
Previously, I (Kabugho) was attending a rural primary school but nobody would cater for my school dues and scholastic materials till life became so hard that I dropped out of school. I then opted to stay with my grandmother however this was like jumping out of a frying pan into fire as I was also expected to provide either lunch or supper for myself at the age of 12, Kabugho narrates with sadness.
Kabugho says, this made her to start working hard as a casual laborer so that she could be able to meet some of the needs at home. With a twisted voice, Kabugho says, in the process, she was lured into sex with a BodaBoda boy (Local Motorcycle cyclist) who promised her marriage something that attracted Kabugho who saw it as an alternative as opposed to her suffering.
Precisely, she conceived for the BodaBoda boy who never took care of her and her child and generally she continued with suffering of providing for herself and the child at the age of 13years old.
Later, Kabugho was again convinced of good life by the same boy (father to the first borne) and Kabugho says she gave in so easily since she sought that the father would now be able to help take care of his blood son and in the same process, she conceived for the second, now the 1year old. The promises she was assured of were never realized and the trend of her suffering is just recurring as explained.
Kabugho is at home jobless and helpless and says she has no hope of any miracle to live a better life. She only struggles on how her children get what to feed on and hopes of them enrolling for school are minimal even when education would be free since she could be in position to at least offer the scholastic needs.
Rural Focus Initiative Uganda looks at the need to have children catered for equally. One of the identified activities has been vocational skills training and entrepreneurship to enable them live independently or a normal life. With the skills gained, we believe one will not be the same again.
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