IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BRING UP A CHILD: COURAGE AND PERSEVERANCE; A CASE IN LWANKONI SUB COUNTY
Through Public Health Steering Team Uganda, Real Hope Foundation is reaching out to Households with high vulnerability and risks to gender based violence. These are opportunities for awareness raising on ending violence, promote child rights and eliminate violence against humanity.
Lwankoni is a Sub-county of Kyotera District where issues to do with gender-based violence are normalised in many households. Women and children suffer most when the breadwinner male household head is also an alcohol abuser and mistreats the family with impunity.
Another interesting point about Lwankoni Sub-County is that it has communities where HIV affected families severely. In a small village where real hope Foundation (RHF) served for a few days, a total 32 households were left under the care of children as household heads.
Real Hope Foundation has a series of case studies. We bring you one taken from Kalangala village of Bbale Parish in Lwankoni Sub-County where we conducted a Community Parenting Training. The major focus of this training was to create awareness on human rights and how to end violence in the communities. Our main participants were parents.
In this case study we meet Robert Sinoni, born in 1983 to Falasko Bazungu and Ndagano Mary, all of whom succumbed to HIV in 1988 and 1991 respectively. The father passed away when Sinoni was one and a half years old. The mother followed after two years when Sinoni was three and a half years old. Sinoni happens to be the last born in the family of seven. He never experienced the love of his parents.
Sinoni, had an elder sister and this elder sister became the house hold head to all the siblings. This lasted for one year until she eventually got married. Since there was no body to take care of him, the sister moved went with Sinoni to her marital and new home.
Sinoni, became the "first born of the family." He was able to go to school for a short-while too in 1994. Unfortunately, the brother-in-law was an alcoholic. The home became a battle field, at one time Sinoni was chased out of the house in the cold night and without blanket or clothes to warm him!
At another time the brother-in-law would batter the sister in Sinoni's presence! This was so traumatising. Imagine, all this happened before Sinoni had become fourteen (14) years of age. When he made it to fifteen (15) around 1995, he opted to return home at his biological father’s house and started staying alone. Neighbours and friends gave him support in form of odd jobs to earn a living. As time went on, the desire to go back to school was rekindled.
Being a child-household head and looking for odd jobs to survive did not stop Sinoni to dream about continuing with school. This obstacle did not deter him from his dream. So, whatever money he made he was able to save it and managed to return to school in 1997-1999.
He paid school fees by himself since Primary Four to Primary Seven. He went to Saint Francis of Assisi Kamaggwa for Primary One (1) to Primary four (4). Later he joined Kyembazi Primary School for Primary five (5) to Primary Seven (7) at twenty years (20).
After Primary Seven (7), Sinoni opted to go and live in Kampala City Authority (KCCA) in 2001 to look for greener pastures. He made up his mind when he was around twenty-two (22) years. He managed to go to the City, was hosted by his brother called Ssegayi Richard in Nnabweeru of Kawempe Division. The brother was a Boda-rider who taught him to navigate Kampala City astutely. Sadly in 2009, the brother passed away.
Sinoni recalls that he got a female companion when he was 17 years old. When he fell in love with his wife he felt happy and remarked that he had found a friend indeed and in need. He says that the wife has provided him with the love which he has compensated due to the loss of his mother and father.
Robert is currently providing for five children and a spouse. With the experiences he went through, he learnt lessons not to copy habits that cause violence in the family. Today Robert feels he has acquired skills to continue providing time and love to his wife and children. He appreciates Real Hope Foundation for giving his community such awareness. It is the only way in which members can promote child rights and eliminate violence against humanity.
In conclusion, many individuals go through challenges where cultural beliefs play a big role in concealing information, and promoting toxic masculinity where a man does not cry. The women are cautioned never to speak out against abuses.
There is need to continue having individual household sessions that empower communities to assess Gender Based Violence and come up with solutions.
We call upon all communities to address Gender-based violence by talking and denouncing acts of violence in the homes as this leads to trauma and all sorts of vulnerability including death.
Figure 1 Robert Sinoni and his loving family at their home in Lwankoni
Community Members reacting to L3 Chairperson's remarks
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