Buyende widows cry out to Govt for help as hunger, poverty strikes

Buyende, (UG):- More than 100 widows in Buyumba village Kagulu sub-county in Buyende district have asked the government and other stakeholders to come and help as they live in a miserable state.

These widows say they have nowhere to sleep, children dropped out of school and have nothing to eat.

Monica Namaganda, 45, a mother of five who says she is HIV positive said that her late husband died eight years ago and left 5 five children but they are starving, and her children have dropped out of school.

“My husband died eight years ago but I have nowhere to sleep, my children dropped out and sometimes I fail to get food which hinders me from taking my ARVS,” she says.

Namaganda who also lives with her mother Nakawooma Bitu 65, continues that her five children now help by doing causal jobs like cultivating for people in the village such that they get what to eat.

Nakawooma, also a widow said that when her husband died she decided to go stay with her daughter but the situation worsened as they now have nothing to eat and asking for the government and other stakeholders to come help because now are worn out.” Government and well wishers should come and help”.

Another widow, Ms Nabutono Hadijah, Namaganda’s daughter who dropped out of school in P4 at Buyumba primary school had a dream of becoming a Nurse but now all in vain because she is helpless. ” My dream was to become  a Nurse but have no support because  my mother cannot afford to pay for my school fees.” 

Nakyola Aisha said after realising that they have no aid they formed an umbrella group Called “SITUKA SINGLE MOTHERS” which unites all widows in the village and Busoga at large to fight against challenges they encounter.

“As widows, we face many challenges, so this umbrella group is trying to solve some challenges and improve widow’s lives but we lack funds”.

David Balifunali, the chairperson LCI Buyumba Village said that the number of widows has increased in the village due to poverty and most of the men were fishermen but they were killed by the soldiers on Lake Kyoga.

“Soldiers who were brought to keep law and order on Lake Kyoga used brutal force which left more people dead and poverty plus depression have led to the death of the most especially men”.