Mayuge, Uganda: For 50-year-old Hanifer Nabirye, the devastating storm that swept through parts of Mayuge and Iganga districts on June 10 not only destroyed her home, but it also shattered the only place her family called home.
Now, the widow and her seven children are squeezed into a neighbour’s small one-roomed house in Bubago Village, Buwaya Sub-county, relying on the kindness of others as they struggle to rebuild their lives.
The violent storm, which affected Buwaya Sub-county in Mayuge and neighbouring Nakigo Sub-county in Iganga, left Nabirye seriously injured while several of her children also sustained injuries. Their family house was completely destroyed.
With nowhere else to go, a neighbour offered them space in a small dining room, which now serves as their temporary shelter.
“I was offered a small dining hall by a neighbor in one roomed house which is making life not comfortable with the number of children we have,” a tearful Nabirye told DailyExpress.
Unable to afford the cost of rebuilding, Nabirye says her hopes now rest on the generosity of leaders and well-wishers.
She appealed to the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Mayuge District Woman Member of Parliament, Hajjat Lukia Isanga Nakadama, Bunya East MP Alex Ekolo, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, humanitarian organisations and members of the public to help her family rebuild.
“I have no hope of constructing the house myself yet some of my sons who would help also had their houses broken and spent money for treatment,” she said.
Her son, Faziri Tenywa, described the family’s current situation as heartbreaking.
“We are currently in dilemma over the loss of our houses in the disaster. We ask sympathizers for help to save especially our mother as she is currently living like a refugee with relatives,” Tenywa said.
The family’s plight reflects the wider suffering left behind by the storm.
According to Ayub Kiwaate, the Defence Secretary for Bubago Village, many households that lost homes and property are yet to receive any form of assistance.
Kiwaate added that financial hardship forced one of Nabirye’s children, who suffered a broken leg during the disaster, to leave hospital before completing treatment because the family could no longer meet medical expenses.
Meanwhile, Noah Musobya, the Vice Chairperson of Nakigo Sub-county in neighbouring Iganga District, said the storm affected more than 100 families across the area.
He said local leaders reported the disaster to the relevant government authorities shortly after it occurred but, weeks later, affected families are still waiting for relief assistance.
As Nabirye continues to shelter her family in a borrowed room, she says her greatest wish is to once again provide her children with a safe place to call home.
Members of the public willing to support Hanifer Nabirye and her family can contact them on 0754 592915.
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