Name of the caregiver:    Sylvia Nafula Magara

Age of the guardian:   48 years

Name of the child:    Solomon Mukhwana and Josphat Mulongo 

Children Date of Birth:   27/12/2007

Jukumu to me means a safe secure learning enviroment where orphans are given equal opportunity to hostolic growth and development and supportive counselling for the whole family.

My  name Sylvia  Magara,  I’m  48  years  old  a mother of 4 children of my own, and  two total  orphans   that  were  left  under  my  care by my  late brother and  his wife who succumbed to  HIV/AIDS  leaving  eight  orphans  behind  who  were  shared   amongst   all  my  siblings .  after   the burial   of  my   brother,  no   family  member  was  ready  or   willing  to  take  care  of  the   children    because   of  poverty   this  prompted   the family  to  share  the  children  equally each  of   surviving   brothers   and   sister   was  to  take   two  children   and  take  care  of   their  basic  needs   despite  having  their  own  overwhelming    financial  difficulties, after   a lengthy   discussion  which   was  associated   with  a lot  of  insensitive   words  for  the   bereaved   family   a conclusion   was  reached  and  that’s  how  I ended up having  Solomon   and   Josphat  in my   family. It   was  not easy   to  see   the   family   shattering  and  children who  were  still  mourning   bid  each other  goodbye, with  heavy  hearts  not  knowing   when and  if  they  will   ever   meet   again ,    what   awaited   for them in their  new   families. The   big   elephant   left   on my  shoulders   was   convincing  my  very  difficult   and   financially  burdened   husband   to  allow  the children  live  with  us,   when  Informed   him  of  my   family’s  verdict about  the   children     he was  very   adamant   about  the  idea, I went  ahead   and   travelled      with  the   children  despite   his  negative   attitude.  Upon  getting  home   he made  it  clear  to  me that  he was  not  going  to meet  their  expenses knowing   well  that  am  not  able  to  work   due  to  my  health  complication.  The  situation  in my   house  worsened  everyday   as  it  got  to  a point  where  he stopped  providing  for  his  own  children  and   they   could  sometimes  go  without   food. The children  were  not  attending   school   then due    to  lack   of   school  fees.  At  that  point I  got  really  desperate, the  only  option   that   I had  was  taking  this  children to  a children’s  home, though  I  knew  it  was  not   the  right  thing to do    that  was  the only  way  I  could  rest   assured  that  they  got  the  basics,  I was   lucky to secure  a place   after  narrating  to   the manager  my  ordeal,    I was  a bit  relieved   as  I knew   the  children  could   get   food  accommodation, shelter   and  education.  The   following  day  I  went  home prepared  the   children  and  took  them  to  Huruma children’s   home, I  had  previously  lied  to  them  they were  going  to  a boarding  school   and  they kept  on asking  why  my  children  could  not   go  to  the same   school  with  them, My heart   was  bleeding, I could   tell  they  were  suffering  from  separation anxiety,  they   had    lost  their parents  in a span  of  less  than   two  years, they  had  been  separated  from  their siblings,  they    had   started bonding  with  my  children  and  they  had  to   suddenly go away  and start a new life, with total strangers at the age of six . I left the children in the new place after  being  assured that they were going to be  o.k, deep inside  I knew  I was  going  to do  my best  to  ensure  that  i get  the children back   despite  my  health  situation  I was  determined   to  do  everything  to  bring  them  back  home .One   year  after  their  enrolment in the children’s   home   I  went  to  talk to  the  owner  of  a certain  school  who  agreed  to  sponsor  the children  fully, I  was   so  happy  that  my dreams  had  come true  and  didn’t hesitate  to  go   for  the  children from   the children’s  home the   following  day . i  could   see  their  faces   shine  upon  learning   that   they  were  going  back home  and   to a private  day  school,  they   were  later enrolled in  the school  for  two   calendar  terms, after  which  I was   called   by the  school  and informed  that   they  were  not  in a position to  sponsor  the children  anymore   and    I  should  get,  an  alternative  school, I  didn’t  know   what   to  tell  the children,  my  adamant   husband   who  had  later  accepted  to have   the  children   stay   with   our  family   on condition  that  he provides  nothing   but  food   and  shelter. In  my  desperate   and  still  wondering what  to  do  with  the children  I went  to  the market  to   get   some food   for  my  children,  that’s  when  I heard a certain  lady   talk   about  Jukumu  and  how  the  school   had  helped  to   take care  of  her  grandchildren, I asked for the directions and  the   following  day   I  went  to  the school, where  I  explained   to  the   social worker  the history   of   the children,  A home  assessment   was   done   and  the children were  enrolled  in the center  in January  2015 upto date,  since   they  joined  Jukumu   they   are   happier,  their   performance   in  class  has   improved,  through   counseling   they  have  received   from  the centre   they  have  come more   emotionally  stable    and  have   come  in-term  with  the loss  of  their  parents   and  separation  from   their  siblings, JUKUMU   TO  ME  MEANS  A  SAFE  SECURE LEARNING  ENVIRONMENT  WHERE  ORPHANS ARE   GIVEN  EQUAL  OPPORTUNITY  TO  HOLISTIC  GROWTH   AND  DEVELOPMENT   AND  SUPPORTIVE   COUNSELLING FOR  THE WHOLE  FAMILY. THROUGH   JUKUMU   MY  DREAMS   OF STARTING   MY  OWN BUSINESS   ARE  ALMOST  BEEING  REALIZED,   AS  THEY  ENCOURAGED   ME TO  START  SAVING THE   LITTLE  MONEY  THAT  I HAVE  THAT   SHOULD   AIM  AT  ECONOMICALLY  SUPPORTING   CHILDREN   UNDER MY  CARE.