How are the children

Uganda has been in full lockdown since March 21st. The air traffic was suspended our volunteers came back to the Netherlands with one of the last KLM evacuation flights . The schools were closed, our students on campus had to go back to their families. All forms of transport were prohibited. Do you need groceries? Then you have to walk! Do you need to see a doctor? Then you will have to walk!

Consequences for the children

All our children have returned to the villages where they come from. They often live in crowded places where keeping a distance of one and a half meters is virtually impossible. Many people are now out of work. Most workers in Uganda are casual laborers. Many factories and workshops have now closed. Whilst people are restricted in the distance they are allowed to travel, they are being forced into looking for food. Without income, they will still have to support their families..Providing for the basic daily necessites has become of even greater importance.

Schooling

The Ministry of Education in Uganda is proving teaching material through the television. For those who do not have television at home, photocopies can be got from their village leaders. In practice, this is proving very difficult and is not working as well as required. There are frequent power cuts regularly, so that the lessons are very difficult to follow. Some village leaders are also asking for money for the photocopies,  which most families can't afford now.

How are the children coping?

Our teachers try to speak to all children by telephone, however not everyone is accessible. Because transportation is forbidden, they can't go to the children to see how they are doing. This is very hard. Also because the staff have no insight into any possible domestic violence. The fact that there is no income can cause a lot of stress in families and that can sometimes lead people do things at are not acceptable.  The staff sometimes powerless being able to  do so little for the children. To date, we have no reason to think that this has actually taken place ,but we don’t know. The children are usually positive on the telephone. The children who have HIV receive their necessary medicines. There are a few children who have had malaria, but they are fortunately recovering again. Where the worst comes to the worst and need arises, families are being helped with a financial contribution to be able to buy food.

Pray for them

If you pray, pray with us for the children. That they will be safe and healthy. That the schools can be opened again soon and that we can welcome the children back again with open arms.

The near future

There have been very few corona cases in Uganda, but the government is rightly very cautious. Infections in the slums could quickly turn into a unstoppable fire. There is no prospect yet as to when the schools will reopen. That could be while of yet. We just wait...