HELP PROVIDE SAFETY FOR MAWAZO

Greetings,

This post will be a little different from the rest for two reasons. Firstly, it was written by a guest writer and secondly, it is because through this post you will be able to make a difference in someones life.

Introducing Mawazo, written by Pat Brennan, a sponsor to Uganda Charities. Should you feel a need to help Mawazo and her community, please contact him by E-mail.

THE STORY OF MAWAZO

Samwiri recovering from severe Malnutrition 

Mawazo is a thirteen year old girl. She is now the head of her family, with four younger siblings. They are living alone in a one roomed grass-thatched, tiny, old hut. They live in a village called Mukongoro, the last village at the top of the hill on the border of Uganda and Congo. Mawazo is an intelligent girl; hardworking, working all day to support her younger siblings. Samwiri is ten years old, Eliya is seven, Aaron is five and Kellen is three. None of the children attend school. Mawazo "dropped out" of school about a year ago, in order to look after the younger children. After the death of their parents, immediate relatives did not care for them and stole their property and land. The children live near their uncle, who is very poor. 

BWINDI COMMUNITY TEAM

Bwindi Hospital Community Team became aware of Mawazo, while visiting the village, during their routine malnutrition screening and mass de-worming programme. Samwiri was severely malnourished and was brought to Bwindi Community Hospital for admission. After intense treatment, Samwiri was discharged, but unfortunately had to be re-admitted, still suffering from severe malnutrition. It was at this time that the community team became aware Samwiri and his siblings were orphans, but also discovered there were no immediate relatives who were prepared to support the children, except for one uncle, who was too poor himself to be able to do much for the children. Samwiri has had further re-admissions to the hospital, because he is unable to receive enough nutritious food to aid his recovery.

Bwindi Hospital  Community Health Team appealed to to the hospital staff to support the children, especially with food and clothing. As a result of this appeal, the staff supplied the children with posho, beans, maize flour, sugar and butter. The community team visited Mawazo and her siblings, with special emphasis on checking Samwiri's progress. With regular checks, Samwiri is making slow, but positive progress.

Mawazo and her four younger siblings are in great need of a basic and improved shelter, food, clothing, health care and the opportunity to receive a school education. If these basic requirements are achieved, the chances of the children's survival will greatly increase.

This very sad and very shocking situation Mawazo, Samwiri, Eliya, Aaron and Kellen are in, is not a story, but reality. It is something, which we in our own developed countries, find very hard to appreciate and impossible to empathise with. I am sure Mawazo and her four younger siblings are not unique and maybe throughout Uganda, Africa and other parts of the underdeveloped world, there are similar children, trying to survive when all the odds are very much stacked against them. For humanitarian reasons, we have to do something for children such as Mawazo, Samwiri, Eliya, Aaron and Kellen.

Blessed Mother Teresa left us with many profound examples of caring for and supporting the poor and disadvantaged in our world. Blessed Mother Teresa once said:-

"When we die and it comes for God to judge, He won't ask how many good things have you done in your life, but how much love did you put into what you did."

Pat Brennan.