Thank you, VB for the Trainings
Paddy Magwega is a young man from Kiwawu Village, with an intellectual disability aged 20, he attended the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Small business development trainings organized by VB where he learnt more about disability, small business development and personal hygiene. He explained that the trainings helped him in that it gave him confidence and courage to interact with community members and fellow youth with disabilities, unlike before when the he used to be shy and fearful of people. The trainings also helped him to erase the derogatory language used to address persons with disabilities in the community. Paddy got the opportunity to know more and understand disability, especially on ways he could take better care of himself like; how to make his fellow youth accountable in case of assault and protecting himself from acquiring HIV/AIDS once he is ready for sexual relationships. Because of the trainings, paddy is now the recipients of community protection against child abuse. His father’s second wife who would beat him at every chance she got for failure to do household chores and her orders. In her own way, she tries to keep him safe by taking him everywhere with her so he can engage with people in her presence to avoid the peer pressure that comes from making bad friends.
Paddy Magwega
Kiwawu Village, Intellectual disability
Learn more about financial independence
Sophia Namulondo is an epileptic mother of 2 kids living with her parents. The frequent epileptic seizures she suffered as a child, forced her to drop out of school in Senior one. Fortunately, she ably manages them through taking medicine obtained for her from the hospital by her father. At 23 years of age; Sophia admitted that the only form of Family Planning she practices is abstinence. A decision she made after the father of her two children failed to support them yet keeps coming around. From the training conducted by Vulnerable Basket, Sophia was able to learn more about financial independence and how she could sustain herself as a woman with a disability. Even though her mother pays her children’s fees, she buys them the necessary school materials and stationery from the money she makes out of selling hand-made brooms. As far as her menstrual hygiene is concerned; Sophia, like many others, uses old panties, leaves and clothes for sanitary towels because she can’t afford the imported type.
Sophia Namulondo
Vulnerable Basket, Epileptic mother
Encouraged to become productive members of society
Kagere Hadijah is an 18-year-old single parent of 2 years baby girl. She with an intellectual disability living with her aunt Nabuyungo Mariam. According to her aunt; Hadijah was neglected and mistreated by her parents during childhood. They would hide her away from society, give her food when they remembered and leave her alone without attention for days on end. Seeing the poor conditions Hadijah was living in, Mariam asked to be her guardian and took care of her from her own village in Kiwawu. Under her watchful eye and treatment, Hadijah grew into a beautiful girl who could take care of herself and do household chores while she went to the farm. They attended the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights trainings together and Hadijah learnt more about menstrual hygiene, rights awareness for Girls and Women especially when it comes to Sexual Reproductive Health, education and the importance of a Village Saving and Loans Associations which Hadijah is involved in courtesy of her aunt who saves for her to make her feel financially independent. For Aunt Mariam; she understood the need for Girls with Disabilities to have responsibilities and why they should be encouraged to become productive members of society.
Thank you, Vulnerable Basket.
Kagere Hadijah
intellectual disability, 18-year-old single parent
Family Planning and the preventive measures
Namukwaya R. Mary 30 years of age, physically disabled and a mother of 3 children. The trainings she attended on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights organized by Vulnerable Basket taught her so much on Family Planning and the preventive measures necessary to curb HIV/AIDS. Namukwaya admitted to not being able to do without the trainings because of the lessons she got on economic empowerment through savings groups, the friends she made who advise her when necessary and the Family Planning methods that have helped her in terms of child spacing and pregnancy. Although she used to be around women who used Family Planning, Namukwaya used to ignore their advice and use because of the negative effects on the female body. Little did she know that people are affected differently by different methods? She has been on the implant for one and a half years and admits to a positive change in lifestyle as a result. The biggest change of all is the rise in her self-esteem. She’s now able to communicate with community members and face the negative language towards her disability head on. Thank you, Vulnerable Basket.
Namukwaya R. Mary
Vulnerable Basket, Mother of 3 children
Intellectual Disability
Mutoni Juliet is an 17-year-old girl with a double disability. Intellectuallydisabled, Juliet attended the Sexual Reproductive Health and Small business development trainings organized by Vulnerable Basket. Her mother narrated the ordeal she went through trying to confirm Juliet’s blindness as being a hard and financially straining one. She was first taken to the Eye – specialists that came to village and given eye drops which didn’t cure Juliet’s lack of vision. It was during the third visit that the Specialist discouraged her from seeking further medical attention for Juliet’s vision as it would never be restored. In order to keep her child safe, her mother resorted to keeping Juliet at home and doesn’t send her to fetch firewood and water by herself. She also shared the information she got out of the trainings to her family members who, along with Juliet, know to report to Kiwawu Local council one (LC1) in case of sexual assault. Regarding menstrual hygiene, Juliet too uses old clothes as padding during her menstrual cycle. Thank you, Vulnerable Basket.
Mutoni Juliet
Kiwawu Local council one (LC1), Double disability
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