Over 100 Buyende single mothers eke living on rocky hill

About 117 single mothers and widows have taken to a rocky hill in Biyumba Village, Irundu Sub-county, Buyende District, to eke a living and support their children as their men evade capture by the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU).

At the hill, 61-year-old mother of five children and seven grandchildren Faridah Nabuuso commands respect and cuts a parental figure as she serves porridge to a host of children and their teenage mothers under Situka Single Mothers Foundation.

The foundation holds together orphans, widows, single and teenage mothers, whose spouses were largely victims of Hiv/Aids, and alleged FPU brutality on Lake Kyoga.

“We ran away from the insurgency in Teso Sub-region and settled in Buyende District, but the situation here is not different as security enforcement on the lake has left many widows, teenage mothers and single mothers,” Nabuuso said on Thursday.

Situka Single Mothers Foundation Executive Director Ali Wadede said he was moved by Nabuuso’s efforts to counsel such mothers, and stepped in to help her, and through social networks, Situka has helped them to move on.

The organisation was founded to empower, support, and energise single mothers and widows to take action and overcome hardships and struggles, focuses on proper upbringing of families, enjoying society benefits and helping them rediscover their self-esteem, among others.

“Our mission is to facilitate unity and advancement of single mothers, widows and teenage mothers through mindset change, advocacy, training and skills so that they regain self-esteem, become productive and self-supportive,” Wadede explained.

Zainab Amejo, a beneficiary, says her two sons were chased into the waters, and one was allegedly shot, while the other reportedly drowned, leaving her with three teenage wives who were pregnant at the time.

She said: “Actually, I became the mother to the twins as their teenage mother couldn’t breastfeed them, but they are now of age.”

Tina Amoit, a teenage mother, says her boyfriend contracted tetanus and his mother has since taken her on although she is too weak. So, she (Amoit) has to do the quarrying to earn a living as her mother-in-law looks after the baby.

Buyende District Community Development Officer Denis Isabirye lauded Situka Foundation for taking on social responsibility to get single mothers, widows and orphans into productive life.

“Instead of running to probation, these mothers, most of whom are single, teenage and HIV positive, have been mobilised towards societal mindset change and productivity,” he said.

Rather than that, Situka Foundation has taken on afforestation, food security, social development through village saving and loans.

Biyumba Village LC1 chairperson Mustapha Emwos commended the efforts by Situka Foundation to give hope to the teenage mothers and widows.

He, however, says the situation is a “time bomb” amidst population boom and inadequacy, urging the government to take up responsibility and offer alternative services, sources of income and livelihood.

According to him, the settlers, who mostly fled the Teso insurgency, are causing a population surge on the lake.

Situka Single Mothers Foundation chairperson Aisha Nakyola says with the fishing business becoming “risky” and many widows created, quarrying in an organised manner became the next best option.

“Though we earn little, we encourage our members to maximise every coin through a strict and prudent saving culture and it is paying off,” she noted.

Gonzaga Gonza Agondeze Atwooki, a co-director at Situka Foundation, says teenage mothers are at high health risk and most likely to experience self-denial, poverty and missed opportunities in life, while their children, too, get disadvantaged.