Teenage siblings study in shifts to nurse their bed-ridden mother

“This week is my turn to sit home and wash mum’s clothes, take water for her to bathe, and wear gloves to dress her wound,” she said on Monday, adding that this has been going on since the beginning of first term.

At that rate, therefore, it means each sibling has not reported to school for at least eight weeks (two months) since the schools’ calendar started on February 5.

“I miss school but have nobody to leave my mother with; we are two,” says Fridausi.

It has previously been suggested that some of the causes of school dropouts in Busoga Sub-region are early pregnancy, offering cheap labour to sugarcane cutting and fishing activities, among others.

Every year, nearly two million children begin primary school, but less than half and only slightly more than a quarter of this number in some cases complete primary school.

A 2016 education statistical abstract shows that while 1.8 million pupils enrolled for Primary One in 2016, over 1 million of them dropped out before completing primary, with only 830,000 of them writing Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in 2022.

The mother, Saina Nabirye, 30, who is bed-bound in Bulanga Village, Bulanga Town Council, Luuka District, said she decided to have her daughters take turns at school because she has nobody to help her.

“There is nothing to do; they all want to study but priority is given to the older one who is in Primary Seven,” Ms Nabirye said of the seemingly bizarre learning model adopted by her daughters.

A lady operating a makeshift bar and charcoal business in the neighbourhood, but declined to be named, said there is no day when both girls have gone to school. She, however, explained that it is “understandable” if it is to take care of their reclusive sick mother.

Ms Nabirye says around 2009 while pregnant with her first child she noticed a “small swelling” on her vulva which disappeared immediately after giving birth but resurfaced six months after delivery.

She says the swelling slowly increased in size and despite going to several health centres, there was no improvement until early last month when she was diagnosed with cancer of the vulva.

According to health experts, although it can occur at any age, vulvar cancer is most commonly diagnosed in older adults.

“I went to Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) but while there, I was told that the disease is advanced and was asked to go back home,” Ms Nabirye added.

However, she has been enrolled for hospice care at Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja, a non-governmental inter-faith organisation that provides home-based, holistic palliative care to patients with cancer and severe Hiv/Aids in Busoga Sub-region.

Ms Irene Naleba, a palliative care clinical officer at the organisation, says Ms Nabirye has previously been managed for other things yet it is cancer. “She has been pushing children while in a cancerous state,” Ms Naleba said.  

She added: “The right diagnosis has been made this year when it is late; however, at an early stage, it is treatable. She is now bed-bound and totally dependent, while experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort from the wound.”

According to Ms Naleba, Nabirye’s husband and daughters are HIV negative, but hailed the husband for being supportive to-date. “Most men run away because they aren’t getting what they want,” she further explained.

Ms Naleba, however, thinks both girls are safer consistently being in school. “What protects Fridausi is staying in school; there is less exposure to threats like marauding builders and others,” she said.