Alice is a karamojong girl aged 9 years and a second born out of 5 children. Of these one is a boy and four are girls. She lives in Namatala slum in a rented grass thatched structure. Both her parents are alive though Alice’s father abandoned the family and does not provide any support.
This was a push factor for Alice to fall prey to the streets in order to fend for family.Alice says, life was so hard, ‘a meal a day was not obvious’. I engaged in scavenging left overs from the garbage heaps as well as begging for survival since my mother was terminally ill.
CRO social workers came into contact with me during a day survey in 2013. I was pale, dirty, thin, malnourished and with a scaly skin full of blisters. I was so timid at first because when we are coming from Karamoja, we are coached by elders not to talk to anyone we don’t know.
Thank God that one of the social workers knew karamojong language and hence, invited me to the CRO centre.
At the centre, i was given water to bathe, a cup of porridge to take and thereafter interviewed. I wept terribly while narrating my story to the social worker who kept comforting me and giving me a shoulder to lean on as I narrated the painful experience.
A home tracing was made to my home to ascertain the living conditions as well as cross check and verify the information that I had given the social worker.I was enrolled in the school preparatory class 2013. Alice hails the CRO project nurse for helping her parents whose health has greatly improved.
However, I keep praying for my father to stop alcoholism so that he can support us with basic needs and love above all. My mother attends a women club in Namatala and she has learnt how to save; and operates a small business. We can at least be sure of one meal a day.
The school preparatory class has helped me to learn how to read, write and count. I am no longer fearful and timid but am rather confident. My self-esteem has greatly improved especially because at times am assigned to lead others in different tasks.
I am eager to join formal school next year because I was above average in my assessment tests. My hobbies are Music, dance and drama as well as playing net ball. My ambition is to become a teacher so that I can care, love and enlighten people in the world.
Long live CRO! May God bless our donors abundantly.