Last week made me really understand what it means to feel helpless and overwhelmed. 

One of our sponsorship students is dealing with the lasting trauma of rape, another has a family that is dying of HIV/AIDS.  The mother of another sponsorship student, a leader and role model to other HIV/AIDS patients, is brutally attacked in her home and almost killed for no apparent reason.   The community’s response to these situations?  “What can we do?”  Who can blame them when so many people are burdened with these tragedies themselves.

We had earlier met with and invited FIDA Uganda, an organization of Ugandan women attorneys, to provide a workshop to in the village of Kikoiiro, where four of our sponsored children are from.  This fishing village is at one of many landing sites in the country, some of the most under served areas in Uganda.  This presentation from FIDA couldn’t have come at a better time for me and everyone else, including the mother of our sponsorship student, Veronica, who sat in front and listened attentively.  It’s amazing what a simple workshop can do when it is provided to a community yearning for knowledge and given by presenters who are role models and change agents themselves.

Robinah Kyamhangire and Sarah Kasanda, the two FIDA attorneys who presented, stayed until all the questions were answered, all the topics covered, without a break, providing information to the community on basic rights and how to enforce them.   Lately it has become evident to me that without this knowledge other initiatives become almost meaningless.  Rights that community members want to enforce in this village are as basic as the right not to be attacked or violated, the right to own and keep property and a child’s right  to education.   The group was so engaged during the presentation that was made up of community members including men, women, youth, leaders and law enforcement.  There were some misconceptions regarding the law and the group was very happy to be given the knowledge and confidence to demand that their rights are protected in the future.

At the end of the presentation, Veronica’s mother stood up and gave me a big hug.  Later, Chati, the community leader called me to tell me how much the people loved the presentation, as a follow-up, each and every person that attended would like to create a legal Will.   I could hear in his voice how appreciative he was.   This presentation motivated, inspired, and gave hope to the the people of Kikoiiro and to me as well!  I am looking forward to our continued partnership and the linkage between FIDA Uganda and the communities we work with.

After the presentation, community members rush to get copies of handouts provided by FIDA on the laws and their rights