Networking is not surprisingly the means to ministering to
so many in the Ntinda area. Mandal and several friends began serving those with
HIV/AIDS in very practical ways usually resulting in connecting families to
local resources. I was invited to tour this community slum and meet a few of
those their organization serves.
Nalongo (the Luganda word for “mother of twins”) is HIV
positive. Her skin is broken out with itchy rash. Her daughter, Babiryi (the
word for “eldest girl twin”), cares for the family during those times when
Nalongo isn’t well. Babiryi’s son Henry, the second of two boy twins, is also
HIV positive. Mandal and his team identified the following health care and
income generation as priorities for this family.
Joyce is HIV positive. Her husband died years ago from
HIV/AIDS. Joyce is caring for her five girls who are in day school. The team
helped her start a small business making food to eat. Though, I marveled at
this “charcoal” made from cassava paste and garbage. The team identified
healthcare and income generation as priority needs for this family.
Samuel is HIV positive. His wife died many years ago of AIDS and he is caring for their 5 children. The children are in day school at the favor of that school and when they come home each night, this is what they come home to (see below). The team identified food and clothing as priorities for this family, though I wonder why shelter would not be near the top of that list.
Uganda Cares provides health care for some of the more than
20 families under the team’s watchful eye and a few people in the community supplement
food staples and clothing when they can, gifts from slum dwellers aren’t often
durable enough. Though entirely unrelated to any business development, I feel a
burden for the home of Samuel and his five children. If you would like to help
reinforce this tiny structure, probably less than $500 would get a nice start,
please click here.
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| This is the entire Samuel household where he and his five children live. |
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| This door is just behind Samuel in the first picture. From this spot I took all the rest of the photos. |
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| A 90 degree turn from the doorway and this is the ceiling. |
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| Pivot to the left. |
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| Pivot to the right. |