Help for Tendo, Promise, Sylivia and Makumbi

Hi everyone, my name is Daniele and I'm helping build a support center for women and children in dire need in Uganda, about 1.5 hours north of Kampala.

During my days working at the construction site, I've come into direct contact with some people who live in this remote village in the middle of the forest, especially with several children who sometimes come to watch, hang out, and even help with the work.

That's how I met Tendo and Promise, two lovely girls aged 13 and 9. I met them because they were at the construction site, carrying 10kg water tanks back and forth from a spring 300 meters away to the construction site to make cement. Nonstop, 5 or 6 trips, sometimes carrying as many as two tanks at a time (20kg!!!)

They did it to be with someone, to eat the lunch we brought for everyone with us, and to get a tip at the end of the day.

...but Tendo, Promise Sylivia, and Makumbi should be in school!

Getting to know the siblings too, I've grown very fond of them and tried to find out as much as possible about their situation, their family, their circumstances, and why they don't go to school.

It wasn't easy. Everything is different here; there are clans incorporated into families and vice versa. Many women have countless children from different absent fathers (Tendo, Promise Sylivia, and Makumbi's mother has 10 other children, but all in different families supported by relatives, uncles, grandparents, or clan leaders). In short, gathering even the smallest amount of information is a challenge... but I did it, and that's why I can't just stand by and watch; I have to do something, with your help.

I've practically adopted these kids since I've been here, providing as much as I can, from food, clothing, toys, to some necessary medical care etc., but I will return home sooner or later and they will return to their lives that are not appropriate for their age.

Tendo, Promise, Sylivia, and Makumbi need everything!

They have absolutely nothing, literally!

Pretending to visit their house because I wanted to "choose" my bedroom for the next time I come to visit them (silly excuse, but you get the meaning), I made some videos of the conditions they live in.

Empty house, no running water (no one in the village has it, they go to a well 200 meters away), no electricity, no furniture, no chairs (Promise, who speaks a little English, told me she has never sat down except on the floor... in 9 years she has never sat on a chair!), a mattress whose condition I won't describe, clothes that we would consider rags to be thrown away, no medical care whatsoever, zero (one day I noticed that Promise had burned two fingers with fire, I noticed it 3 days later, and we immediately went to the emergency room where they had to give her intravenous antibiotics for 4 days for a beginning infection, in addition to cleaning, bandaging, etc... cost 25 euros, nothing for us, absolutely prohibitive for them, about 6 days of her mother's salary... so they don't say anything and wait for the pain and infection to go away).

Sisters and friend help Promise put on her "Sunday" dress to go to the hospital to get her burn treated.

As for food, they eat what they are given, and if all goes well, twice a day, but the food is very poor in nutrients and almost always flour (since we started the project, they have eaten three meals a day, but unfortunately it will be temporary unless we find a solution).

...so what can be done?

I've done a lot of research, spoken to many people, and this is what can be done, in order of priority and importance:

Their school is the Heroes Junior School in Kyampisi.

I went to the school and spoke with one of the directors to find out the annual costs for the full-time program, 9am - 5pm (I'll include a budget at the end of this post), including breakfast and lunch. Plus, basic medical checkups.

The girls have been out of school for almost a year (the youngest never been), so they'll have to go to one (maybe two) classes below, but they assured me it's not a problem. (Unfortunately, it often happens that children drop out of school due to costs, so it's a normal issue to manage.)

They won't sleep on the floor no more. We'll buy two bunk beds with mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets (it gets chilly in the evenings, reaching as down as 14 degrees).

We'll also need a table and four chairs so they can eat sitting down, not on the floor near the fire.

Some pots, pans, plates, cutlery, and glasses (they eat with their hands because they don't have enough cutlery).

New clothes, shoes, and underwear (when I took them to the movies one day, we then went to the market to buy some clothes, and they asked me for underwear, which we bought—50 cents each). I asked the coordinator why girls their age would ask me for this, and not just for a sweatshirt, a skirt, etc. Well, I was told that if they have 50 cents in their pockets, they buy food, so underwear is never bought. But now, since they're older, they're starting to feel a bit unease about not having underwear under their dresses.

Here they are, deciding the colours at the market.

Sunday Funday

They've never had anything.

Now they live according to nature's rhythms. At the equator, there's always 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light, all year round. These kids spend 12 hours every day in total darkness, since they don't have candles, electricity, or even cell phones or lamps/batteries.

We will use the funds raised to pay the annual tuition fee first, followed by other priorities, following the table below with verified costs.

I will personally use this funds according to the plan and I will post updates on this page, no intermediary, no money given to anyone, I buy everything so they can start afresh a new chapter in their lives

Here is the cost breakdown:

With €5,000, we can change the direction of their lives and give them a new start, if we also include a monthly allowance (managed by the center coordinator), while we wait for the costs (and feasibility) of the electricity connection.

We can think about the next school years in a second phase.

Thanks to everyone from me, the coordinator, and especially

Tendo, Promise, Sylivia, and Makumbi

... and now it's time to introduce them to you in person :)

Tendo Hasfah

Promise Karungi

Makumbi Geofrey

Sylivia Kisakye