Hi, my name is Lugemwa Christopher with my co-founder Rebecca Namiiro, and team leader of Precious Care Network. Through our work doing autism awareness and skilling programs in our community, we come across heartbreaking stories every day stories that remind us why our mission is so urgent.

Recently, we met a young autistic girl whose story broke our hearts.

Abandoned by her family at a young age, she was taken in by an aunt and eventually forced to work as a bar attendant. At just 14 years old, she was victimized and raped, leading to the birth of her child. On top of living with autism and epilepsy, she suffered severe fire accidents that left her body covered in scars.

Today, she has nowhere to run. Because of her condition and lack of support, she is unable to earn a living, get the medical care she needs, or educate her child.

This young mother’s story is not an isolated one. At Precious Care Network, we meet many children and young people with autism who face extreme neglect, abuse, and poverty simply because the world around them does not understand or accommodate their needs.