UPDATE: Ongoing monthly sponsorship of $100 can provide Sofia and her children with better education, school supplies, clothing and footwear, nutritious meal, and hope for the future. Would you like to assist in child sponsorship? Learn how to Apply as a Volunteer.
The Save Community Care Foundation (SCCF-Uganda) team, one of our local non-profit organizations in Uganda, finally confirmed the situation with Sofiat; they immediately visited her. They found a woman who had already lost two babies to malnutrition and her husband in an unfortunate incident. Her three newborn babies also suffered from malnutrition, and her financial situation was worse than anticipated.
Save Community Care Foundation (SCCF-Uganda) team provided immediate relief, such as food and supplies, but they also knew that Sofiat needed long-term assistance. They are working on a plan to help Sofiat regain her feet and provide for her family.
Update on Sofiat Problems
Ms. Mutesi said she depends on begging food from door to door to feed large families of over 11 children. Sofiat, a mother of eleven, lives in a single room with her husband and children in Katwe, one of Uganda’s poorest and most densely populated Nawaikoke Village. Each day, she begs for enough food to feed her family and the other children who live with them. “I don’t have anything to give them, so I have to beg,” she said. “I look after them as if they are my own.” Ms. Mutesi said her husband is unhealthy and unable to work, so she is the sole breadwinner for the family. She said she makes about $1 a day begging, which is barely enough to buy food, let alone pay rent or school fees.
Ms. Mutesi said her predicament forced her to beg because of Uganda’s high cost of living. She said she could not afford to send her children to school or pay for primary medical care. “I can’t even afford to buy soap,” she said. “I have to beg for everything we need. Ms. Mutesi is just one of many Ugandans struggling to make ends meet. According to the World Bank, nearly half of Uganda’s population lives below the poverty line. The country has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world.
Cost of Living
Uganda’s high cost of living is partly due to the country’s high inflation rate of more than 5.01 percent in 2022. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics found that the cost of food and fuel increased by more than 50 percent in the past year—the high price of living strains families like Ms. Mutesi’s, struggling to get by very little. In addition, many Ugandans turn to informal jobs, such as selling goods on the street, washing clothes, etc., to make ends meet.
The high cost of living also takes a toll on Uganda’s economy. The country’s GDP growth rate has slowed down in recent years. The currency, the shilling, has lost value against the US dollar. The Save Community Care Foundation (SCCF-Uganda) team and Ryvanz-Mia Charity are committed to helping Sofiat and her family in any way possible. They are jointly working on a plan to help her get back on her feet and provide for her family. Read more updates here.
How can you support Sofiat and her children
Donations are still needed for Ms. Sofiat Mutesi and her children.
- Mattresses of 4inch
- Mosquito nets, and
- Blankets
- Currently, the children sleep on the floor, so bedding
- Monthly supply of food
- Soaps as well as a basin for bathing and washing
- Healthcare: medical aid, supplements
- Clothes and footwear
- Sponsorship and educational materials for the children to start school.
- Dialy renting of milk for children.
Sofiat is asking for donations to help her start an income-generating activity, such as rearing chickens, goats, and cows for milk. If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit our donate page on the website.
