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Aisha
Nabukeera, a girl child aged 13 years lived in
Nyendo village, a surburb of Masaka and went to
Nyendo Public Primary school. Aisha is born to the family
of Ahmed Matovu, a small scale businessman in Masaka
town (Central Uganda). Her father, Motovu has a polygamous
family of three wives and 9 children and Aisha’s mother
is called Sophia Nakandi. Aisha lived in Nyendo with
her first step mother and her two half sisters.
In
the long Christmas holiday of 2005, Aisha visited her
second step mother, Sarafina Ndagire in Kyabakuza village
Masaka who currently lives with her father, to help
with home chores so that she would raise her following
term’s school fees.
On
the fateful day of the 6th February 2006,
Aisha got involved in a fateful incident when fire from
a wick candle burnt her chest, abdomen and legs.
As
per the story relayed by the victim, she was sent to
buy paraffin from a nearby fuel station and on
return, she was ordered to wear a dress that smelt petrol.
Aisha advised that the dress was smelling but was forced
to adhere to her step-mother’s orders as an elder.
She
was later asked to light a local wick candle (tadooba)
which she agreed to do.
Upon
striking the match stick as Aisha explains, she just
saw fire catch her body and spontaneously, She ran towards
the door into the compound.
Aisha,
in her story laments that she is not aware of who exactly
rescued her from the fire that continued burning on
her body as she ran, but she remembers someone with
an Arsenal Club shirt removing her dress and later
the step mother pouring water on her burnt body.
She
then was rushed to a nearby health centre (Hope Clinic)
where minimum first aid was applied to stop the spread
of the burns.
Thereafter,
Aisha was rushed to Masaka referral Hospital and latter
to a local herbalist one "Dr." Doboozi who
applied herbs to the wounds. "Dr." Doboozi
reported that Aisha had been severely burnt and it would
take several operations to recover her skin.
After
Aisha's father, Matovu had paid a deposit to the herbalist
he refused to part with any more funds for treatment.
Aisha’s mother Sophia Nakandi filed a case for child
neglect with the Family and Children Protection Unit
at Masaka court having earlier filed a case of inflicting
grievous harm on her daughter at Masaka police.
Since
the filed case was child neglect other than the cause
of the grievous harm, the chief Magistrate Mr.Nda Batema,
after a clear observation of Aisha demanded that police
carry out an investigation of the cause of the burns
before proceeding with that of child neglect.
The
police investigations of the case are still going on
and the suspect is currently on police bond.
On
the day when Aisha and the mother appeared in court
for the child neglect case that had been filed against
her father Matovu, a good Samaritan Mr. Frank Gashumba
offered to support Aisha as much as he would afford.
Aisha
and the mother then moved to Kampala where they now
live with the said Good Samaritan who has offered financial
and physical assistance, for the victim to undergo several
minor operations at Mengo Hospital in Kampala by a team
of dedicated doctors lead by Dr. Andrew M Hodges of
Katalemwa children's rehabilitation center.
According
to the doctors who have carried out the series of operations,
Aisha will require a major operation overseas to facilitate
the recovery of some of her body parts like the breasts
and hands.
As
Aisha’s mother narrates, her child has been in tears
since the day of the fateful incident and has put her
to task of answering a lot of questions about her future.
As quoted, the mother lamented that “Aisha needs a lot
of support spiritually, emotionally and physically,”
she needs to be supported to forgive the culprits that
fostered her torture.
The
tears of sorrow to a thirteen year old girl whose hope
for a future was tarnished should be a debt in our hearts
to help Aisha and to advocate for justice to prevail
in all situations; and at all times.
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