The COVID-19 pandemic has affected several businesses and individuals across the globe and in developing countries there are no hopes that the situation is normalising anytime soon.
A largest population of people in these countries (DCs) that depends on a hand to mouth economy is the most affected, businesses, schoools and agricultural markets have partly been affected by the lockdown prompting multibillion companies to exit the markets.
In Uganda, the charity groups, Non Government Organisations (NGOs) were not spared as almost most of their sources of funding, local and foreign sponsors were closed down and many have since ceased operations.
But, there untold individuals, “the adoptive parents” who had obtained adoption orders or legal guardianship fo their adopted children especially those living in rural areas.
Jane Beronda, estiamted in her late 60’s, a resident of Rwenkuba Cell, Rurehe Sub County, Ruhinda South County in Mitooma District Southwestern Uganda, is among the guardians living with an adopted child, she reached out to ParrotsUG seeking for financial and material support to raise basic needs for her adopted son.
According to her, she adopted this child (names withheld, 3yrs-old) after she found the baby abandoned in the nearby bush where she had gone to collect firewood. As a responsible parent, she reported the matter to authorities and police search for the baby’s parents has up to now yielded no results.
She then obtained legal guardianship orders from the government which pledged to give her support in raising the child until parents were identified, but this according to Berondera failed.
She shares the plight of raising her son single handedly especially amid COVID-19 Pandemic which has paralysed all her sources of income such as cultivation, basket weaving and working in other people’s farms for a payment or food.
“I have lived with this child for three and a half years. Government had promised to extend to me some help but it has neglected me. My son needs basic needs like food, clothes, medical care, beddings but I have no means of raising all these,” Berondera told Parrots UG in an Interview.
She through Parrots UG appealed to all persons of goodwill, government and NGOs to run for her support so as she can ably raise her beloved son.
“I appeal to everyone out there to support me with the little or much they have so that it can help me to take care of my son,” she said.
In a bid to show her support, Parrots UG has launched an online campaign aimed at raising funds to start up an income generating project to Berondera as well as giving her finacial and material support.
“We have launched a 1month online campaign, ending on November 8, created a whatsApp group and we are sharing the audivisual message to our readers on our social media platforms. Our target is to hit minimumly UShs 1m and start up a piggery project to Mrs. Berondera and give her other support,” Leonard Kamugisha Akida, founder Parrots UG said.
He further pledged for accountability and transparency of any donations passed through Parrots UG.
“We have set up a donation line and a treasurer, Ms. Blessing Aikiriza, who will take safety of all our donations. We shall be announcing all our weekly collections on our platforms every Sunday to ensure accountability and transparency,” he added.
Any kind persons can donate through;
- Parrots UG;
Mobile Money: +256778255876/+256706640016 (Leonard Kamugisha)
+256 772-570-062 (Aikiriiza Blessing. Email: parrotsug@gmail.com
Parrots UG WhatsApp Group Link
