Akello (Not real name) was 6 years old when she was raped by a 26 years old man. Akello who lives with her 79 years old grandmother lost her father when the rebels attacked her village in Oyam District – Uganda in 2001. The little girl`s father was abducted by the Lord Resistance Army, he has never returned and the family does not know whether he is alive or dead. Akello`s mother was also abducted by the rebels, a week after her husband was abducted and Akello who was being looked after by her grandmother at the time, was left at eight (8) months old. One Sunday morning, on her way to collect water; the little girl was stopped by a man who asked her the whereabouts of the grandmother. Akello told this man her grandmother had gone to the market and will not be back until late. The man, the evil man then led Akello home to her grandmother`s house, raped her and left her unconscious. The man who was believed to be on drugs at the time went to his house, which was just about 50 metres away from Akello`s grandmother and he comfortably felt asleep.
When the grandmother later got home and discovered her little granddaughter in a pull of blood, she rushed her to the nearby health centre for medical attention. You will not want to know what happened from here onward, but I will tell you anyway. This poor little girl was refused medical attention by the health workers until her extremely poor grandmother pays 50,000 Uganda Shillings. The poor old woman did not have a coin, and she had no choice except to take the kid home. She later went to a nearby shop, and the shop-keeper was able to give her a few panadol to give to the little girl to relieve her of pain. That same afternoon, the old woman reported the matter to the nearby Police Post but she faced the same dilemma; the Police officers wanted her to pay 50,000 Uganda Shillings (for the ink and paper) because it is a raped case before they could take her statement. Again, she was blocked from Justice just like from serving her little grand daughter`s life at the health centre; how ugly!!
I was in church one Sunday morning when my hotline phone beeped (I was coordinating an SGBV project in Northern Uganda at the time); and I quietly walked out of church and called back. It was a call from The Local Councillor one (LC1 Chairperson) reporting a case of a little girl who was raped three (3) days ago and the situation is life threatening. I took the details of the girl, the location and immediately left with my driver plus one other social worker. After a few stops here and there to ask for direction to the home where the little girl was dying from pain; we finally got there. The first person we met was her grandmother who was standing outside in tears, and when I asked for the little girl; she silently pointed into a hut. What my eyes saw and the smell that filled the air is something that will remain with me forever. This little girl already got lots of other infections by this time and she was vomiting pus, yes pus. I still remember how I rushed out and sat behind the hut in tears, and in shock. My other colleague quietly rushed inside after me and immediately rushed out like she was being chased by a ghost from inside. We later put on protective gears and cleaned the little girl before taking her in my work car to Aber Health Centre where she was rushed into the emergency ward and surgery done. We later went to Aber Police Station and reported the case, but it was too late because this little girl`s infections had already caused lots of damages in her body. This sweet little angel survived but she has lost her womb and will never be able to have kids when she grows up. Meanwhile, the perpetrator who was loitering in the community and reluctant to run knowing nothing will happen to him considering the victim`s family is poor to afford anything; was later advised to disappear (we were informed he was warned by a police officer who he had bribed to ignore the case – the first police post the girl`s grandmother went). Until this moment, this little girl never received justice and the perpetrator is back in the community, a free man.
Unfortunately, there are many cases just like little Akello’s out there, and we need to rise up and stop it. We need to be that guardian angel, and stand up to protect vulnerable group of people like this little girl who are vulnerable to abuses. This Life Foundation is here to stand with these groups of people, to conduct education through schools, to document cases that has never known justice, and to be a voice. We need you on board, we need your voice, we need your support and we need your time to work towards stopping this unfairness among the poor. LET`S STOP THEM, STOP THEM!!
No comments:
Post a Comment