Food and new joy for refugee children in Uganda
Worldwide cuts in aid funding are leaving many children in Uganda hungry and without a secure future. Together with MAF, Kids Around the World (KATW) provides them with vital food – and new joy through playgrounds.
"The children cried because there was nothing to eat," says 63-year-old Vicky Eimane, a refugee from South Sudan. "The rations we used to get were cut completely." Vicky carries the heavy responsibility of providing for her four grandchildren and her daughter-in-law after her son left the family. Providing has become even harder since she had to have an arm amputated following complications from diabetes.
Now hope is returning. Vicky smiles broadly as she holds the hand of one of her grandchildren. "The food we get from KATW helps us a great deal," she says gratefully. After the drastic cuts in international aid funding, feeding refugee children has become one of the most important areas of work for aid organisations in Uganda.
KATW distributes food and makes a huge difference in doing so.
MAF flies KATW teams to the airstrip in Adjumani, from where they distribute food to more than a thousand children in the Pagirinya refugee settlement. Every child taking part in the programme receives five food parcels – rice, lentils, vegetables and vitamins. "We distribute balanced food, and that makes all the difference. The children's health has improved greatly, and we have been able to curb malnutrition and disease," reports Richard Charles Sekyeru, KATW team leader in Uganda.
When play becomes therapy
"Play has a therapeutic effect – especially for children from difficult backgrounds. I grew up in poverty myself and always looked forward to playing. I understand these children well," says Richard with a smile. "When we put up play equipment, seeing the children rush towards it laughing is an indescribable moment."
"Seeing the children's joy is priceless," says Richard Sekyeru.
KATW works with local churches to build the playgrounds. "This partnership has strengthened community life. Both the food distribution and the play equipment are a great encouragement to the refugee community here," says Pastor Kato Everest, himself a refugee and leader of a church of around 350 members in the Pagirinya camp.
Alongside other organisations, MAF regularly flies KATW teams to the refugee settlements in northern Uganda. Richard is grateful for MAF's safe and affordable flight support, which makes their work considerably easier: "MAF is a great blessing – above all because the airstrips are often very close to where we work. If the teams travelled by car, they would lose a great deal of time. Thanks to MAF we can use that time for life-saving work in the communities instead."
