Tackling violence through community action
4 March 2016
By Martina Hoggart
By Martina Hoggart
For over two decades northern Uganda was gripped by armed conflict and now as the region is rebuilding, women are left to endure the legacy of violence created by war.
On a recent visit to Apac District, Womankind programme manager, Laura Brown, met Grace who has faced immense barriers throughout her life. But through a project we are supporting there in partnership with the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU), Grace is starting to find hope.
Grace struggled for many years to raise five children on her own. Her husband had three other wives and gave Grace and their children little attention and no financial support. Through very tragic circumstances, Grace was referred to NAWOU and her local Community Based Action Team (COMBAT) for support
“When my daughter, Esther was in secondary school, she became involved with an older man. He was over 30 years old. Together they had a child called Daniel and I agreed to look after him so my daughter could go back to school. When she finished school she got a job with a local NGO and I was very proud of her.
Unfortunately, when Daniel was three years old, my daughter died, leaving him in the care of his father. Unbeknownst to me, his father abandoned him and Daniel was left to fend for himself. One day, by chance, I stumbled across Daniel in the street. He was very sick and scavenging for food in the garbage. I took him to the police.”
Grace reported Daniel’s father to the police who then referred her to the local Community Based Action Team (COMBAT). They provided Grace with an emergency grant to take Daniel to the hospital. Tragically, Daniel didn’t make it – he died on the way.
But through help from the project, Grace has been able to break the cycle of abuse in
her home through counselling and mediation with her husband. She is also now part
of a support network made up of the COMBAT members and other women who have
been supported through the project. Despite being HIV positive, Grace feels more hopeful about the future.
“I feel happy and lighter now with a lot of hope for a better family life despite being HIV positive… My dream is that my children will finish school, get jobs and be happy. I don’t want my children to experience violence or be violent towards others.”
We are supporting NAWOU to build a strong local response to violence by training COMBAT volunteers to support women who have experienced physical, psychological or economic violence. COMBAT members also raise awareness among local leaders, medical staff and police officers to help them better recognise and tackle violence in the community.
Your support this International Women’s Day could provide a woman like Grace with immediate support in an emergency situation, or access to legal advice and counselling.
