Residents of the Kikaramoja area in Katwe Parish, Makindye Division, are living in dire conditions, grappling with a lack of basic sanitation and the constant threat of disease. The situation is particularly difficult for vulnerable groups, including young mothers and street children.
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The area known as Kikaramoja is predominantly inhabited by individuals from the Karamoja region, including underage mothers, young girls who have given birth before reaching maturity, and men struggling to make a living in Kampala. Their living conditions are described as deplorable.
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A female community leader in Kikaramoja highlighted the severe lack of sanitation facilities. She explained that the community faces a critical problem of not having toilets, forcing residents to relieve themselves in the open under the cover of darkness, while being watched by men. This situation, she noted, also contributes to the challenges of family planning.
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A young woman living in the slum has made a public appeal to the government. She is pleading for the construction of decent, permanent housing and access to clean water to help residents combat the rampant diseases in the area.
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Further investigations reveal the alarming issue of child pregnancies. It is common to find girls as young as 10, 12, and 15 years old who have given birth. Tragically, many of these young mothers are exploited and used in their vulnerable state without receiving any support.
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This alarming situation has drawn the attention of the Rescue Women Foundation, based in Namusera, Wakiso District. In partnership with the Africa Rising Initiative from America, they have reached out to support the people of Kikaramoja, providing them with delivery kits and other basic health necessities.
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Miriam Kiwumuro, the head of Rescue Women Foundation, who personally visited Kikaramoja, stated that the people there are in desperate need of more assistance than what has so far been delivered.
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The youth living in the area have also voiced their frustrations, listing the issues that deeply affect them. A quick tour of Kikaramoja reveals makeshift shelters, poor hygiene, and toilets that are filled to capacity.
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In response to these conditions, Ted Anderson from Africa Raising Initiative has pledged to continue supporting the residents of Kikaramoja.
