My name is Magaret. I am a widow, and I take care of four children that were orphaned in a fatal fight between their parents. Sharon, Phillipa, Rose, Bridget and Diana aged 8, 6.5, 4, 3.5 and 11 months were born into a family where the parents constantly fought. Their father was my brother. One fateful morning, the fight between my brother and his wife aggravated to the point of using pangas. In so much anger, my brother slit his wife’s throat. As soon as he realized what he had done, he took poison to end his life. The couple lay dead beside each other on the ground, and neighbors gathered at the scene all day long. Security personnel also came to the scene to identify the bodies and write reports. The event left everybody in shock, motionless. The couple was buried that same day.

Amidst all these events, the children quietly sat still in their bedroom, trembling with fear. Later that evening, I came to the scene in pain and tears after hearing the sad news. My brother and his wife were dead so I stayed with them for the night to comfort them. The next morning, I explained to the children what had happened and how they had to start a new life with me. I had made up my mind to be their guardian although I was very poor and had little to share. I carried the youngest on my back and held the two younger children each with one hand, while the two older were by my side. We all headed to my house. Unfortunately, the youngest child, Diana, died a few days later because she had no breast milk to feed on. I took the four orphans in with open arms and was ready to look after them despite her lack of resources. I resorted to planting some crops so that they could have food to eat. I also took advantage of my friendships with my neighbors by seeking help, food and other necessities from them. It was not an easy journey but I pulled through.

A year later, an elder in the community named Catherine approached me and sought permission to take care of all of the children's education because Catherine's dream had always been to help the needy. I fell on my knees and cried with joy and gladness. I wrapped my arms around Catherine’s legs as I cried, " thank you!". From that moment on, the children were clothed, and educated in very good schools. They got fair grades throughout primary and are now attending secondary level with fair grades.

I remain grateful for the opportunity of education that was given to all the four children. I keep on encouraging them to work hard and behave well. Catherine is still doing a great job of paying their school fees and hopes they complete their education successfully. The adolescents hope for a bright future and success in their careers.

Another source of constant worry and anxiety is the fate of her mentally impaired son, who needs extra attention to navigate the daily tasks of the day. Kato Vincent obtained this impairment as a result of the poor posture of the twins in the womb during pregnancy. While his twin sister Babirye Immaculate has progressed to primary two, Kato’s education journey is still hampered by his mental impairment. Seeing her toddler son in a state of helplessness adds to the already heavy emotional burden she has to carry.