Mark Mwesiga's Blog

...I meet their ties daily and have helped some. But he is another soul that has touched my heart. Edson scored second grade at a rural UPE primary school. He would have done better save for looking after the neighbors cows for books and Uniform. He showed his Score card to a retired school chaplain who empathized. The elderly chaplain let him stay at his one roomed house with the rest of three boys as they walked to Senior one daily since this year began. But the retired Chaplain is is now weak, not working any more and has traveled back to live in the village in Kashari. Edson has to go on studying. He has worked at a bar, hotel, slept in at a taxi park and gone hungry most of this two weeks holiday. Finally he has bought a pair of shoes, a suit case, a mattress, some clothes but the top up for boarding fees is no where. so he moves around each office to find a good Samaritan. most of the officers suggest he lives school to work at their farms, shambas, shops or homes. The reason; h...

On many occasions, the Ugandan media has carried stories of political protests and demonstrations where children have been involved. Recently, one woman was seen holding a young baby in a scuffle with the police during a demonstration. Apparently, the women-led group of protesters has had a number of clashes with the police in the past. These women’s protests are against the current Electoral Commission and are calling for free and fair elections. The police always engage the protesters, saying they do not follow police procedures for protests. While it is the right of Ugandans to protest against any social, political or economic issues of concern, children should be protected against any harm that may accrue with such protests. Article 38 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasizes the need to protect children from any hostilities. Children are fragile; exposing them to such protests and interfaces with physical struggles affects them both physically and emotionally. While...