Sickle Cell is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells. It is particularly common all over the World. It produces unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels. Sickle cell disease is a serious and lifelong health condition, although treatment can help manage many of the symptoms. People born with sickle cell disease tend to have problems from early childhood, although some children have few symptoms and lead normal lives most of the time.
The main symptoms of sickle cell disease are:-
An increased risk of serious infections.
Painful espisodes called sickle cell crises, which can be very severe and last for days or weeks.
Anaemia (Where red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen around the body) which can cause tiredness and shortness of breath.
ENOCK MUKIBI
Date of Birth: 3rd/05/2007.
Disease: Sickle cells.
My name is Enock, I am 14 years of age, I love being at the shelter because it is good for me to learn and be in a stable house where I receive the best care because of my health condition. I am learning the Bible and I want the Bible to help me become a good person and stop hurting others with anything that I choose to do. My role model is Aunt Hajara who continues to give me chances in life, taking me to hospital and teaching everything that I do. I like to draw cartoons in my free time because it is always good and fun for me. I love elephants and they are very unique animals to me. My favorite movie is Baby boss, Charlie Chaplin and tom and jerry. I love being at the shelter very much it is the only place that I have left like home and I have a parent who loves me and never leaves me alone at all and I love that."
We met Enock a few times before him joining the shelter and tried to resettle him several times back with his grandmother; however, the family was challenged with what to eat on a daily basis since they were many at home. Enock is one of the boys at the shelter with serious health challenges and often requires regular checkup and monitoring (sickle cells). We found Enock very sick, unable to move, dirty and in a dire state that required us to take him to the hospital immediately for proper treatment. Enock is doing much better medically and has made many great improvements (his weight is good now with less complications). Enock’s dream is to be an engineer and build tall buildings in the city. "I admire everything Aunt does for me every day.
There are siblings who we were all born with sickle cells. They live with their mother who can hardly support all of them as sickle cells continues to affect them all differently requiring maximum attention and care. They lost their father and thus makes it hard They always have periodic pain and esposides of pain in the bones and the regular need of blood. Each of them is affected differently and constantly to attend monthly visits.We support them with their medications,food support, hospital visits,transportation and all the associated needs regarding their medical demand.
We started sponsoring them back at the start of the COVID crisis and have kept our role moving ever since. Helping families in dire communities is one way of preventimng more children from joining the streets of Kampala.
YAWE BRASIO RWOTHIOMIO DARIOUS NABAKAJE SUZAN
Date of Birth: 24th/10/2012.
I am Brasiyo, and am 8 years old. I love Red very much because it is a very nice color to me. I want to be a taxi driver. I love playing Football and my favorite movie is Home alone. Brasiyo is reserved and is always playing by himself with trees and wire made cars. Brasiyo cares less about what happened to him, he only gets upset when he hears of getting resettled back to his family, we believe he was hurt so much to the point of not wanting to open up at all yet. We found Brasiyo walking and very hungry, he seemed very lost but followed us immediately with other children and we learned that after he was abandoned at his grandparents by his family it is when he chose to go to the streets. I love being at the shelter because I have everything I want and I sleep well. Aunt reads books to us. My role model is people who have saved my life. I am learning about God with others. I want to go back to school and learn English."
Date of Birth: 27th/03/2009.
Severe Condition.
Darious is ten years old, he loves to make toy cars out of old irons wires [scrap metals] to make cars and he is always teaching his friends to make cars. His dream is to be a police officer because he wants to protect street children. We met Darious during our night outreach with his sister and they joined the street after their mother lost her restaurant job. The restaurant was what they considered to be their home. Loss of the restaurant job led to the increased hunger that they had to endure. His father left them with their mother since he was 3 years. Darious joined us at the beginning of March last year and since then he has been with us. His health is much better than when way we found him and on the second line of medication.
We met Darious in a very bad shape and rushing him to hospital, we discovered he has an illness that requires monthly visits to hospital and his life demands on certain medications.
"I love Red because most of my t-shirts are red; I love Aunt Hajara’s stories as they make me love mainly those about elephants.
My favorite movie is Charlie Chaplin and the cure because a kid suffers from the same disease like me.
Aunt is my role model.
I know God loves me that is why God has blessed me with everything now and I sleep well. I love Jesus."
Date of Birth: 12/08/2014.
Complications.
My name is Suzan and I am eight years old this year. I love blue, I love cows because they make so much noise in the morning and we get up. I want to be a nurse and treat small children and cover them with clothes.
I want to be like Aunt Hajara and uncle Luckay because they love us and make us their children, I am happy to be staying at the shelter there is no darkness and everything is for everyone to use. I don’t worry about my step mother hurting my fingers any more.
I love to play with big dolls that they make for us and mop with other girls at the shelter it makes me so happy.
I love God because he sent Jesus for me and be his Child, I learn the Bible from Aunt.
I came to the shelter when sick and Aunt picked me. I was so happy when I saw a car and got clothes and she signed and took me, I was so happy and I love the shelter and I fear if it will go away. I want to go back to school,learn and also wear school uniform and play with other children.
My best movie is Ben 10, Aunt reads to us and I love that, I love to count as we sing , it is always good and we play together.
Suzane came to us when she was sick and malnourished. When she started to eat properly and sleep better she healed. She left home because her father only wanted them back that if their mother returned the pigs that she sold and took off leaving them with their father.
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SSEKABIRA BRIAN JOSEPH
Date of Birth: 27th/8/2009.
Brian Joseph is 11 years old; he loves Red because it is the color of our flag. He wants to be a doctor in future and treat children. "I love to play Football in my free time and Baby’s day out is his favorite movie. I have been at the shelter for the five months now and I enjoy being at the shelter. My role model is Aunt Hajara and Aunt Diane; they are always working for us to eat better and well. I love the shelter because my father cannot hurt me anymore and am safe. I came to the shelter in a very bad condition with all my eyes covered in red and very sick and I was treated well I have medicine for the eyes and I am happy to be alive. My father made us suffer and was hurting my mother all time when he married a young woman he forgot of us and took all the things from my mother and our mother had to run away too because she didn’t know what to do for us, but aunt Hajara is looking for her in all ghetto areas. I admire my mother because she gave birth to me and saved herself at home. I am learning about God because at the shelter we pray which wasn’t the case at home as my father never wanted us to leave the house. I love that am in school now and I have everything I need. I love the shelter so much and don’t want to ever leave the shelter at all." .
