Oyirwoth James is a 9-year-old primary one pupil of Kaya primary school in Paidha sub-county Zombo district. Together with his parents, he lives in Theyau village in Kaya parish. He said that his parents (both mother and father) are drunkards who fight every time over simple things due to some misunderstandings. Above all, they would not provide him with any educational support, not even pieces of advice as they were all uneducated. Oyirwoth James says; ” my parents would say I cannot waste my money to buy books, pens and other scholastic materials for any child since it is time and resource wastage because many people are educated in Uganda but are unemployed and are so miserable and very poor despite their education’’. My Dad would say that I better use the money for scholastic material to buy alcohol or other food items instead of wasting it on education that doesn’t yield anything good.
Whenever my parents are drunk they fight and use abusive words against us. Our neighbours call our home “Garamba” which literally means ‘’fighting ground’’. Our uncles and aunties including neighbours would intervene to counsel my parents but nothing changed. Things continued like that until a chairperson local council together with the child labour committee mobilized and organized sensitization on child labour issues. Together with my siblings (four in total) and my parents, we attended the community sensitization meeting organized by child labour committees. I could see my father nodding a lot with signs of positivity and being touched by the message and stories on child labour, domestic violence, education and teenage pregnancy being shared. The team emphasized the effect of child labour and the benefits of education for the growth of the households and the nation.
James and his sister are receiving scholastic materials from Stop Child Labour partners at Kaya primary school
After the sensitization, we went home and my father called for a family meeting which was the first of its kind since we were born to apologise for not taking his responsibility seriously and promised to stop or reduce drinking alcohol but also drew a plan to enable us to begin education. Despite this, my mother was on the opposing side raising issues of how my two sisters would support her with domestic work and given the inadequate money to fully finance our education. However, my Dad insisted that he would try everything possible to make sure we were in school.
In 2019 we started schooling, and my dad stopped drinking alcohol completely, we finished the first term, but things were not fine in the second term in the beginning until Child Labour Committees, CEFORD and Kyagalanyi gave us scholastic materials. This was because we were among the children who reported to the school and continued to study despite not having books, pencils, uniforms and pens among others. My father cultivated beans and he was able to sell crops produced to support our education in the third term of 2019.
I am very grateful for the fact that we will continue to study given the support and commitment from my parents, our mother also joined the effort with continued follow-up from the Stop Child Labour partners. They have diversified their income planting beans, Irish, maize and cassava to raise money to support us in school but also provide us with food on a daily basis.
Why is this story most significant
This story is most significant because James’ situation and family is an inspiration for other children with similar condition to never allow such conditions deter them from loving education despite the abuse that they were presented with.
It’s a source of motivation and inspiration for other parents just like that of James to belief and take it that parenting is not about feeding your children but holistic care given to children which cannot be paused or forgone despite your social lifestyle.
