The widows got fully furnished houses.
At least three elderly widows in Jinja district have got new houses, thanks to Community Girl Child Empowerment Network(CGCEN), a community-based organization with funding from Hira Charity Foundation.
Over the weekend, the three widows were handed the houses.
Speaking during the handover, Moses Isanga, the Hira charity president said the function was a culmination of years of efforts to give a new lease of life to the elderly widows.
"As an organization focused on supporting vulnerable families, we recognized the urgent need for a safe and secure housing. In our community, many families struggle to provide basic necessities, including shelter. We have been supporting these families with scholastic materials, but we realized that they were returning to dilapidated homes, exposing them to harsh weather conditions and other risks. Some families were living in structures so fragile that you could see their legs outside while they slept," Isanga said.
He explained that the charity organization later identified the most vulnerable families without shelter and provided them with new homes.
" This initiative has been a game-changer for these families, providing them with a sense of security and dignity. Our goal is to continue building homes for those in need. We plan to construct more homes, depending on the availability of funding. Even if we can only build two more homes, we will still make a significant impact."
Isanga explained that the demand for safe housing in the area is overwhelming noting that many families headed by widows need such kind of support.
"These families are struggling to survive, living in homes that are barely habitable. We have families living in homes with ant hills, and others living in grass-thatched huts that are at risk of burning down."
According to Robinson Mulindwa, the programs director at CGCEN, they identified families which were in the direst need of houses.
"Despite having many families headed by widows who need houses, we identified those who are badly off. We constructed houses for each of them. The houses are two bedroomed, with a bathroom, store, corridor and pantry. We hope these houses will help these families have a normal life," Mulindwa said.
Beneficiaries speak out
One of the beneficiaries is 60-year-old Ruth Nazziwa, a resident of Namwendwa A. Village, Namagera town council in Jinja district who says lost the husband over three years ago.
"By the time my husband died, we were living in a grass thatched hut with our five children. When he died, I was left with the burden of looking after them," Nazziwa said.
"This meant that I would sleep in the middle of the hut as the boys and girls slept on my either side. The situation would be worse when it rained."
According to the 60-year-old widow, the children who are of school- going age also found difficulties in accessing scholastic materials since she didn't have a job where to get some income.
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She added that CGCEN came to her rescue by providing scholastic materials to the children, ensuring she only focused on looking for school fees for the children.
" The organization(CGCEN) later realised that the house we were living in was in a sorry state. They started constructing one for me. I am happy that what was a dream has come to pass. I now have a decent house. My children can now sleep well and prepare for school, unlike before," Nazziwa said.
She however asked the community based organization to also extend a helping hand to the other widows in the area who are in dire need of support.
