Violence against children, the voices of Ugandan ... - Raising Voices

Children’s VoicesKey Informant InterviewA young person with a disabilityQ: How did you come to be here at this boarding school?A: I was brought here from my village by the priest, and I started staying with the nuns because athome no one was taking care of me, and I was denied education, and yet all the other normalchildren were taken to school [cries while speaking]. I came here, that was June 1995, then I startedschooling in P1 [Primary one].Q: Why were they not taking care of you at home?A: I don’t know. Maybe they think I am useless.Q: What kind of violence did you experience as a child who has a disability?A: I underwent so many problems. For example, when I excreted near the home, I would be thoroughlybeaten. All people would leave me home alone with no one to help me with even water to drink. Mystepfather would abuse my crippledness saying, “You are crippled, am I the one who crippled you?”My stepfather would hurl many abuses over me and my crippledness, and when he would buysomething good like fish or meat and people are eating, I would not be given. For example, oneday my stepfather bought fish and my other sisters cooked, and while I was still eating beans, hestarted beating me, without any fault, saying to me that my father died without feeding any of hischildren. He collected millet from the compound into a big saucepan, placed it on my head, then thesaucepan fell down and I also fell down, then he continued to beat me until blood started flowingfrom my head. My mother came back and went to the local council leader, and they said he shouldbe imprisoned, but he asked for forgiveness saying he did it because he was drunk, yet he used tobeat me daily. Then he was told to take me to hospital, which he did twice and stopped even beforethe wound healed. From then on whenever I would see him I would crawl to the bush near home, andwhen he goes away or sleeps in the night my mother would come and carry me and bring me in thehouse.36 Part Two Children’s Experiences