Gloria Atim, 21, an armless mother, who was abandoned by the father of her child, is appealing for support.

Atim, a resident of Gozwe village, Namasale sub-county in Amolatar district, has a six-month-old baby whom she finds taking care of due to her disability.

Since Atim can neither carry nor breastfeed her baby unaided, her mother Sarah Adongo has to always help her.

"I cannot carry the baby since I do not have hands. It is my mother who is now the babysitter and does everything. I use my legs to support the baby during the breastfeeding,” Atim says.

She says she needs a permanent house to live in with her baby and that she also wants to pursue vocational skills training to set her on the path of independence.

“When I look at my status, I cannot do any work for construction. If someone would build for me the house, it would have saved me a lot,” Atim added.

Return to school

“I request well-wishers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the government to think about my condition. I still want to go to school, but one for persons with disabilities,” Atim said.

The hut that Atim lives in with her daughter in Dozwe village, Amolatar district. Photo by Michael Onyinge

She added that she completed Primary Seven after going through a lot of discrimination from fellow pupils.

Whereas the current education system is inclusive, Atim said studying in a school that is not purely for PWDs exposes some of them to being stigmatised.

She wants the government to compel the man who impregnated her to give her support.

Parents speak out

Atim’s mother, Sarah Adongo, said the challenge she has is the distortion of her work schedule.

Adongo said she’s had to resort to simulating breastfeeding as a way to silence the crying baby.

“There are times at night when I call on the mother of the baby and she delays responding. I give the baby my breasts since I sleep with it in my house,” Adongo says.

Adongo's business, which was supporting the family was closed because she is fully responsible for carrying the baby and supporting its mother.

As a family, she said they needed support since there was no one giving them any support.

Atim's father, Bosco Erich, says his daughter still wants to study, but they have no capacity.

LC1 speaks out

Gozwe LC1 chairperson, Kizito Odora, says there is a need to bring the father of the child to book to provide the necessities for the child and mother.

Josephine Iyango, a married woman in Kasule village, said men who impregnate persons with disabilities should be given the task to provide the necessities since they usually do not marry them. “It may be hard to marry an armless woman. By the time one goes for her should be ready for repercussions.”

Hellen Abiro, a resident, said love is sometimes natural and anyone can fall and get attracted to the other regardless of disability status. She said the only shame that men have is to come out openly and live with such women. She added that since the man had run away, all efforts would be made to support the girl since her son will be able to support her in future.

“This can be a blessing for Atim since she has got someone who will look after her as per our traditional culture," Abiro says.