Widowed,blind and HIV+ Nyakato still needs help

By Nigel Nassar

“Widowed, Blind, HIV-Positive, all Nyakato Needs is a House.” That was the title to Joan Nyakato’s story, a story of one family’s dilemma in its struggle to beat such odds as HIV amidst abject poverty in the faraway Kisindizi village of Masindi district.

Published in New Vision on December 15, 2011, the story highlighted the life struggles of the blind and helpless Nyakato, who, away from being HIV-positive, has to raise four children, one of them also HIV-positive. She got her after being raped one bad afternoon.

At the time of publication, the widowed mother lived in a shack about to collapse on her and her four children, making shelter her biggest need.

Now this family needs a house more than ever, as the recent heavy rains have finally razed their shack.  

News coming in from Kisindizi village is that Nyakato and her children are all in tears following the collapse of their shack after heavy rains two weeks ago.

Yet, following the publication of this family’s dilemma, the response was overwhelming. On the New Vision website www.newvision.co.ug, readers tripped over one another pledging to help the needy family.

Close to 100 people, some local and others based abroad, pledged to deposit money for them on the accounts New Vision provided on the website.

Some pledged to construct a house for them, while others pledged to adopt the children and take them back to school. Many more pledged to start for them an income-generating venture.

But all these pledges were just that – mere pledges, mere castles in the air.

Only a few people were able to fulfill their pledges, including Johnny Barenzi of Barenzi and Company Advocates, who came through with sh500,000, which, added to other cash contributions, altogether made a little over a million shillings.

On the tangible side, Lifehouse Community Church, a Pentecostal church in Mityana town, contributed 30 iron sheets towards the construction of a house for this family.

Away from that and a few clothes from some good Samaritans, everything else has remained mere pledges, and the family has sunk deeper in the poverty abyss.

The little money and iron sheets available can do something. But for a family as big and needy in all fronts, one that’s led by a blind 44-year-old widow, a lot more needs to be raised in order to provide a lasting solution to this problem once and for all.

Vision Group is therefore appealing to well-wishers to volunteer and provide this family with a better livelihood by constructing for her a house. We are hoping that we shall be able to attract corporates and individuals who have been involved in building houses for the needy.

The printed words might not paint the picture well. But what’s on the ground down in the little village of Kisindizi is a lot more traumatizing.

Anyone interested in volunteering towards this noble cause financially or by providing his/her skills should contact Vision Group on: Email: csr@newvision.co.ug or Tel: 0414 337000.

Plus, you can send your contribution under the title ‘Nyakato’ to the following accounts/banks.

Standard Chartered Bank Speke Road: Dollar account number 8705610690400.
Standard Chartered Bank Speke Road: Uganda Shillings account number 0105610690400.
Stanbic Bank Kampala Branch: Uganda shillings account number 0140007506601.
For mobile money contributors, please send to 0788 162001.
 

Thank you.
Vision Group would like to express its gratitude to the contributors below who responded to the plight of this desperate widow and hopes more will come forward to partner with us in our objective of advancing society to one we are proud to belong to.
1.    Barenzi & Co. Advocates ……………………..    500,000
2.    Peter Ejalu ……………………………………………   130,000
3.    Macrine Nyapendi ………………………………..    50,000
4.    Cathy Nakato ………………………………………..    20,000 & Clothes
5.    Phiona Nabadda ……………………………………    10,000
6.    Jacinta Nabyesero …………………………………    10,000
7.    Edgar Bangye …………………………………………      5,000
8.    Richard Kauubu ……………………………………..    10,000
9.    Ronald Nsubuga …………………………………….     20,000
10.    Jean Florence Ariong ……………………………..  100,000
11.    Namaganda Christine …………………………….    10,000
12.    Gulu ……………………………………………………….    10,000
13.    John Walker ………………………………………….        5,000
14.    Enos Baghendaghe ……………………………….      15,000
15.    David Mayega ………………………………………..     50,000
16.    Lydia Awor …………………………………………….       5,000
17.    Vincent Agaba ……………………………………….     15,000
18.    John Ngarukire ………………………………………     20,000
19.    Christine Kawasiima ………………………………     30,000
20.    Maama Nambi Josephine ………………………     30,000
21.    Shamira Namanya ………………………………..     Clothes
22.    Sylvia Kesiime ………………………………………………Duvet

23.    Lifehouse Community Church, Mityana ………30 Iron Sheets

                      The Total Contribution is: 1,025,000 Ushs + Iron Sheets + Clothes
For those who sent by mobile money, we were unable to obtain your personal details but thank you.