14-year-old searching for her relatives

CHILD ABUSE|TORTURE

MASAKA - A 14-year-old girl is searching for her relatives after she was abandoned by her elder sister at a bar in Masaka.

Jovia Namagembe says her parents, Persia Naziwa and Mugaga Tanganza died in a car accident earlier this year.

Namagembe says she then remained in the hands of her stepmother in Nyendo, Masaka but was always mistreated and tortured.

However, her elder sister, Josephine Namugema, a domestic worker gave her hope as she picked her from their stepmother in promise to look after her but later abandoned her at Yellow Knife Bar in Masaka.

"I was happy when Namugema picked me from our stepmother, she boarded a motorcycle and left me at a bar promising to return and pick me up but it's two weeks since," Namagembe said.

She added, "I want my sister to come and pick me because I want to go back to school."

Among her other sisters, she claims are living in Kampala and should come for her rescue is Resty Nambogo and Patricia Nakirabira who allegedly stay in Masanafu.

Currently, Namagembe is being looked after by Okoa Refuge, a Non-Government Organisation in Masaka that looks after orphans. It was established as an orphanage to rescue abandoned and neglected children of all ages.

Winnie Ayobo a social work from Okoa Refuge told New Vision that they cannot stay with the girl without knowing her parents, adding that their work is to stay with children temporarily.

"As an organization, our mandate is not to give permanent shelter to survivors and when we receive them from Police or Probation officers, it's temporary," Ayobo said.

Ayobo called upon the relatives of Namagembe to contact her on 0705231763 and 0779880076 or the probation officer of Masaka, Maria Nagawa on 0701545799.