Abura’s Story

“My name is Abura. I was born in 2014 in Walukuba to a family of five children where the second born passed away before my birth and we were left as only four. My parents parted ways when I was too young and I grew knowing only my mother and siblings. We stayed in a slum area called Masese with our mother who looked after us single handedly. However, my mother liked drinking and she was always drunk every evening leaving us to starve alone. My elder brother went to Napak (Northern Uganda) and stayed with the grandmother there. Lopiri Luke, the third born was taken to school by Peace for Paul Foundation when he was young but he still continued to come and see us. My mom always gave him some alcohol whenever he came. She was good to us except when she was drunk. 

In 2021, my mother died. Her death was mysterious. She left our rental in Masese very early in the morning and it reached late night without her coming back. At night, there was a heavy rain and the two of us (My brother Agooli and I) thought maybe she had taken shelter somewhere and would come in the morning. The following day, she was found dead outside. People said she must have been drunk and then killed by a heavy rain and others said she must have been killed. I don’t know what the real truth is.

After she died, Agooli and I were left homeless and no one took care of us until our auntie took us to stay with her in Napak (Northern Uganda) where we met with our elder brother. Life was not good in the village here, and she was not able to feed or clothe me. She had a family to try and support on her own, which was hard enough. Agooli and my elder brother went to another town and found help there so they are able to attend day school there. The Peace for Paul Foundation Family has now welcomed me home so I can be with my brother Luke. I will spend school holidays in Northern Uganda with my family so I can remain tied to them as well. Now I have a future full of hope and one day I hope to become a doctor and make a new and better life for myself”.