OVER 10 CHILDREN ABANDONED ON MBARARA CITY STREETS MONTHLY

By Twesigye Aggrey
in Mbarara city—-

At least 10 children are abandoned on the streets of Mbarara city every month.

The abandoned children are usually between zero and one year old.

The Mbarara city probation officer, Henry Mushabe, said the rate at which children are being abandoned in the city is worrying. He said that his office is now stranded with three neglected children.

Mushabe said some couples especially youth ,join marriage when they are not ready and they don’t use family planning methods. He noted s that when the fruits of marriage come out, they start blame games.

He added that other children leave their homes because of domestic violence, which is also on the rise in the area.

Mushabe however said that his office through collaboration with various babies homes has so far resettled 14 abandoned children between the months of January and August. He identified the babies homes as Devine Mercy and Hope of Living water ministries.

Rebecca Muleme,a caretaker at Hope of living water ministries babies home in Biharwe, Mbarara City said the number of children at the facility has increased compared to when they started in 2021.

She attributed the trend to the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies in the area.

The Rwizi Region Police Spokesperson SP Samson Kasasira,said whenever they receive cases of abandoned children they usually hand them over to the city probation office.