Testimonies

Sharing Testimonies of Viola Home;

Patricia Latham & Joan Latham (Co-founder and Founder of Viola Foundation for Children, Elderly and Handicap)

I had very sad and sorrowful moments when I was accepted by Viola Foundation children to share with me their testimonies. Each child has a story to tell. Each child has not fully known what is to be a child with loving parents. It was the time and the beginning of their healing all the hurt they had blocked inside them. This process was not easy it was very emotional to release their pain and the trauma. There is much  to deal with their passed. Many of them had gone through much abuse from close family relatives after the loss of their beloved parent or parents,  or rejection and neglection of their parents, and some could not remember or there was a memory loss of actual facts how they ended up in Viola Foundation. (By Patricia Latham and Joan Lathan)

 

KEMIGISHA AGNES’ Testimony A very beautiful young girl born in 1997, who I had known before her mother death, I met her in church again. After so much abuse from her Uncle at very young age of 6 yrs. Before her mother passed away, their home was viola home. Her mother died from Aids in Viola home, Kemigisha nursed her mother during the last days, she was by her side, she watched her mother suffer in anguish, she slept in the same bed three of them with her older sister Viola where Viola foundation has gotten our name in Viola s memory. After her mother death her grandmother volunteered to take care of her with her uncle and but Viola remained with us. We in viola home had no right on this child so she was taken from us although her mother her left her in our care. On the hands of those she trusted, she was abused and treated harshly with almost nothing to eat and left to defend for herself. She went through all this abuse because at that time Aids was a shame to sociaty. Her Uncle looked at it that the mother had brought shame to the family. Finally Kemigisha this little girl walked several kilometers when she heard I was back in the village and came to sunday service, when I saw her again I was shocked she looked so mistreated, smelly for many days had passed without her having a birth she came up to me and said “I want to go back with you”  I asked permission from her grandmother she accepted to let her come to viola home. Kemigisha is now…  in Senior Secondly School, she would like to be a fashion designer.  With Kemigisha’s permission I write on her behalf her testimony. (Compiled by Patricia Latham)

 

GAVIN  RAIKE KAHUMA’ Testimony

Gavin

Gavin a handsome young man who has grown up in Viola Home, born 1994 and now 20 yrs of age. Gavin cannot remember his  single mother who passed away in 1997 from HIV. Gavin mother before her death had met I and my sister Joan through her illness. With HIV and AIDS many who suffered in those years from this awful sickness were outcasts and family members left them to fend themselves, that is the time we met Gavin s mother who had three children. During this period her wish was that Joan would be a mother to her three children after her death. When she passed away Gavin and his two elder sisters Sandra and Petrina were taken by their Auntie. Sandra was of 9 years old, Petrina was 7 years old and Gavin was 3 years old. Not long after their mother s death their Auntie who had taken them in, the mistreatment and abuse started. Joan quickly found out as she kept from a distance asking about their welfare. Joan went to pick them up and found Sandra at the age of 9 was working in the Bar at the counter, Petrina was the cleaner in the bar at the age of 7 years and Gavin nobody really cared if he had been fed, washed or not. All three of them were brought to Viola home and the two older ones resumed their Education while Joan took care of Gavin with the rest of the children. Sandra finished her high school would have loved to continue to University but due lack of income could not and now is married to very handsome nice young man living in better condition. Petrina had a baby after running away from Viola home but has come back with a beautiful little girl and teaches handcrafts in viola home, helping with the cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. Gavin has just finished high school and two more years will be able to join the University, focused on becoming engineer as profession  Hoping someday he will be able to help the needy, orphans for better future. Although he says many times there was empty space in his heart at young age but through years in viola home love and support has helped him to overcome. In his words he says “Because of this love I have which I have grown in to help those in need now that empty space is no longer empty, there is a purpose.” Written on behalf of Gavin with his permission. We thank you for taking time to read and share our testimonies of Viola Foundation. Through your contribution many of these children will be able to get Education. The sick their needs and medical expenses met. The elderly will be comforted. The handicapped will have wheel chairs and bright future. The disadvantaged adults will be trained with skills. Because your act of mercy.

 

BRIAN KAJURA’ Testimony

Brian

I was born 1995, I am 17 years now and living in Viola Home (Foundation). I grew up with my mom who later when I was two years old met and married my step father and I had two sisters and a brother. After only four beautiful years of their marriage which had brought joy and comfort my step father passed away in car crash which was great tragedy to all of us. My mother went into depression to the point of madness she found comfort in alcohol. At the age when I was five years old she could no longer be with us. Viola Foundation was a few houses away from where we lived and my mother knew Auntie Joan and Patricia so she took us there and left us I with my brother and two sisters. Many times we longed for her return and hoped that someday she will pick us up and she will be free from alcohol. We went on to be educated and our needs met, and whenever we had holidays we would go and visit our mother who had moved to the village. The situation got worse until finally nobody could talk or help her from alcoholism. After a beautiful vacation and spending time with her in 2009 when I had just returned to school, I received the news that she had passed away due to much poisonous local alcohol. It  was such a shock to loose my best friend and a mother all hope was gone, I felt the most tired person on earth and asked why me? But around me  in viola home others had gone through this experience they talked to me and comforted me, Joan and Patricia reached out with their love but it was not easy at that time on my side. I used to walk around like in trance lost in sorrow and watched children who had parents and loved by them and I become so saddened, until I began to embrace this new found love of foster care. I have been able to go ahead with my studies also my sisters and brother though was some challenges in new home to learn how to look and accept that all those around you are your sisters and brothers. I began to focus more on my studies on this opportunity that was before given to me to go on. I just finished high school now  and in two years time join University but there is financial problems in Viola home and other shortages facilities. I pray and thank the founders of viola Foundation for the second chance the have given us all and I pray they will live long to help others in the same situation like me. I am blessed in Viola home because I am a somebody now and have come to terms at the loss of my mother and stepfather. Thank you for taking your time to share and read my testimony.

 

SOPHIA NABASUMBA’S Testimony

Sofia

I am a Ugandan by Nationality born in 1994. I am 18 years of age. I grew up with my mother but lost her at very early in my life. She was sick for almost one year the sickness I have no idea what she died from. Though I was very young I nursed great pain and bereaved because I knew death had deprived me of my dearest mother and the only companion I ever knew. I was left behind with my brother. Starting a new life with my granny who was aged, sickly and vulnerable with auntie who was harsh with no compassion at all. I stopped going to school and I envied my friends who went to school while I was going through a rough time, being flogged on daily basis and was covered with wounds from the beatings. I would go on most times without food with my brother we were denied every kind of freedom while children played we slaved and silently consoled ourselves with tears wishing if only our mother had lived. I was so abused and later on I was struck by serious epidemic sickness I would just pass out from what I hear eyes will roll upwards in my sockets for days on my death bed, I narrowly survived death as a child but still remained under the same conditions. I felt so faint hearted with no one to turn too no where to run too being mistreated by everyone around us. I was so despaired, but by miracle my auntie who was fed up of us before my mother died she mentioned to my auntie about Joan and viola home she brought me to viola home. I was welcomed with open arms and in those very early days of my arrival I released that there was a difference in way of living we not allowed to be beaten, I was no longer abused my rights were no longer abused, I was at the age of 11 years old. I immediately joined others to go to school it was a struggle to be a part of my new found family. In spite of all these and the acceptance I received I quickly adopted to a new living without fear. I am finishing my Senior six this year hoping to join University if Viola Foundation can have donations or contribution from well wishers. I am perusing a profession in Law and journalism and modelling. Through my profession I would like to see that the handicapped  orphans and elderly live better lives and to bring to justice and expose all those who abuse children, no matter where they come from or their background and religion. Viola home has given me that and that s the legacy I will take with me. I would like to see viola foundation grow and prosper to its climax objectives and this vision to be carried on in the next generation. My gratitude to the elders of Viola Foundation. I thank our foster parents from deep of my heart may the Lord bless you for all you have done for us. SOPHIA.

 

KYAHURWA JOAN’ Testimony

Joan

My name is Kyahurwa L. Joan.  Born 1992 to mother Kyahurwa Monica and father Loduma Geofrey, now I am 20 years  old. Both my parents I do not remember they both passed away . First my mother 1998 from HIV, I was 6 years of age. At that moment we were immediately taken in by our grandparents from our mother s side, who refused our father to contact us because he not paid the dowry for my mother the little time he had left were deprived of it. Soon after two years he also passed away from HIV. Life with our grans were very hard the suffering was unbearable we became a hitting bag for everybody since we had none to defend us and comfort us. I cried a lot with regrets and as a child question why did our mom leave us? I suffered from gigers both me and my sisters and our little brother, nobody had time to help or bothered, instead of helping us they made it to be our fault and we were often beaten because we had giggers. There was a lot of house work to do clean, cook, fetch water and washing of cloths if it was not done we were beaten, and had only one meal a day which we had in the evening  This went for me two years then school began, with empty stomach come home and do our chores. I would admire other children who had mothers and I would cry because I missed the love of my mother. Finally in year 2000 Auntie Joan who now I take to be my mother, father, friend everything. Joan paid a visit to my grandparents, and when she looked at me, she started to cry because of the circumstances she found us in. She had courage to ask my grandmother if she could take and care for me and my grandmother agreed but my sisters and brother remained behind she was refused to take all of us. Joan bought me to Viola home or Viola Foundation. My life style changed which slowly brought back hope at 8 years. With heart that had deep wounds, although I came to Viola s I still missed my mother terribly sometimes I wanted to sleep next to my mother but I could not find that love of my mom cuddling me in bed I cried a lot and felt so miserable. But as I started to feel the love at viola s and life changes wearing shoes, nice clothes and gradually  adopted, though sometimes in viola home was difficult to feed the whole group with sometimes little to share between us, beds to share and sometimes as all other children pick on each other we would but it was different because the rule in viola s was not to hit or abuse each other in anyway. I finished my elementary school and high school focusing on my studies through all the struggles sometimes no pocket money from time to time being sent home and school demanding school fees from all of us, to this time I do not know how the founders managed to educate us on so much begging for us to let us stay in school and to give them time to pay the fee up to this time we know there still a lot of millions in credit for our education being paid slowly off and its on going there is still young ones to Educate and a group of us in collages, Universities.  I have chosen to share my testimony maybe there might be well wishers out there to help us, so can be educated and I can achieve my dream as a nurse. I thank the founders of Viola home for their help and love. KYAHURWA JOAN.

SATURDAY IBRAHIM’ Testimony

Satade

My name is Saturday Ibrahim born on 1990 in western side of Uganda. I was born of a single mother who could not afford to take care of me so she gave me over to my father who was married to another woman. My step mother it was very difficult for her to accept me. Because of this situation my step mother started to mistreat me. There was so much rejection and neglection from my parents, I was hardly fed and in the end she talked of giving me poison, that is when I was moved to my grandmother who could hardly take care of me. She educated me on the little money she had for grade one. Around the age when I was seven years, both Joan and Patricia came to the village and my grandmother s place and I was accepted in Viola home.

I went back to school but sometimes I missed days because of the lack of school fees as we were many and we all had to be taken care of. I joined Senior Secondly was always sent home to get school fee. Viola Foundation has been struggling to Educate all of us at point of the founders begging. Most of our reports remain at school because the credit that is needs to be paid. Now I am finished with my SSS and waiting to go to the University. I would like to be a civil engineer as a profession so I may be able to help the young ones. The reason I share my story is to encourage children out there to hang in. I blow the trumpet in search of well-wishers, donors that Viola Foundation vision can go on. Thank all and I my gratitude to our foster parents in Viola Foundation our Paapa and mothers for all the have sacrificed for us and given up a lot for our sake. Thank you. IBRAHIM.

BIRUNGI JOSHUA’S Testimony

BIRUNGI JOSHUA

Birungi Joshua born 17. 05.2006 in a western district of Uganda. At the age of 4 months old, both his parents died of HIV/AIDS also Joshua unfortunately was born with HIV positive.

When Joshua was left in Viola home nobody expected him to live as it had been a never received any medication for the parents believed he had been bewitched so at that point he was thought that he was far gone to have any fight left in him, so he was watched, taken care of, got medication at JCRC (JOINT CLINIC RESEARCH CENTRE) and through love and care now we have a bouncing boy of 6 years old. He could not talk now he talks like a parrot, cloth himself, and very good looking Joshua still takes his medication and is health and full of fun to be with. Joshua loves to sing and act. Joshua has brought love in this home and hope. But in order to have a bright future your support is needed so our Joshua can have a chance in life. (Compiled by Patricia Latham)

TUMUSIIME TADEO HANNINGTON’ Testimony

Tumusime

I Tumusiime was born in 1998 in Uganda in the family of Frank Birungi and Nakikwata Elizabeth. I was very proud of my parents although poor but was a lot of love we shared. I was sent to school until the primary four life was good and I had fun. When I was still in primary four I found out about my father and mother s sickness which was incurable and society looked upon it as shame. I watched them when they became seriously ill and I used to be very afraid of loosing them. Living in the village little was known that their lives could be saved and also they did not want people to know about this sickness. Soon I was told they could not afford to pay for my tution fee, that I had to find a way to support myself it was very difficult for me the change of situation had changed so quickly there was a lot of misery. I stared to do gardening on my father s land to earn income every holiday and also from the help of my grandmother up to primary seven. I joined SSS when I was soon to take Senior four level Exam we had a visitor my auntie who came to stay with my grandmother and the abuse started although I was old enough. She tore my my Primary seven certificate so I would not be able to sit for Senior four Exam. She made made me sleep outside and without food. In spite of everything I managed to sit for the exams. As soon as I had finished we were I and my parents, sisters and brother were picked up by Patricia and Joan and we came to viola home where the died and it was too late to serve them. For two years I was not in school after both Patricia and Joan took me back to school for Senior five and six and now I am still the only child and first in viola home to join the University. I am studying for a Diploma in Business administration. Through their love I am forgetting my passed pains and hurt and the process of healing we are all going through it and support each and comfort one another with the help of Paapa and our foster mothers. May the Lord bless them. I thank you all who will be reading this testimony that you have taken your time to share with me my story. I would like to thank all those those who will contribute to Viola Foundation so we can all be Educated.

KIYEMBA RONALD’S Testimony

Ronald

I was born in 1990 and I am 22 years old. I grew up in a big family and very poor where there was no thought of ever being Educated. 1998 my mother passed away and we had only a father a very young age. We would go without food sometimes. I remember my first school we used to sit on stones (bricks) which were used as chairs. Village people would help us until I reached primary seven and at that time my father passed away too. All hope was gone and all I could see is life that was meaningless, what came to my mind is to go to the streets to beg and fight and fend for myself but before I took that step I met a lady who told me about Viola Foundation. I had to trust in her was because they gave me hope in 2001. Upon the arrival in Viola I saw many children whom they were taking care off and I knew I would be friends with them as some were of my age. I was accepted in Viola home, I remember they gave me clothes, shoes, food and took me to school and going on trips. I joined SSS and my education fee was paid for although many times our foster parents would struggle with finances but we were encouraged to focus on our studies and I would like to get further join University, Education as a Principle and Educate others. Thank you for sharing and taking time to read this. With your help and contribution we appreciate all that you can donate to us. Thank you all. RONALD.