A Father’s Devotion To His Daughter

Although the majority of guardians we empower are women, several of our sponsored students are blessed with exceptional and hardworking fathers.

And 7-year-old Jane Rachael is one of them; in fact, she is being raised by her single-father, John.

Sadly, her mother abandoned them both for a man with more money and stability. When she left, she took their youngest child and Jane’s only sibling (1 ½ year old Joel) with her, as well as all of their household belongings. She has not been seen nor heard from since.

But, 35-year-old John is a loving and devoted father who shares a remarkably strong bond with his daughter. He vows never to leave her – no matter how desolate their situation becomes.  And, it’s been tough. John used to drive a motorcycle (boda-boda) to earn a living; however, the bike was not his and the owner reclaimed possession. This left him jobless, desperate and miserable. 

Jane is his top priority, so he knew he needed to quickly change course to be able to care for her.  He now engages in casual labor on building sites and does any petty job that comes his way.  He earns UGX 10,000 ($3) after a long day’s work, but has no guaranteed income.

Whenever he goes to work, he prepares lunch and a few snacks for Jane to feed on while he is away. Most days, he leaves home at 7AM and doesn’t return until 6PM. He worries for her safety all the time.

John requests his neighbors to keep an eye on Jane and to inform him immediately if she needs anything or is in any sort of danger.

Jane’s dad is so devoted to caring for her properly – but struggles to meet even the most basic of needs. When COU staff visited their home (a single room, which he rents for $28 a month), our team was dismayed to discover the two were sharing a mattress. When pressed, her father broke down and said that while he wishes to buy her one he is barely keeping a roof over their heads and there is no extra money.

Gratefully, U.S. Sponsorship Coordinator, Krista Guido, was so touched by their situation that she personally purchased a mattress, new sheets and blanket them. As she shares:

“My heart broke reading their story, having had just bought mattresses for my own kids. We were able to provide Jane with her very own bed – for the first time in her 7 years of life. It made my heart so happy to see pictures of her with her new bedding.”

John was overwhelmed by the support and enormously grateful to Children of Uganda for partnering with him to meet his family’s needs. In addition, Jane Rachael is now fully sponsored and will be attending school as soon as they reopen. In the meantime, she has been participating in tutoring sessions. She was also one of the lucky little princesses to receive a custom made dress from Allen Nabiwemba.

This man has so much heart and is determined to make a better life for himself and his beloved little girl. He just needs the tools and support to move forward – and your continued investments will help him get there.