Several child headed households in Rakai District remain desperately vulnerable, with meager food resources to fend for themselves.
Chronic food insecurity is the reality for a large number child headed households, because most orphans don't have the skills to grow, cultivate and reserve their own food.
Vincent Kawuma, lost his childhood at 10-years old, having lost both parents to HIV and AIDS in 2000. He immediately took over his de facto ifatherhoodi role and currently lives with his two brothers in a three roomed semi-permanet house in Kawunguli village about 8-kilometers from Rakai Town.
Visibly traumatised by the life he has led over the past seven years, Kavuma is reluctant to talk about his past life but is however quick to say that his biggest huddle as a child parent, has been how to provide food on the table for his two siblings.
Kavuma bears no resentment towards his two siblings who are lucky to be at school as he stays at home to look for food. He has oftentimes been forced to dig other people's gardens in exchange for food or a small amount of money.
//Cue in: iTubera mu abantu basatu##i
Cue out: #what and what have you. //
The Rakai Counselors Association (RACA), a Non Governmental Organization has through its community development program intervened to help solve the chronic food shortages in child headed households.
John-Bosco Kabende, the RACA field coordinator, says his organization distributes free seedlings to the households and also equips the orphans with modern farming skills.
//Cue iWe used to give them##i
Cue i##become self-relianti.
Kabende said that for the 60 child headed registered families in Rakai district, the biggest challenge is how to help such families gain self reliance and sustainability. Most of the children lost their parents to the HIV/Aids scourge.
