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My Name is Allison Edwards. I am the Director of an organization in Jinja, Uganda called Jinja Connection (www.jinjaconnection.com). We work in partnership with International Teams Canada to help support and resettle street-connected children (get them off the street and home with family).
Umaru was one of the very first children to ever attend our program back in 2012. He was strong willed, determined and -- dare I say -- stubborn. He was also kind, funny, and the life of the party. Umaru attended Jinja Connection for about 10 months before he decided that he would like to visit home with one of our Social Workers. He had originally turned to the street because of a misunderstanding at home (which was later settled) and a neighbour had advised him to run away.
Umaru's resettlement was the most amazing, joy-filled, and loving resettlement to date. Umaru's mother had been searching for him for many months; she even sold most of her belongings in order to travel to different towns and put out radio and newspaper ads. When our Social Worker rounded the corner to where his mother was selling tomatoes the celebrations began. She had settled on the idea that he had died and would never return home, but instead there were screams and cheers and hugs all around. This boy was undoubtedly LOVED and missed!
Fast forward 5 years and Umaru was still in school, travelling to Jinja a few times a year with his mother to bring us his school reports and visit his old friends. It was always a good day when they would pay us a visit. The love they had for each other was undeniable, even though he wasn't always the most agreeable child.
On Monday November 6th, children started coming into Jinja Connection as they usually do, but today was different. Some older boys that used to attend when Umaru did back in 2012 came in to tell us that Umaru had been beaten to death. The sadness and shock overwhelmed and brought us all to tears. How could this be? Who would do such a thing?!! WHY?!
We contacted his family and while trying to piece the story together, found someone who had a video of the brutal beating. His family and the staff at Jinja Connection headed over to the police station with the video in hand. We were completely shocked when the police called the morgue that we were told that he had been brought in as dead but was actually still alive and in the ward.
Umaru had been in town on the previous Thursday helping a landlord of a former restaurant move furniture and had left his ID in the back garden. The next morning he wanted to head back home so he jumped over the wall into the garden to check for his ID. The guard to the business next door (a pharmacy) yelled out that he was robbing them (it was broad daylight) and proceeded to call the owner (a woman) who came and ordered people to tie him up. She then brutally beat him with a knife.
When we found Umaru alive it was an absolute miracle! He recognized us and said things like, "Allison you didn't know, you didn't know what happened to me." He had been alone in the hospital for 3 days with little care and support. At this time we thought he would recover and be ok and we were so thankful for that. The next day the doctors in Uganda went on strike, meaning that we needed to transfer him to a private hospital. Off to Kampala he went to receive the best care we could find, admitted into the hospital with good vital signs and received a CT scan right away. 12 hours later his body started to shut down. He was put on life support but it was too late and he passed away.
He died from his injuries, sepsis, chemical burns, and a closed head injury.
This is not OK and not fair. It is my mission to make sure that the people who did this to him are tried and sentenced. They have been arrested but unfortunately in Uganda money is power and causes a whole lot of corruption and she has been let out on bail.
We have since sought out legal council to help support Umaru's mother through this case, to make sure that the government is doing what they are meant to be doing. The perpetrator murdered a strong and able young man, a mother's only son, and we want justice!
We are hoping to raise $5,000 to cover the costs of the lawyer, transport for his mother each time she and her family need to come to Jinja, and many other legal-related costs that we have and will incure along the way.
PLEASE HELP UP SEEK JUSTICE FOR UMARU!!
*Every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated by all of us, especially by Safia, Umaru's mother!*
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