New Orphanage Opens in Kiboga

A new orphanage has opened in Kiboga to care for the growing number of parentless children in the district.



According to the 2006 Uganda National Health Survey, 25.6 percent of children in Kiboga are vulnerable and orphaned. Most of them live in child-headed homes, are forced into harsh labor or are sexually exploited and have become teenage mothers.



Esteri Navubya says she opened the Bamusuta Orphanage Home because of the shortage of care facilities for vulnerable children in Kiboga. She says the state has neglected its role of caring for orphans and so she stepped in to provide for children who cannot care for themselves.



The new orphanage is located on a hectare of land in Bamusuta Ward in Kiboga Town Council. It contains dormitories and offices. Children admitted there will receive free education and healthcare.



Patrick Nsubuga, the Kiboga District Probation Officer, says Bamusuta Orphanage Home is the first of its kind in the district. He says it will contribute to the eventual reduction in cases of juvenile delinquency and child abuse in Kiboga.



About 25 percent of all Ugandan households have at least one orphan. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics says Northern Uganda has the highest number of orphans in the country. It is followed by Central Uganda, where Kiboga is located, in which 48.8 percent of all children are orphaned.