High rate of child abandonement

The rate of child abandonment in Uganda is alarming especially in Urban area. Looking at child care centers/homes in urban areas, they are over stretched by high number of children and they lack space to take in more.There are about 20 child care homes in the city (Kampala) operated by none governmental organizations NGOs) and some of these homes are reluctant to take in more children especially born with HIV.

Lucky children abandoned are picked and taken to child care homes but a big number are left on their own to die. It is common that the mothers who are willing to take care of their children normally prefer girls who will not ask for their fathers when they grow old looking for inheritances. Even the people interested in picking the abandoned children prefer girls than boys.

Some children are abandoned/dumped by their mothers because some are born as a result of incest, early sex when these girls are not in union and to some extent husbands abandon these mothers when they are not in position to continue running the homes.

It is also embarrassing that these young mothers most of them are maids who are abused by their masters who refuse to take responsibilities for their action fearing to break their marriages in the process.

There is a need to have a programme in place where by these girls are sensitized when still pregnant to avoid such cases. Hospitals and health centers should be targeted to introduce parenting skills to young mothers when they visit for anti-natal care.