Everlyne Kansiime #314

Kamwokya (Uganda)
Everlyne lives with her Aunt, and her Aunt’s family, in the Kamwokya slums. They stay in a small, ramshackle house in a congested area. The house leaks when it rains. Everlyne’s father passed away a long time ago, and the mother abandoned her to the grandfather. When the Aunt came to visit and saw the condition of baby Everlyne with her elderly grandfather, not being properly cared for, she decided to take her in and raise her with her own children.
Her situation is very difficult because her husband is still not well and cannot walk, from an accident he had a while ago. So he cannot work, and the burden falls on her to take care of the family. She makes paper bags to sell to snack vendors on the streets. This brings in little income, not enough to both feed everyone and send them to school. The Aunt has 3 other children besides Everlyne to care for. Everlyne is overworked and often eats less than one meal a day. She was in Primary 7 but had to drop out, and hasn’t been in school for at least 2 years. Everlyne needs the support of a loving sponsor to help her so she can go to school and gain hope of a better life!