The case of Daniel aged 11

 We came across Daniel begging for food for himself and his mother while we were parked outside a police station. His English is excellent, indicating that he is a very bright boy. We asked him why he wasn’t at school. He explained that he didn’t go to school for two years during Covid (all Ugandan schools were closed.) and then he had been involved in an electrical ‘incident’ in which he had lost his arm and was badly burned all over his body from the head down. His scars were horrific. Daniel had not been to school since.

Fate was on his side. We had just done a presentation at a local school and the headteacher was walking past us as we were talking to Daniel. He explained that Daniel’s mother could not afford to pay for his education or food because her husband had run off and she was paying on-going hospital fees for Daniel’s treatment. We negotiated a deal with the headteacher to give Daniel a place in school in return for extra resources we had in our car. We paid for his uniform, the senior police officer promised to buy him shoes and others in the team clubbed together to pay the fee for Daniel to have a meal at school every day.

Daniel with his mother and the equipment BUPECHIU provided to guarantee his place in school.

Daniel’s first day in school; looking a little nervous.

Two weeks later, one of the BUPECHIU team went to check up on Daniel. He is now in uniform.

That smile is priceless!