Problems Facing the Masaka Community and What Needs to be Done

Facts About Masaka District
Masaka District is found in South western Uganda across the bounder of Tanzania. It is well known to be the first district in Uganda where AIDS victim was notified around 1986. Masaka district is the meeting point, of travelers from Rwanda and Tanzania who park their Lorries in one of Masaka towm called Lukaya and sources say that one of the travelers brought AIDS in Uganda. Currently Masaka has been affected by problems caused by AIDS victims for example the increasing number of orphans in the district, poor Aids care in the district, And low response to AIDS victims in the district especially deep in villages.

Problems faced by children and communities in Masaka

Infant mortality
The number of children dying before the age five is increasing because: Mother do not recieve postnatal care
Children die of Malaria, poor feeding and AIDS
Children born with teenage mother lack adequate care
Poor care of children in families, due to loss of parents and poverty No drugs in hospital because of theft

Solutions:
Make medical services free.
Providing mosquito nets.
Bring medical services nearer to people..
Building medical centers to provide adequate care to all children .

Poor Nutrition (some children run away from home because of lack of enough food , some end up steal food because they do not eat enough at home)
Poverty, parents cannot afford to sustain their children on balance diet, cannot afford milk, chicken, fish except on Christmas.
Some families have only one meal a day or two meals a day, Lunch supper and only Porridge and Posho. Harvests are poor, Famine has been rampant.
Orphans can not feed themselves well, they must attend to other demands
We eat the same kind of meal like Posho( maize meal), cassava and greens with no other Nutritious foods.

Solutions:
Improve Nutrition through education and mobilizations for food production by teaching farmers good method of farming.
Increased Agricultural products through distribution of improved seeds and extension services.

Poor Water and sanitation
Not everyone has access to safe drinking water.
Some people drink water from unprotected wells which sometimes are shared with animals.
For some places water is along distance away from their homes at times up to 2miles. They do not have bore holes, springs and wells.
Those that latrines are not in good conditions. They are shallow, not well built and have no water for washing toilets.
Some people do not know the importance of washing their hands before after using toilets.

Solution:
Drills more bore holes for clean water to reduce diseases. Improve toilets for better sanitation for children. Teach people hygiene and Sanitation.

Education
More children go to school but they are some children who do not go especially in Villages who are mostly orphans and those with parents who can not pay their school requirements.
Few children go to high school due to high amount of school fees..
Some children especially orphans run away from home due to mistreatment from their step mother and end going on street.
Schools are not enough, classes are not enough and teachers as well.
Children lack school fees and scholastic materials to use at school.
Children are hungry, they keep thinking about food all the time.
Vocational and technical training are few and those which are there are expensive.

Solutions:
Ensure that all children attain education through sponsorship programs and providing them scholastic materials.
More schools like orphanages should be built to care for the increasing number of Orphans. Star Vocation schools for children who drop out of school.

Increasing Number of Orphans
They are neglected and exploited of children who are not cared for or supported by parents or relative. Orphan children end up working as maids, Shamber boys and young girls end up into early marriage. Because of poverty, families can not properly look after Orphans.
Orphans can not access basic necessities and sometimes end up stealing.
In some homes Guardians deny orphans food and clothes. They torture and abuse them.
They give harsh punishments compared to what other children at home get. They sometimes have to do all house work.
Orphans born with AIDS are not followed to provide treatment to them especially in villages and are neglected in families.
Sometimes when both parents die the elder child takes care of other children.

Solutions:
Address needs to orphans.
Address needs to families headed by children. Provide education for Orphans.
Aids children need counseling services.

Poverty
Unemployment
Unproductive agricultural products which earn little for farmers
Parents end up not providing necessities at home.
Fathers spend all their time drinking Alcohol in pubs.
Mother do not work and have no source of earning because of the historical influence about Women.

Solution:
Teach Women hand Craft.
Teach farmers good methods of farming.
Father should be taught other work through vocational training.