Happy Angels Vol. 3
June 27, 2017
HAPPY ANGELS YOUTH BRASS BAND
Happy Angels Youth Brass Band, Uganda Allan Kawalya, project manager, Kampala (Manager Allan Kawalya has interviewed some participants and alumni of the Happy Angels Youth Brass Band who have been gracious enough to share their stories)
MULWANA DEO I Am Mulwana Deo of the Happy Angels Youth Brass Band. I started living with the Happy Angels Youth Brass Band when I was six years old, and now I am fourteen years old. A man named Edrine told me the story of how I got to the Happy Angels Youth Brass Band. My mother was a domestic servant, and I was shown the house where my mother lived. Being a house girl, the house husband took advantage of my mother to satisfy his sexual needs. She got pregnant later, and due to the fear of her boss and of Bwaise, Kampala, Uganda
VISION Working towards sustainable development for marginalized children and youth so they can become self suďŹƒcient in time 1
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losing her job, she kept silent and did not say anything. The pregnancy went on, and her stomach grew bigger and bigger. The house wife became suspicious of her behavior by then, and asked my mother whether she was pregnant and who the owner of the pregnancy was. My mother, because she still feared the house husband, the house wife, and losing her job, she never told who the owner of the pregnancy was. The house wife became more and more suspicious, and started torturing her psychologically. My mother then decided to tell the house husband that she had gotten pregnant. My father told mother to keep silent, or she could spoil their marriage, and she was the one to blame. Father made a promise to mother that she will not live at home and that he could support her all the time. Mum kept silent and the only thing she could do was to tell the story to the gate keeper of the house, and gate keeper to other friends. She was put in a position where as long as she didn’t talk about it to anyone, she would remain with her job and then dad would support her not to live at the house even when she gives birth, or to accept abortion (which Mum refused). Whenever the house wife came back, she told the husband that she couldn't manage a pregnant lady who doesn't even
Mission Believing that children and youth have a right to education, equality, respect and participation in community development activities
know the owner of the pregnancy, but the house husband calmed her down. Since dad felt guilty, he always supported mother from being kicked out of the house, and the wife could have no say in the matter. Later on, after the difficult struggle at home while pregnant, Mum gave birth to me and I was named Mulwana Deo. Mum had nothing except her savings from her monthly salary, and the gatekeeper, who was great friend and bought me things like clothes and other needs. Father only told Mum he would support her as long as she kept the secret. My name Mulwana, in our local language, means “born from in time of storm�. As I grew up, Mum remained working as a house Bwaise, Kampala, Uganda
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girl, with me beside her. The house wife later changed her mind and mother was kicked out of the home where she worked, and dad promised to pay her rent and send her money for expenses and other support. Mother was given money for rent for three months, and also a little other money for household needs. Mum bought a few things to start, supposing that dad would give her more money later for additional needs. The little that Mum was given was the last she received from my dad, and after that she received no more support from him. Mother became so stressed, sick now and again, and was advised to leave me at my dad’s place. Before she did that, she went and told the whole story to the house lady who was her boss, and instead, there was a lot of confusion and misunderstanding in their home. Mum walked away having told everything to the lady, knowing that she could receive some support. Mum was hard working and she worked up to when I was six years old and took me to my dad’s place. She told me to enter the gate, and that she would come back to pick me up, but Mum had gone forever. I entered, the lady saw me, and I stayed there for two days. Dad and my step mother had more struggles every day, so dad decided to take me to the police where he had picked me up from near his house, and they started a search for my mother. The gatekeeper told what he knew to Edrine. Edrine came and picked me from there, and that's how I joined the Happy Angels Youth Brass Band. Now I am fourteen years old in form six class, and I play the trumpet and trombone.
Let's all join hands to support Happy Angels Youth Brass Band help the children through music by offering any kind of help and support. Remember any support given to a child will help another one thousand generations to come. With your donations, we house and feed and teach 211 children and youth as of this date. Director Edrine has been ill in the hospital with asthma, so I have been managing under his direction. Please help us with the hospital bills. Also we are need a larger space for everyone. Donate regularly at https://www.gofundme.com/xyv9w67d
Bwaise, Kampala, Uganda
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June 27, 2017
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