EXCLUSIVE: Orphaned Mother of 16 Seeks for Support, As Floods Render Her Homeless

By PATRICK JARAMOGI

Kampala, Uganda|SHIFT MEDIA NEWS: She is aged 33, but a mother of 16, strange but true. This the sad tale of Brandina Ndibakooya, a ‘daughter’ to fallen local song artist Job Paul Kafeero.

Brandina says she is the mother to 16 children, 8 girls, and 8 boys, making her a bread-winner to 16 children aged between three years to 17. Brandinah who was raped at a tender age gave birth to three sets of triplets and two sets of twins.

Her story is that of “Faded Hope”, where survival on a daily basis remains for the fittest.

Ndibakoowa lives in timber makeshift house in Ndeeba, Katwe, a renown urban slum in Lubaga Division, in Kampala district. The bedsitter, (one roomed) shelter costs her UGX 100,000 (USD$30). Some of the 16 children spend nights in the roof due to limited space within the room.

Brandina doesn’t know the whereabouts of her husband, a one Bukenya Vincent whom she last saw a couple of years ago. “I was in the hospital waiting to give birth. I recall my husband saying he was going to get food for me. He didn’t return,” said

Brandina in an interview. “After giving birth, I returned back only to find remains of poison in the bottles, I suspect he (Bukenya) committed suicide. We have never heard from him ever since.”

Tracing her roots

Brandina doesn’t recall her origin (ancestral home). All she reminisces is her mother abandoning her at the age of 6 months, somewhere in Luweero.

“I was told my mum left me when I was aged 6 months. All I recall is that the late singer, Job Paul Kafeero was my dad,” she said.

She says at the moment she has no place to call home. “When I die, I don’t know where they will bury me, neither my children. I have no place to call home, and that is my biggest challenge,” she said.

She has been surviving by singing in the streets of Kampala since 2001. “I earn between UGX30, 000 (USD$ 8) a day, on a positive day, sometimes we end up with less, or completely nothing,” she narrated.

She explained that at the moment, her landlord wants to throw her out of the makeshift due to the high number of children that I have. “And no landlord is willing to accommodate me with all my children. My only appeal to government and well-wishers is to have my own a house so that I can stop renting,” she appealed.

All Hope Not Gone
As they say, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. As Brandina moved in the streets of Kampala, singing to earn a living, she one day met a one Benson Katumba.

Katumba is the CEO and Founder of the Social Art Museum, ( the first private social museum in Uganda) and Director Uganda Youth Circle, that discovers and identifies talents and skills among the disadvantaged youth.

Katumba has now started an initiative to support the Brandina family. Through his own support, Katumba has visited the family in Ndeeba and provided them with basics such as soap, sugar and other necessities.

In an interview, Katumba said the family currently in dire need of a new set of musical instruments. “The music system is down (spoilt), the generator is also spoilt, and that was the only source of livelihood for the family,” said Katumba.

Katumba said the system was spoilt after water flooded their house (Ndeeba is prone to flooding)

Katumba has started the ‘Support the Brandinah Family” initiative to generate funds for the family.

NB: The well-wishers interested in visiting and supporting the family can get in touch with Katumba on +256779094570. (katumbabenson@gmail.com)