NARROW ESCAPE: How A Desperate Vulnerable Family Benefited Twice From “Nabbanja’s” Money And Survived A Harsh Landlord

By PATRICK JARAMOGI

KAMPALA-Uganda-SHIFTMEDIA- Scores of ‘vulnerable poor’ in Kampala may perhaps until today still be waiting albeit with fading hopes for “Nabbanjas” money, the Covid 19 government relief fund.

A total of 501, 000 households, described as vulnerable poor across the country were due to get shs100,000 as government support during the 42-day lockdown.

This exercise that was due to wind up last week was characterized by controversies and delays amidst confusion and system network errors. To date, security is still scrutinizing over 170,000 beneficiaries whose names have errors and were rejected by the system.

Corruption is thriving, we are against it and shall keep exposing it, but we shall also not hesitate to report on the positivity.

One good turn, they say deserves another. When President Museveni slapped a 42-day lockdown, many Ugandans were caught off guard. The hardest hit were taxi drivers, Boda Boda riders, bus drivers, touts, conductors, and scores of others.

Today we bring you a story of (Charles), not real names. Charles aged 29 is a taxi driver and resident in Luzira, Parish Nakawa Division in Kampala. Unlike other lucky drivers, Charles has a permit but doesn’t have a permanent car, so he always helps other taxi drivers (when they are either having breakfast, lunch, or engaged with other issues). They have a term they call such people, that has skipped my mind, but I am sure you click what I am talking about.

On a good day, Charles can go home with between 5,000- 15,000 basing on how many trips he has made. So basically survival for Charles, who is married with three kids isn’t all that rosy.

“Some days If I don’t get a chance to drive, I go home empty-handed. When the lockdown was announced by President Museveni, it spelled doom for me. I knew I was finished,” he said.

Shortly after the lockdown was announced, one of his kids felt sick and was admitted. Charles whose wife sits at home (Housewife) literally had nothing. But with friends, he was helped and hospital bills were cleared.

Good Samaritans also offered daily food for the family in their muzigo (bed seater) in Luzira.

But as bad luck would have it, the landlord knew the hope of getting rent from Charles was slimming decided to throw them out of his house.

Charles’ only hope was on Nabbanja’s money, which apparently wasn’t coming as fast as he wanted. “I kept telling the landlord to wait just in case Nabbanja’s money comes through,” he explained.

He felt the weight of the wait. He had like any other resident registered along with his wife. “But when things weren’t working and the deadline given to vacate the house was narrowing, I resorted to prayers, amidst the worry, anxiety, and hunger cramps,” he said.

Prayers, they say does miracles. At the end of last week, as they pondered what next, the wife heard a message tone on her phone, followed by another shortly. She rushed for her phone and guess what, “Nabbanja’s money had landed.

Minutes later, Charles who was now so excited also received a message. Now the miracle-working God had made it. The Couple now had Ugx 300,000 (USD$82).

Apparently, the wife had received doubled payments, now at this point, we can’t tell whose fault it was, the sender or the receiver, or the miracle-working power of God.

Anyway, that is a story for another day, the couple, armed with their shs300,000 got another miracle, a good Samaritan handed them a two bedroomed house to stay in until things normalize.

They left the house they were being tormented and shifted intoCOVI this better two-roomed house.

Using “Nabbanja’s” cash, they stocked enough food to keep the family for some time.

Thanks to Rt. Hon Nabbanja’s cash, some souls were saved.

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