The hill in Rubirizi District, Western Uganda, is steep enough that the climb takes effort. Every morning, three of Paul Bagambana’s granddaughters make their way down it to school, and every afternoon, they climb back up. It is a small thing, in one sense. But for these sisters, this daily walk is something they have not always been able to take.
Paul is 88 years old. He lives in a modest three-roomed home near the top of the hill with four of his granddaughters – Doreen (19), Leticia (15), Faustine (13), and Stella Maris (8). He struggles with chronic pain in his eyes and legs, and since the passing of his wife Gertrude last June, the household has carried a particular kind of quiet grief. Neighbors remember Gertrude as the pillar of the family. When she passed, the weight she had been carrying, including the burden of care for Paul, fell entirely to the four sisters.
Their mother left nearly a decade ago. Their father, who has remarried and lives nearby, is not involved in their care. So the sisters looked after one another and their grandfather, quietly and without being asked. Leticia left school to work as a housemaid. Doreen had taken up a hairdressing apprenticeship out of necessity. For Faustine and Stella Maris, still young, the path ahead was uncertain.
Road to Hope, a program implemented by the Palliative Care Association of Uganda in partnership with the Center for Hospice Care, exists for families like this one. The program supports child caregivers across 33 districts in Uganda – children under 18 who have taken on the responsibility of caring for a chronically ill parent or guardian. Thanks to generous donations, all four sisters are now enrolled in Road to Hope. For Doreen, Leticia, Faustine, and Stella Maris, that support has meant school fees, clothing, and basic necessities, while palliative care nurses and social workers visit regularly to support Paul and ensure each girl is doing well at school and at home.
Now, Leticia is back in school. Faustine and Stella Maris climb their hill each morning with backpacks instead of burdens. Doreen is building skills that can sustain the family for years to come. Paul, who cannot provide for his granddaughters the way he wishes he could, has the gift of watching them grow up. These four sisters are still climbing. With your support, Road to Hope can help make sure they never have to stop.
By Austin Marchand, PCAU Intern / Volunteer
