DOMESTIC VIOLENCE KILLS MORE THAN ANY PANDEMIC.

During the lock down and quarantine period as a result of COVID19, the levels of domestic violence really went so high, almost 5 cases would be reported daily.  It’s even worse with the environment in which this violence was taking place since all the children were at home witnessing all this happen. The poor children are innocent and didn’t have options of where to run to since they can’t change their homes any way! God knows the effect this has on the children especially when they grow up. Surprisingly, this violence saw many people meet their maker even before the corona the whole world was worried about.

We are living in an era where nations focus on ‘trending problems’ only leaving the ‘old fashioned’ ones to whom it may concern. Unfortunately, the old fashioned ones still remain more dangerous because of their persistence because they have stood the taste of time. Pandemics like ebola come and go but evils like domestic violence have always taken people to their graves silently due to the sensitivity of the cases.

The worst news about domestic violence is that its effects are intergenerational. Its effects are likely to shift from, generation to generation. A child who grew up in a violent home is likely to be violent in future because it’s what he/ she grew up seeing. It’s such violence cases that have resulted into an increase in the number of street children. Most children flee their homes out of fear because they can’t stand being in abuse families.

According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Uganda spends about 50billion annually on Gender Based Violence incidents. What if even half of this money was even spent on the fight against such violence cases, don’t you think the impact would be much better and significant. Isn’t prevention better than cure! Some of this money could be used to construct rescue homes to protect those in very deadly situation! On 6th March during the lock down, one of the local TV’s showed a scenario where a man was chasing away his wife and children with a pang! In a situation where no public means was allowed unless or otherwise! If a woman cannot feel safe in her own home, then she can’t feel safe anywhere!

Family councilors should be availed at every local council level and toll free numbers from the police family unit must be provide, reachable and effective in every home so that if any case arise, one can get help. We can’t sit watch our mothers, sisters and children, worse more fathers lose their lives, watch dreams sail in oblivion, people getting amputated and toothless, just because of a simple misunderstanding! And this isn’t a pro women campaign, because every time a woman is liberated, man is liberated, dreams are liberated and finally, the whole nation is liberated.

CAROL MUKISA NYANGOMA

C.E.O

 WARM HEARTS FOUNDATION