Kemigisa Gorret is 24 years old and was born partially blind. She lives in Kigarama Subcounty in Kabarole District, in Western Uganda. Gorret is the oldest of five children; her youngest sibling is just four years old. All but one of the siblings dropped out of school because of money-related issues. Gorret herself only attended the first two years of primary school; she was unable to progress further because the school did not have adequate facilities for children with visual impairments and Gorret’s family did not have enough money to invest in her education.
Gorret’s family lives in a semi-permanent house, built from mud with an iron roof and an un-cemented floor. Their home sits on 1.5 acres of land, with a banana plantation occupying about half an acre. The rest of their land is used for rearing animals. The family also plants maize and groundnuts, which they sell. Gorret’s parents are subsistence farmers and their livelihoods depend upon selling agricultural produce. The children do odd jobs in the neighbourhood such as fetching water and babysitting. Gorret and her mother also work in other people’s gardens to earn money. Life is hard and finances are uncertain.
Gorret first heard about the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation (RSNF) and its vocational school at a church service. “Little did I know that I would get to hear such great news of equipping disabled people with vocational schools. For a long time, people with disabilities have been left out, so I did not expect to get such an opportunity,” Gorret said. She enrolled on a year-long tailoring course with full sponsorship, which was a life-changing experience – leaving her village to acquire a skill.
However, part-way through Gorret’s course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The vocational centre was closed during lockdown and Gorret had no choice but to return to her village. She got a job as a maid, earning a small salary, which she gave to her mother.
After lockdown ended, Gorret was able to return to RSNF and complete her tailoring course, which she described as a dream come true. Accomplish Children’s Trust gave her a sewing machine (as part of our 2021 Christmas Campaign to provide professional equipment for disabled graduates), enabling her to begin work as a tailor.
Today, Gorret runs her own independent business and is doing well. RSNF has linked her with some local schools and she has contracts to make uniforms. She has earned enough money to send her siblings to school and to buy herself three pigs and two goats. “RSNF is my saviour,” Gorret said. “Now I am able to cater for myself and my family.”
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