Shamim's Story

In 2019, Christine found herself in a small, bustling salon on Sir Apollo Kagwa Road in Kampala, intending to get her hair braided. It was a typical day filled with chatter and the hum of hairdryers, but something felt amiss. In the corner, Christine noticed a young girl, Shamim, looking incredibly uncomfortable and sad. Her eyes told a story of pain and fear that couldn’t be ignored.

As Christine’s hair was being braided, she kept glancing at Shamim. The girl’s father, Sula, who worked as a salon attendant, was nearby, trying to comfort her, but there was an air of desperation around him. Concerned, Christine approached them and was shocked by what she saw. Sula was gently washing Shamim’s intestines with soap after she had defecated—a sight both heartbreaking and alarming.

Christine soon learned the tragic circumstances that had led to this situation. Shamim’s mother had been incarcerated after riots in Masaka following the death of Kirumira, the former Inspector General of Police. Sula, barely making ends meet as a salon attendant, had been called by neighbors when they discovered Shamim in this dire state. He had rushed her to a hospital, but the doctors demanded 200,000 UGX for her treatment—a sum he simply did not have.

Christine knew she couldn’t walk away. Without hesitation, she took Shamim to Platinum Hospital in Kampala, where the doctors recognized the severity of the situation and rushed her into surgery. Christine covered the hospital bill from her own savings, ensuring that Shamim received the care she desperately needed.

This act of compassion was not an isolated incident for Christine. As one of the founders of Mapenzi Ya Dunia Foundation in Uganda, she had always been committed to helping those in need. The experience with Shamim reinforced her belief in the power of kindness and the importance of being there for others in their darkest moments.