Losing a parent at any age can be a devastating loss, but for a child it’s an earth-shattering blow. On July 22nd 2024, 12-year-old Divine Muwawu experienced this magnitude of a loss with the sudden death of his father, Mr. Andrew Muwawu.

The day began like any other with Divine’s mother, Maria, leaving for work at 6:30am. But at around 1pm, she received a heartbreaking call informing her that her husband had collapsed. Andrew was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be high blood pressure. He was only 46 years old.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common and treatable health problem. But without proper treatment and routine management of the condition, it can lead to death.

Divine and his siblings are in deep shock. Divine, in particular, was very attached to his dad and is finding it difficult to imagine life without him.

Maria is struggling with a profound sense of grief, anxiety, and confusion about the future – how will she now care for their five children all on her own?  She works in the packaging department of a company that manufactures weaves and braids, earning approximately $82 per month. However, her employment is insecure as she has no formal contract. She relied on the added income of her husband who worked various casual jobs to support the family.

The family's financial situation is now dire. In addition, Maria and her young children need grief counseling to help them navigate their emotions and find hope again.

That is why, Children of Uganda has pledged to support Divine’s family with monthly financial aid and therapy through the end of the year. And, we rely on the generosity of supporters like you to help us provide critical aid to families in their greatest time of need. Thank you for your continued contributions.

Providing ongoing health education and access to primary prevention interventions significantly reduces the incidence of premature deaths. You can help improve health outcomes for disadvantaged families with a gift to Children of Uganda today:

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