Child sacrifice in Uganda

[xkittyx]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15255357

Horrifying, and one of the worst things seem to be that the police have been bought off.

[frownieface]

Truly horrific , but what can we do to stop this from happening? can we put pressure on our government? naive

[Notquitegrownup]

Saw this on the 10 o'clock news last night and was very very moved. Just logged onto the Jubilee Campaign website which they mentioned, who are campaining to get the police in Uganda more resources to tackle this terrible terrible crime.

There is a petition on the Jubilee website which you can sign - they only have just over a thousand signatures so far! If you didn't see the news last night, you can read the report or watch it online. It is soooo moving, incredibly sad, and in the larger scale of things internationally, it ought to be something relatively easy to clamp down on, if public support is aroused.

Petition here: help to stop child sacrifice

Hoping that lots of mnetters can sign too to give this a real boost

[confusedpixie]

How horrible :(

Apart from signing the petition, what else can we do? Would putting pressure on our government do anything? How does one even go about putting pressure on their government?

[nokissymum]

Horrific! Absolutely horrific ! Maybe we can try contacting that pastor in kampala directly to ask what resources he might need as he is fighting a one man battle at the moment. Will try to investigate a bit further.

[Notquitegrownup]

First thing to do is to keep this thread bumped. I'm sure that it is an issue which many MNetters will care about deeply if they read/hear about it, and several thousand signatures will make a real difference to the campaign. If we circulate our email lists of friends too, they can all sign.

CP - write to your MP. MPs used to count every letter received as representing a thousand people who care, but didn't get around to writing, so if they receive two or three or ten emails/letters they know that people really care.

NKM - I wondered about contacting him too. Even an email/letter of support might help to boost spirits

[Ryoko]

Seriously why are those men still alive? as I watched that report the other day all I wanted to do was cut the balls and head off that witch doctor they where talking to, as the law does nothing about them I seriously wonder why the families haven't taken it upon themselves to wipe the bastards out, they know who is doing this.

[jetgirl]

I watched this last night totally horrified. I have signed the petition and am going to speak to my HT about potential fund raising.
Good idea about writing to our MPs, and I'm going to put a link on my fb page . There's another report tonight on child trafficking in Uganda.

[champagnesupernova]

OMG
there are no words...

[Unlurked]

That's horrendous. Petition signed and I will be writing to my mp.

[reallytired]

I wish we could do something financially to help Allan and his family. His family have had to sell their house to pay for their son's treatment. I have no idea how much it would cost to buy them another house. If every mumsnetter gave £10 would it pay for he boy's medical treatment.

It just seems so awful for a poor nine year old to be castrated, almost beheaded with a machete and then lose his home because of medical bills.

[Notquitegrownup]

Here is how to email your MP drawing their attention to this issue and asking them to support any action which might put pressure on the Ugandan government to deal promptly and decisively with this matter which is on the increase and needs to be curtailed now.

[nubbins]

on a practical note, you could also support organisations like the quicken trust and the kampala childrens centre who work to protect and educate children who have no one else to look after them. The destiny africa choir is touring in the UK and Belgium currently, go and see them if you can, they are amazing.

//www.kampalachildren.com

//www.quickentrust.com

[Longtallsally]

Awful, truly awful. But so preventable.

I have just looked up the journalist, Chris Rogers, who seems to do some amazingly good work on issues around exploitation of children around the work. Assuming that he is still in touch with Alan's family, he would be a good point of contact. Anyone know how to get in touch with a TV journalist? (I am not on twittr/facebook but guess that he may be.)

[Longtallsally]

Thank you nubbins. Have just looked up the destiny africa choir tour and they are coming to sing near us. Will definitely go and take the dcs too

[vixsatis]

Signed. MNHQ is there any way of implementing reallytired's excellent idea?

[KarlaFromMoscowCentre]

Have emailed my MP. I saw the link on BBC earlier today and was just too head-in-the-sand to click, so thanks for giving me the push I needed.

[mollymole]

have contacted my MP and asked her to bring this up in parliamentary question time, however, as both the government and the police in Uganda are so corrupt it is a very difficult situation (have Ugandan friends who have
moved to this country as they were afraid for their lives after questioning their own government officials)

[confusedpixie]

Notquite: Thanks :)

[Tianc]

This is a huge problem throughout sub-Saharan Africa, look up "muti killings".

Friends of mine taught Segametsi Mogomotso, whose murder in 1994 was the straw that broke the camel's back and caused widespread riots in Botswana. Local police destroyed evidence and by the time the government called in Scotland Yard as external investigators there was nothing left to see.

[Longtallsally]

MM -I used to be fairly involved with Amnesty and we were always pleasantly surprised by how even very corrupt governments can fear open and public disapproval, and will act when the spotlight is turned upon them.

I'm sure that Tianc is right and that this is a widespread problem but by focusing on one country at a time, and by keeping the spotlight on, I would hope that we can't make things worse and may just be able to help to make a difference.

[caramelwaffle]

Bump

[bemybebe]

"how even very corrupt governments can fear open and public disapproval, and will act when the spotlight is turned upon them."

Very true. Also a note that corruption level in a country is not down to poverty. Russia is a very rich country yet it is totally corrupt. But no government would be able to sit still if the public actively demands the change. As so it happens so often, the strength is in numbers...

[Tianc]

Oh goodness yes, I don't mean to derail this ? everything needs a starting place. It would be amazing if we could do something useful.

[Notquitegrownup]

Have emailed MNHQ to see if we can get a sticky put on this to keep it at the top of Active Threads.

Really really like the idea of contacting this journalist, who may be interesting to have on for a MN webchat . . . .

[Longtallsally]

Bump