Faith
Philo Kunihira (C), with the young and old children at Bring Home to the family
babies’ home at Kaihura in Kyenjojo District, Uganda. Photo by Felix Basiime
Kunihira enjoys the company of the children at Bring
Home baby’s home at Kaihura in Kyenjojo district, Uganda.
Photo by Felix Basiime
SATURDAY MONITOR 8/6/2019
By Felix Basiime
IN SUMMARY
Heroic act. Faith Philo Kunihira’s love and care for children has been extended to hundreds of children abandoned or abused in Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge districts, writes Felix Basiime
It is a bright day at Kaihura
trading centre, about 40 kms on the new Fort Portal-Kyenjojo road. I see a sign
post written on ‘Bringing Hope to the Family’ on the right hand side of the
road. As I branch off, shortly after a two-minute-drive, I am already at the
children’s centre that is well-fenced with a tall wire mesh.
At the gate, the
guard asks me who I want to see. ‘I want to see Kunihira,’ I respond. After
registering, he gives me access to the premises. I find many children, boys and
girls in the compound, happily playing. This is the baby’s home that has
brought hope to many children in the western region. In the office, I find a
policeman registering a child who they had earlier in the day rescued from a
woman, they found seated in the middle of road, waiting for a car to knock them
dead.
It is a beehive of activity as people are busy slashing,
building, sweeping, older children are peeling Irish potatoes for supper, while
the senior women are washing clothes, mopping and bathing children.
Moments later, I
find Kunihira inside, playing with the youngest children. After exchanging pleasantries,
she confesses, “I love children so much. I can spend the whole day playing with
them.”
Faith Philo Kunihira is mothering hundreds of children
who have been abandoned or abused in Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge and
Kagadi districts.
Kunihira is the founder and the executive director of Bringing Hope to the Family, an non-governmental organisation based in Kyenjojo District in western Uganda, that offers education, child care centres, has supported health by building two health centre IIIs and connected hard -to -reach places by building bridges, among other services.
Kunihira is the founder and the executive director of Bringing Hope to the Family, an non-governmental organisation based in Kyenjojo District in western Uganda, that offers education, child care centres, has supported health by building two health centre IIIs and connected hard -to -reach places by building bridges, among other services.
Impact
“In the last 19 years, I have educated 265 children who have all obtained degrees. 80 are now at universities,” Kunihira reveals.
“In the last 19 years, I have educated 265 children who have all obtained degrees. 80 are now at universities,” Kunihira reveals.
Asked how she sustains this initiative, Kunihira says
her tireless efforts and long hours of work keep the babies’ home going. She
also noted that she receives support from different donors.
According to Kunihira, 1,225 vulnerable girls and boys
have obtained vocational skills, while 136 others are undertaking vocational
studies in different institutions.
“Some of the children I support are in schools like Mandela in Hoima, Kyebambe Girls Senior School in Fort Portal and several other schools. In primary schools, there are 1,650 and 62 (0 to 14 years) are in the babies’ home,” she adds.
“Some of the children I support are in schools like Mandela in Hoima, Kyebambe Girls Senior School in Fort Portal and several other schools. In primary schools, there are 1,650 and 62 (0 to 14 years) are in the babies’ home,” she adds.
Health care
Kunihira says more than 1,600 people living with HIV receive quality health services at Hope Again Medical Centre III and 265 of these are children.
Kunihira says more than 1,600 people living with HIV receive quality health services at Hope Again Medical Centre III and 265 of these are children.
The centre also provides free nutritional supplements.
“In July, we are opening a new health centre III at Kanyegamire in Bufunjo Sub-
county, Mwenge North in Kyenjojo District. We also focus on water and
sanitation. We have constructed three boreholes and 62 shallow wells around
Kyenjojo District,” Kunihira explains.
Community development
Kunihira says her initiative has supported 1,224 households with agricultural inputs, nutrition, mosquito nets, psychosocial support, handled child abuse cases and supported several villages to start up saving groups.
Community development
Kunihira says her initiative has supported 1,224 households with agricultural inputs, nutrition, mosquito nets, psychosocial support, handled child abuse cases and supported several villages to start up saving groups.
“During our
community outreach programmes in 2016, I found that the people of Kanyegamire
were cut off from the rest of the district, as the only makeshift bridge had
been swept away by floods at Kahombo swamp. I was told that pregnant women
would fall in the waters as they sought medical services to Kifuka on foot,
about 20 Km away” she says.
“While building a medical facility was ideal, we later
found out that constructing the bridge first would save lives. I started
soliciting for funds (Shs320 million) and I am glad that the local people will
have a new bridge in July this year.” She says she received a lot of support
from Duke University in North Carolina, USA.
Education
Born 49 years ago at Ntutu village in Nantungo Sub -county, Kunihira went to Kaihura Primary School and Madox Secondary School. She holds several certificates in HIV/Aids counselling and computer science and an Advanced diploma in Project Planning and Management. She holds a degree in Business Studies from the Institute of Computer Management in the UK. She holds a Master of Science Business Administration from Roehampton University in the UK. She was recently honoured with a Doctorate in Humanity from Lead Impact University in USA.
Born 49 years ago at Ntutu village in Nantungo Sub -county, Kunihira went to Kaihura Primary School and Madox Secondary School. She holds several certificates in HIV/Aids counselling and computer science and an Advanced diploma in Project Planning and Management. She holds a degree in Business Studies from the Institute of Computer Management in the UK. She holds a Master of Science Business Administration from Roehampton University in the UK. She was recently honoured with a Doctorate in Humanity from Lead Impact University in USA.
Work
experience
Kunihira worked at Shell Jinja as an accountant, Uganda Grain Milling Company as an audit assistant, director at the Source Café in Jinja and is founder of the Masterseed Primary School in Jinja.
Kunihira worked at Shell Jinja as an accountant, Uganda Grain Milling Company as an audit assistant, director at the Source Café in Jinja and is founder of the Masterseed Primary School in Jinja.
Today, she is the founder and executive director of
‘Bringing Hope to the Family’, ‘Home Again’, and a medical facility -Hope Again
Medical Centre III, ‘High Hope Primary School’, New Hope Vocational institute,
Future Hope- a Pregnancy Crisis Centre and runs a Community Development
Programme that focuses on infrastructural development in Kyenjojo District.
What
others say
Adolf
Baguma, 17
Student at Mandela SS in Hoima
Philo Kunihira supported me to go for surgery in Califonia after I was tortured at home in Rugombe in Kyenjojo District, in 2016. When I recovered, she offered me a study bursary. She is a blessing to our village.
Student at Mandela SS in Hoima
Philo Kunihira supported me to go for surgery in Califonia after I was tortured at home in Rugombe in Kyenjojo District, in 2016. When I recovered, she offered me a study bursary. She is a blessing to our village.
Tom Mwebaze, 26,
Clinical Officer and the officer- in-charge of Hope Again Medical Centre III
I met this lady with a heart of gold after completing Senior Four. She paid my school fees through A- L evel and at Fort Portal School of Clinical Officers. She is a hard working woman, very caring, and a mother.
Clinical Officer and the officer- in-charge of Hope Again Medical Centre III
I met this lady with a heart of gold after completing Senior Four. She paid my school fees through A- L evel and at Fort Portal School of Clinical Officers. She is a hard working woman, very caring, and a mother.
Grace Kemigisa,
A farmer
Kunihira is a hero sent from heaven to Kyenjojo. She has supported the vulnerable children and mothers in this region. She is selfless and generous. She always yearns to see people doing better and these are enviable and rare virtues.
A farmer
Kunihira is a hero sent from heaven to Kyenjojo. She has supported the vulnerable children and mothers in this region. She is selfless and generous. She always yearns to see people doing better and these are enviable and rare virtues.
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