Case studies

Santa, Night Communter

Santa is 17 years old. She visits a night commuter centre in Gulu every
night with her five younger siblings. They walk over 2 miles, back and
fourth every night and morning. Often on the walk to the shelter her and her
sisters are abused by drunken men and are often coerced into sexual
activities. Lacking the appropriate adult supervision they are left to be
abused. Santa has no mother or father and as such is responsible for the
welfare of the whole family even though she is a child herself. She brings
all of her siblings to the centre as she fears the rebels will kill or
abduct them.

Santa was abducted by the rebels when she was 14,
however after a couple of years she managed to escape and spent 9 months in
a local rehabilitation centre for former abducted child soldiers. She then
returned to her home where she found she had to take the responsibility of
finding money for food, clothes, rent and school fees for herself and
siblings.

Santa has just completed a tailoring course at a local skills
training centre - the clothes she makes are amazing and she has just attended
her graduation where she received a distinction for her skills in
tailoring. She is hoping that the money she makes from the tailoring will
pay to help support her siblings, however the most she can hope to make per
day is 30 pence. She sells sugar cane on the side of the road to increase her
income. Ideally she would like to go to tailoring school where she will be
able to become more specialised and would have the opportunity to become a
teacher of tailoring.