MY LIFE EXPERIENCE – Lodim Joseph
My name is Lodim Joseph, a total orphan, aged 18 years, born on the 10th/February/2003. I sat for my Primary Leaving Examination (P.L.E) at Moroto Municipal Council Primary School in the year 2020. I am alone struggler doing casual works which help me raise money for my feeding, rent, clothings and also save some for buying my scholastic materials, preparing myself to return to school when Schools are open. I stay in a slum of kakoliye village, Moroto District, Karamoja Region.
I am all alone since my mother died in 2011. When I grew up, I heard people talking about 
CLHBC and that my mother had HIV/AIDS, and was a beneficiary in the HIV program with CLHBC to her last breathe. Later, the then Director of CLHBC called sister Itae took me in ,counseled and requested me to join School Of Life (S.O.L) program in her organization, whereby she ensured I go to school, have every scholastic material; such as exercise books, pens, pencils, soap, smearing oil, Uniform, and also paid my school fees. She equally supported me with any basic need I required at home, more especially food and rent. Sister Itae became my only mother and relative because even the only relatives( Uncle and Aunty ) my mother left me with insulted, abused, starved, beat and mistreated me much.
Having faced a lot of challenges staying with my Uncle and Aunty, I opted to go and stay with my grandmother who was also unable to provide for my basic needs such as food, which forced me to go for the residue of the sorghum local brew known as “ADAKAI” whenever casual labor I relied on for survival was lacking.
When I started attending activities at Cooperation and Development (C&D), under School Of Life program, I was a slow learner, but later on, I started catching up with the rest of the children in various activities conducted at the center. While in School Of Life, they taught us how to read and write during holiday programs, I was engaged in Saturday activities were I socialized with others which improved on myself esteem, more especially on public speaking confidence, we played games for good health and talent identification during sporting hours, SOL program on the other hand helped us to know more about Christian life through spiritual inputs like; Bible reading ,story-telling on biblical characters and acting dramas on the birth of Jesus, regular home visits and school weekly visits by Educators working with SOL also improved on my relationship with my guardians, teachers , school attendance and performance. Those are the gains I got from SOL program, including many other inputs I received from them which have shaped me to the person I am today .
My request is that, Government should as well sponsor orphan and other vulnerable children within Moroto district, and this could make most of them at least be assured of the kind of life they would have a head of their future.
My advice to the rest of the orphans and other vulnerable children within Moroto and whole over the world is to wake up, be strong, be hardworking, be focused and motivated in life, if given a chance to education take it seriously and do not misuse the chance for your future depends on it. Also respect whoever is taking care of you, and report any violence showed to you or any other child around you to protect yourself and other children. Many people are born with different talents, I ask you to identify yours and develop it, and it will help you grow, get employed or help you have a better future. As I conclude, I want you to stay focused on your Education believing that you are, ‘A READER TODAY, and A LEADER TOMORROW’.
Thank you very much,
Lodim Joseph (Child of S.O.L)