The Agong me Lango, Her Royal Highness Margaret Odongo Okune, has raised concern over the growing cases of child abandonment in the Lango sub-region, urging parents and cultural leaders to strengthen family support systems and promote responsible parenting.
Margaret made the remarks during a visit to Ngetta Babies Home in Lira City, where she donated food and essential supplies to support the care of abandoned and orphaned children ahead of the second coronation anniversary of the Won Nyaci of Lango, scheduled for November 2 at Lira Mayor’s Garden.
The donation included 100 kilogrammes of rice, milk, soap, and sugar, intended to support the facility’s operations and the welfare of children under its care.
Margaret described child abandonment as a sign of moral decline, saying communities had traditionally shared responsibility for raising children regardless of biological relationships. She said abandoned children deserved love, protection, and opportunities to fulfil their potential, noting that some could become future leaders, engineers, entrepreneurs, and doctors.
She urged parents to exercise tolerance and provide support to young girls who become pregnant, warning that rejection could push them into desperate situations, including abandoning their babies or taking their own lives. She also called on cultural leaders to use community outreach programmes to educate young people about early sexual activity, early marriages, and responsible parenting while promoting family planning and addressing alcohol abuse.
Sister Demmy Frances, the In-charge of Ngetta Babies Home, said the facility is caring for 37 orphaned and abandoned children drawn from Lango and neighbouring Acholi and Bunyoro sub-regions. She said the children arrived under different circumstances, including abandonment in bushes, pit latrines, and trenches, as well as cases involving mothers who were mentally ill, incarcerated, or had died during or shortly after childbirth.
Sister Demmy said the home faced serious challenges in providing specialised medical care, adequate nutrition, and rehabilitation for the children. Some infants rescued from pit latrines suffer severe infections and pneumonia after exposure to unhygienic conditions, while the facility lacks sufficient trained health workers and financial resources to meet the children’s medical and nutritional needs.
She also expressed concern about the welfare of children reunited with their families, saying follow-up assessments had revealed cases in which some children faced mistreatment from their stepmothers after returning home.
Caroline Edonga, the Deputy Minister of Gender and Family Affairs at Tekwaro Lango, commended the facility’s staff for caring for vulnerable children, urging them to continue their work despite the challenges. She described their service as a commitment to protecting children who would otherwise have limited access to care and support.
Proscovia Ayo, a member of the Agong Foundation and Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Lira District, attributed some cases of child abandonment to the difficult circumstances faced by young mothers. She said some girls experienced rape, economic hardship, and a lack of social support, leaving them vulnerable when confronted with pregnancy and the responsibility of raising children.
Agong also expressed concern over the number of abandoned male infants at the facility, questioning why boys continued to be abandoned despite the cultural importance attached to male children in many communities.
The visit formed part of activities leading up to the second coronation anniversary of the Won Nyaci of Lango, with the cultural leadership using the occasion to draw attention to the welfare of vulnerable children and the need for stronger community responsibility.