Two years ago, something very bad happened at a school called Lhubiriha Secondary School. Bad people came at night and hurt many students. 45 children died, and 11 are still missing. Only 11 children survived.
The school had just opened that year. It gave poor children who were good at sports, music, or school a chance to learn for free. Many families thought this was a great opportunity.
Sanasiyo Mupasula sent his daughter, Roset Masika, to the school. She loved playing football and was so happy to be there. But on June 16, 2023, Sanasiyo's brother woke him up and told him the school was on fire. When Sanasiyo went to the hospital, he found out Roset had died. He was heartbroken.
No one knows exactly how the attack happened. People living near the school heard gunshots and saw men with guns walking around the school. But they thought the men were soldiers who were supposed to keep everyone safe. The school was close to a place where soldiers stay, but the soldiers did not come to help in time.
The people in charge of the school ran away after the attack. The school closed and never opened again. The parents were very sad and confused. They wanted to know what happened, but no one told them.
Mupasula misses his daughter every day. He wonders if she would still be alive if she had not been so good at football. It makes him sad to think about her talent being buried with her.
Eleven families still do not know where their children are. In their culture, when someone is missing for a long time, they have a special ceremony. They plant a banana tree to remember the person. However, the government has not let these families have the ceremony for their missing children.
Saturday, Steven Bwambale's son, Eriab Muhindo, is one of the missing children. Saturday is very sad because he does not know if Eriab is alive or dead. He wants the government to let him have the special ceremony so he can say goodbye.
The government did tests on the bodies they found at the school. But there were four bodies no one claimed. Some people think these bodies might belong to the bad people who attacked the school. The government buried these bodies in a different place.
The children who survived the attack had a hard time, too. Their families had to buy them new school things because everything burned in the fire. Many families did not have enough money to do this.
One mom had five children. Her oldest son survived the attack. She was so happy he was alive, but he came home with nothing but the clothes he was wearing. A kind bishop helped pay for her son to go to a new school. If he did not get that help, the mom said her son would have to hunt birds to survive. She thinks the government should have done more to help the children who survived.
The parents of the children who died or are missing started meeting every week. At first, they met to share news about their missing children. But then, they started to help each other feel better. They are very sad, but they support each other.
The parents have asked the government many times to help them have special ceremonies for their missing children. They do not blame the government for what happened. They just want to be treated fairly, like the families who buried their children.
The parents are also working hard to earn money to support their families. They make soap and learn to sew clothes. They are trying their best even though they are hurting inside.
People have many questions about the school. They want to know if it should have been allowed to open. The person in charge of schools in the area would not answer questions. He said talking about what happened makes him too upset.
Soldiers are still looking for the missing children. They tell parents to be patient and to tell them if they see anything strange. The soldiers say they have hope the children will be found, even if it takes a long time.
The school is empty and quiet. Plants are growing where children used to learn and play. The person who owned the school is gone. Many people think he may have been friends with the bad people who attacked the school.
The people who live in the town near the school are very careful. They do not trust new schools that offer free classes, and their hearts still hurt from losing so many children.
What happened at Lhubiriha Secondary School was one of the saddest things to ever happen in Uganda. Parents of the missing children are very sad because they do not know what happened. Children who survived remember that terrible night often. Everyone in the community is scared to trust new schools.
Soldiers keep looking for the missing children. Families pray that maybe one day, their children will come home. They miss them, cry for them, and hope the government will help them say goodbye in their special way.
The school had just opened that year. It gave poor children who were good at sports, music, or school a chance to learn for free. Many families thought this was a great opportunity.
Sanasiyo Mupasula sent his daughter, Roset Masika, to the school. She loved playing football and was so happy to be there. But on June 16, 2023, Sanasiyo's brother woke him up and told him the school was on fire. When Sanasiyo went to the hospital, he found out Roset had died. He was heartbroken.
No one knows exactly how the attack happened. People living near the school heard gunshots and saw men with guns walking around the school. But they thought the men were soldiers who were supposed to keep everyone safe. The school was close to a place where soldiers stay, but the soldiers did not come to help in time.
The people in charge of the school ran away after the attack. The school closed and never opened again. The parents were very sad and confused. They wanted to know what happened, but no one told them.
Mupasula misses his daughter every day. He wonders if she would still be alive if she had not been so good at football. It makes him sad to think about her talent being buried with her.
Eleven families still do not know where their children are. In their culture, when someone is missing for a long time, they have a special ceremony. They plant a banana tree to remember the person. However, the government has not let these families have the ceremony for their missing children.
Saturday, Steven Bwambale's son, Eriab Muhindo, is one of the missing children. Saturday is very sad because he does not know if Eriab is alive or dead. He wants the government to let him have the special ceremony so he can say goodbye.
The government did tests on the bodies they found at the school. But there were four bodies no one claimed. Some people think these bodies might belong to the bad people who attacked the school. The government buried these bodies in a different place.
The children who survived the attack had a hard time, too. Their families had to buy them new school things because everything burned in the fire. Many families did not have enough money to do this.
One mom had five children. Her oldest son survived the attack. She was so happy he was alive, but he came home with nothing but the clothes he was wearing. A kind bishop helped pay for her son to go to a new school. If he did not get that help, the mom said her son would have to hunt birds to survive. She thinks the government should have done more to help the children who survived.
The parents of the children who died or are missing started meeting every week. At first, they met to share news about their missing children. But then, they started to help each other feel better. They are very sad, but they support each other.
The parents have asked the government many times to help them have special ceremonies for their missing children. They do not blame the government for what happened. They just want to be treated fairly, like the families who buried their children.
The parents are also working hard to earn money to support their families. They make soap and learn to sew clothes. They are trying their best even though they are hurting inside.
People have many questions about the school. They want to know if it should have been allowed to open. The person in charge of schools in the area would not answer questions. He said talking about what happened makes him too upset.
Soldiers are still looking for the missing children. They tell parents to be patient and to tell them if they see anything strange. The soldiers say they have hope the children will be found, even if it takes a long time.
The school is empty and quiet. Plants are growing where children used to learn and play. The person who owned the school is gone. Many people think he may have been friends with the bad people who attacked the school.
The people who live in the town near the school are very careful. They do not trust new schools that offer free classes, and their hearts still hurt from losing so many children.
What happened at Lhubiriha Secondary School was one of the saddest things to ever happen in Uganda. Parents of the missing children are very sad because they do not know what happened. Children who survived remember that terrible night often. Everyone in the community is scared to trust new schools.
Soldiers keep looking for the missing children. Families pray that maybe one day, their children will come home. They miss them, cry for them, and hope the government will help them say goodbye in their special way.
