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Women in Uganda left stranded with babies fathered by Chinese
There are 20 children in the sub-county that are said to be fathered by Chinese workers.
The Chinese nationals, who fathered the children, are employees of Sinohydro Construction Company that is constructing Karuma hydropower dam, a project that is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
Ms Jacqueline Adero, 20, a resident of Arukolong, Zambia Parish, Kamdini Sub-county, Oyam District, is one of the women struggling to raise the children.
According to Adero, a Chinese national, who is also an employee of Sinohydro Construction Company is the father of her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
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She narrated that in 2015, she went to Karuma to look for a menial job. She, however, ended up in a relationship with the Chinese national, who has been identified as Yahang.
The man promised to marry her and take her to China, but this did not materialize as Yahang returned to China and left her behind.
Adero said that she was five months pregnant and since she was not able to work anymore, she had to return to her village.
“I just returned home in disappointment to manage my pregnancy, broke as I was,” she said.
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Sophia Kolo, who is Adero’s mother, said that attempts to find out who was responsible for the pregnancy were futile until Adero delivered at Aber Hospital a year ago.
“We asked about it in vain, not until the clan council sat her down but she only said it was a fellow worker from Mukono,” she narrates.
“But we were shocked finally when she delivered a Chinese baby girl.”
The mother said it is not easy raising the mixed-child since she is allergic to most local foods.
“She only feeds on biscuits and soft drinks and when we serve her local dishes, he develops rashes all over her body.”
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Adero’s father Alfred Kolo wants the construction company, Sinohydro to step in and link him up with his son-in-law.
“I am just a peasant and unable to raise…this child,” he says.
“It is very expensive to meet her medical needs and feed her considering the diet she requires… Her real father has to come in and support.”
Mwa Otiratok clan chief Patrick Okello said they will file a formal complaint with the management of Sinohydro.
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“We have a law in our culture which demands that you either marry that girl or compensate for damages and time lost because of the pregnancy.”
“It is on this basis that we will demand the company to produce these workers who have abandoned our daughters with their children,” he said.
Dr Richard Nam, the Lango Cultural Foundation prime minister, has also announced plans to negotiate with the management of Sinohydro on how the women could be supported.
“It is our culture that once you impregnate our daughter and decline to marry her, you pay compensation for damages and upkeep of your offspring. This is what we want to make clear to them,” Dr Nam said.
“They (Chinese) should help these poor girls to raise these children. We shall sit and negotiate with them but when this fails, legal measures will be taken.”
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Meanwhile, when the Daily Monitor contacted Sinohydro, they were referred to Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL).
The corporate affairs manager of UEGCL, Simon Kasyate said petitioning Sinohydro over the fate of fatherless children may not yield any result.
“Sex at Karuma is being traded on the basis of willing buyer and willing seller. These girls knew that these Chinese nationals have a lot of money that they would milk,” he said.
Alunyu, the Kamdini sub-County chairperson, said they have written to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development on several occasions to intervene but they are yet to get a response.
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