The Difficult Life of a Star Mom!

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Amuge and her fifteen-year-old Star
Imagine the life of a mother of a fifteen-year-old child who still needs the care and support given to a newborn baby. Imagine a mother who still feeds a sixteen-year-old, changes their diapers, and carries them everywhere they need to go. This is Amuge’s daily experience, and indeed the experience of many mothers with children with disabilities (Stars moms).

Every mother dreams about giving birth to a child who grows and becomes independent. It is any mother’s joy to see their child learn to hold a cup on their own or learn to go to the toilet on their own. It’s the joy of every parent to see their child taking care of themselves as they grow towards independence.

Many mothers of children with disabilities (Stars) that come to the Stars Day Care and Learning Center have not lived the dream of every mother. Many have been abandoned by their husbands because the husbands have failed to put up with the needs and stigma of having a child with disabilities.

Living with a Star is very challenging. It is difficult to live Stars at home without care because they depend entirely on their moms for basic care. The dependency of Stars on their moms for care makes getting a job for many Star Moms difficult as there are very few jobs that will allow mothers to work with their children. Life is made even more difficult because many of the Star Moms we work with at the Stars Day Care and Learning Center live in slums with very little means and incomes to sustain their families. The Star Moms who have started up small businesses to earn a living and still be able to care for their Stars, end up extremely tired at the end of each day.

It is the goal of Stars Ministry Uganda (SMU) to walk alongside people with disabilities (Stars) and their families. It is our hope that through our programming the Star Moms can have a place to live their children as they seek out job opportunities.  Star Moms can go to work without fear of leaving their children in danger, knowing that their children will be safe at the Stars’ Center. With this support, hopefully, Star Moms can work long enough to improve their families’ livelihoods.


Support a Star and a Star Mom today. Visit our “Get Involved” page on this site for details on how to give and get in touch.

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