“Every time it rained, my heart pounded with fear. We would huddle together in one corner of the house, praying that the walls wouldn’t collapse on my grandchildren.” – Geraldine
For 58-year-old Geraldine’s home was once a place of fear rather than comfort. Living in Musa Village, Geraldine is the sole caregiver for her four grandchildren. Like many grandparents across Uganda, she stepped in to provide love, care and stability when her family needed her most. She worked tirelessly through subsistence farming and occasional casual labour, earning around UGX 5,000 a day, barely enough to feed her family, let alone repair the home they depended on. Over time, the family’s small semi-permanent house had deteriorated to a dangerous state. Termites and rot had weakened the wooden support poles, the mud-and-wattle walls were beginning to crumble, and the leaking iron-sheet roof allowed heavy rain to pour inside. Each storm threatened not only the family’s possessions but also their safety. “Every time the rain came, my heart would race,” Geraldine recalls. “We worried that the house would fall on us. I didn’t know how I would keep my grandchildren safe.”
Geraldine’s situation was identified by Mrs. Nakitende Jane, Treasurer of the local social support network, who recognised the immediate danger and referred the family for urgent assistance. Because of strong community structures, the risk was identified before tragedy struck. Working alongside the community, Child’s i Foundation supported a targeted, low-cost renovation designed to make the home safe, secure and sustainable. The work included ; Replacing rotten structural poles with strong eucalyptus supports. Restoring damaged mud-and-wattle walls using traditional local building methods. Installing 18 new iron roofing sheets to completely weatherproof the home. Employing local builders, ensuring the intervention strengthened the local economy while building community ownership.
What appeared to be a simple housing repair became something far more significant—it prevented a crisis and protected an entire family.
The impact of the renovation was immediate. The risk of the house collapsing was completely removed, providing Geraldine and her grandchildren with the security they had lived without for so long. The home is now dry, stable and protected from heavy rains, significantly reducing the family’s exposure to respiratory illnesses, malaria and skin infections associated with damp living conditions. For the grandchildren, the changes have also transformed their education. Instead of worrying about leaking roofs or damaged schoolbooks, they now have a quiet, dry and stable environment where they can study, sleep well and attend school consistently. Reduced illness means fewer missed school days and a greater opportunity to learn and thrive. But perhaps the greatest transformation cannot be measured in numbers. The intervention restored something deeply important, dignity. Fear has been replaced with peace of mind. Anxiety has given way to hope. What was once a collapsing structure is now a place where a family can dream about the future. “Now when it rains, I no longer fear,” says Geraldine. “I know my grandchildren are safe. This house has given us hope again.”
The family’s progress continues to be monitored by the local community support network, led by Mrs. Nakitende Jane, with regular follow-up visits from the programme team. Their continued involvement ensures that Geraldine’s family receives ongoing support while strengthening the community’s own ability to identify and respond to families at risk. This story demonstrates the power of community-led action. By investing early, listening to local leaders and responding quickly, it is possible to prevent crises before they happen.
At Child’s i Foundation, we believe that protecting children begins by strengthening the families who care for them. Sometimes preventing family separation doesn’t require large-scale interventions. Sometimes it begins with something as simple, and as profound, as making sure a grandmother has a safe roof over her head. Geraldine’s story is no longer one of impending disaster. It is a story of resilience, dignity and the power of timely support. Today, her house is more than just a shelter. It is a safe haven where four children can grow up surrounded by love, stability and hope, a place where a grandmother can continue doing what she does best: keeping her family together.
Because every child deserves to grow up safely in a family, and every family deserves the chance to thrive.
