The dictatorships and the epidemic

In early 1960 this country had a crisis in recruiting nurses and the British government encouraged people from Africa, India and the West Indies to come to this country.

It was in 1966 at the age of 20 that Selestine Lubowa arrived in Edinburgh from Uganda. Here she studied general health nursing and midwifery.

In 1969 Selestine returned to Uganda, where she began work in the Ugandan Institute for Reproductive Research, as a community nurse and midwife.

In the early ’70s Uganda began to descend into political turmoil under the dictatorship of Idi Amin. “When Idi Amin was overthrown Uganda was ruled over by President Obote and his regime was just as ruthless,” explains Selestine. “He was ousted and now another regime is in power, we still have an internal war that’s been going on over twenty years.”

Selestine’s professional position in a country ravaged by an AIDS epidemic also became very dangerous for her. “It’s during this regime and due to my work around HIV/AIDS, opposing old tribal beliefs that my life was threatened. The last time this occurred I was advised by friends and surviving relatives to escape the country, I had to do this by running away.”

Selestine’s arrival in England as an asylum seeker in September 2000 meant being all alone knowing nobody. She was placed in a holding house in Burngreave.

“I left all my worldly possessions my livelihood and, most of all, my five young children – my eldest son by then only 15.”

Dispersed to Plymouth, she waited another year before being granted full refugee status and was allowed to remain. Selestine then undertook a return to midwifery practice course and worked in nursing homes to support her family back in Uganda.

“Under advice from the Citizens’ Advice Bureau I was applying for family reunion. I knew that my children’s fate without me was at risk.The news I was hearing from home wasn’t good, when my husband died leaving them totally alone with family friends.”

Eldest son is left behind

In 2003 the British Government granted family reunion rights allowing four of Selestine’s five children to join her here. Her eldest son who was then 18 was denied those reunion rights.

“When my children were alone in Uganda my eldest son fended for them, especially when their father died and our family house had been taken over. They were living rough and their cries tearing me apart inside for so long.”

Selestine is a single parent who at 59 suffers diabetes and must surely need her first-born son, who has had to be the pillar of her fatherless family.She is crying and so am I, asking how this can be right.

“I live in Burngreave as the first place I came in England and I liked it here. I wanted all my children to be here with me. Now Father Joseph Obunga, the main mentor for my son, has recently passed away in Uganda.This leaves my son terribly alone, he has nobody there Rob, nobody.”

Reapplication for her eldest son was turned down. But an appeal in 2004 by Howells solicitors allowed a visitor’s visa for two weeks holiday stay with his family. Sticking to the law, and encouraged by Selestine to obey the rules, her son returned to Uganda. The British High Commission has turned down all recent applications for further visits.

Comment

Selestine’s case surely speaks of a systematic inhuman treatment of her and her offspring. I am now writing to my local MP Richard Caborn to demand that he intervene in Selestine Lubowa’s case. If you want to do the same you can email caborn@parliament.uk or write to him at 2nd Floor, Barkers Pool House, Burgess Street, Sheffield S1 2HF.

by Rob Smith