Here in Uganda August has started with the relaxation of some lockdown measures that saw the country in stand-still for the past 42 days. Public transport is now allowed which is a huge relief for many Ugandans. The bad news is schools are not opening any time soon. During his speech last Friday, the President Joweri Museveni said children between the ages of 12 and 18 should be vaccinated to be able to attend class. With the slow speed at which vaccines are being imported, and with only 1.1 million of the population vaccinated so far, there is little hope children will be back in school any time soon.
Simoshi’s office is located in Kampala, in a quiet neighbourhood where we still have a feeling of a rural environment. It is heartbreaking to see children on the streets, helping in the shops or with household work, and this has been going on for almost two years now. We wanted to share some images of what is happening right now as we still go to the office on a daily basis - for us work is ongoing despite schools’ closure, because we had taken advantage to make the repairs of all institutional improved cook stoves in the school kitchens.