For 15 years, Judith Namugerwa has dedicated her life to caring for her son, David, who lives with cerebral palsy. Amid poverty, rising care costs, and limited support, her days revolve around one constant responsibility: ensuring her son survives and thrives.
The morning light slips into a small, rented room in Bwaise, Kampala, but for Judith Namugerwa, the day has already begun long before sunrise.
She bends over her 15-year-old son, David Magala, carefully adjusting his body before lifting him from the mat. His limbs do not respond. His weight settles entirely into her arms. No routine allows ease in this moment. Only repetition.
Turning him. Cleaning him. Feeding him. Moving him when she must. Watching him when she cannot leave.
Outside, Kampala is already awake. Inside, life is measured in care that does not pause.
For Namugerwa, 40, motherhood has become full-time labour without relief.
Her son, David, lives with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects movement and coordination. But in this room, the diagnosis is less important than the physical reality: he depends entirely on her for survival.
A birth that changed everything
Fifteen years ago, Namugerwa believed she was building a stable future for her family.
She had already experienced the pain of losing a child during delivery when she became pregnant again. When David was born in 2010, hope returned.
But as he grew, it became clear that he faced developmental challenges. He was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement and coordination.
The diagnosis marked the beginning of a new reality; one filled with medical appointments, uncertainty, and the lifelong responsibility of caring for a child who would require constant support.
By the time David was three years old and still unable to walk, Namugerwa’s life had become centred around his care.
The start of survival
By 2014, Namugerwa had returned to her mother’s home in Masaka with her children, carrying the weight of uncertainty and the growing demands of caring for David.
What followed was a life without stability.
She moved through informal work, temporary shelter, and constant financial strain. At times, she says, she had no choice but to leave her children with her mother while she searched for work in Kampala.
‘I used to pass by and check on them, even when I was not staying with them,’ she says.
In 2019, after giving birth again under difficult circumstances, life became even more unstable. She struggled to cover rent, maintain her income, and care for her children simultaneously.
Between work, shelter, and survival
Eventually, her mother moved to Kampala with David in search of better support. But life in Bwaise brought new pressures. Namugerwa worked as a house help, but when she lost her job and fell behind on rent, stability collapsed again.
She moved between low-paying jobs such as washing clothes, casual labour, and temporary shelter arrangements. At her lowest point, she says, she stayed in a shrine in Kawempe, exchanging labour for food and a place to sleep.
‘It was very difficult. I was trying to find a way to live,’ she says.
A child who needs everything
David’s needs are constant and physical. He cannot walk. He cannot sit unaided and depends entirely on others for feeding, hygiene, and movement.
Namugerwa describes the daily struggle in simple terms: survival through care she can barely afford.
‘David needs good feeding, milk, chicken, but we cannot afford that,’ she says. ‘Sometimes when he asks for chicken, I buy roasted chicken necks and make sauce so that he at least gets its taste.’
Even basic care requires strength she does not always have.
‘You have to clean him when he soils himself. Sometimes I leave him with a neighbour when I go out to work.’
Raising David has largely fallen on Namugerwa’s shoulders. Each day revolves around meeting his needs while finding ways to earn enough money to support the family.
The challenge is not only emotional but physical, requiring constant attention and strength.
When neighbours become support systems
In Bwaise, survival often depends on proximity. For neighbour Susan Nabutto, stepping in has become part of daily life.
‘I had a child with similar needs who passed on, so I understand what it means,’ she says.
She helps when Namugerwa is away, lifting David, bathing him, or keeping him in the sun.
‘At times your chest hurts from carrying him. But he is a lovely child,’ she says.
It is informal care, built not by systems, but by shared experience and necessity.
The weight of stigma and silence
Experts say Namugerwa’s experience reflects a wider reality for many families raising children with cerebral palsy in Uganda.
Daniel Sekyanzi, chief executive officer of Golden Souls Uganda, says stigma remains a major barrier.
‘Many families still associate such conditions with superstition or curses, leading to neglect and discrimination,’ he says.
‘There is need for sensitisation. Children with cerebral palsy need love and proper care, not rejection.’
‘It is not witchcraft’
Evelyn Kharono Lufafa, a counselling psychologist, says cerebral palsy is a neurological condition caused by brain development challenges before or during birth.
‘It is not witchcraft or a curse. It is a brain disorder,’ she says.
She adds that early acceptance by parents is critical for access to therapy, rehabilitation, and support services.
‘When parents accept the condition, they can support the child better. Without acceptance, children are often hidden away and neglected,’ she adds.
Despite everything, Namugerwa continues to care for her son each day, sustained by small acts of resilience and occasional help from neighbours.
Her biggest challenge remains the same: survival.
For now, life continues in cycles of care, exhaustion, and brief relief.
‘I just want him to be okay,’ she says.
And so, every morning, she lifts him again.
There are no promises that tomorrow will be easier, only the certainty that it will require her again. Yet each morning, she returns to the same task without complaint, lifting her son as gently as she can, holding together a life that has long depended on her strength.
The cost of caring for a child with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition caused by early brain damage that affects movement, posture, and muscle control. It varies in severity and may require therapy and support to improve mobility and daily functioning.
The condition often requires long-term support, including physiotherapy, specialised feeding, medical care, and constant daily assistance.
Physiotherapy sessions, where available in private facilities, can cost between Shs30,000 and Shs100,000 per visit, making regular treatment unaffordable for most households.
Many children require soft or blended foods, higher nutritional intake, and assisted feeding, which increases household food expenses. Items such as adult diapers, often needed for older children with mobility challenges, can cost Shs20,000 to Shs40,000 per pack, creating recurring monthly costs.