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| Bex Okotel with burns victim Alice in hospital in Uganda |
The school, run by Bex Okotel – who lived in Poole – and her husband Moses, opened on February 7 with funds raised from the UK, including many individuals and churches in Dorset.
The two girls had burning paraffin thrown on them and the eldest, Alice (10), has suffered horrific burns from the neck down. The youngest, Maria, is just four years old.
Fortunately Maria is not as badly burnt as Alice but is having to stay in hospital for a few days. Her right arm, shoulder blade and back of her head have significant burns.
The woman who threw the deadly paraffin/petrol mix on Maria (and possibly Alice too) is now in police custody and Child of Hope is working with the police.
It appears her husband works at a petrol depot and may have been stealing petrol to sell in the slum, to 'water down' paraffin that is commonly used to light homes at night.
As soon as Bex and Moses heard about the latest incident with Maria, Bex rushed to find her and took her to hospital, while Moses went straight to the police with the burnt clothes.
The Child of Hope school was built to provide free education, healthcare, food and clothing for nearly 200 of the poorest children living in Namatala slum, in Mbale, eastern Uganda.
Its premises are currently just one floor and and will be extended to another floor during 2011, and a third in 2012. By then it will educate around 600 children.
Phil Dowding, chairman of Child of Hope UK, said: “What these two children have suffered is terrible and our Ugandan team is working with the police to bring the individuals to justice.
“But in the meantime, nearly 200 children are exploring their new school building with an enormous smile on their faces. Most would not have gone to school, possibly ever, so their long-term hope is infinitely more secure with a good education behind them.”
www.childofhopeuganda.org
