Aisha Nabukeera nearly died in the arms of her cruel stepmother, who set her on fire when she was ten years old. Aisha, now 24 and living in Uganda, says that when she looks at herself in the mirror, memories of that awful day flood her mind. Despite hiding her deep scars with clothes for years, she has now accepted herself and is helping abuse survivors, especially children.
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00:00Hi, everyone. My name is Woke Brandlin, 14-year-old student and a TV presenter in Uganda. Today,
00:11we are going to off-mute 24-year-old Aisha Nwukera, who was tortured by her stepmother
00:16and was burnt 80% of her body at the age of 10. Aisha has since moved on and found peace.
00:24Hello, Aisha. It's a pleasure hosting you today. What happened on that fateful day that
00:33changed your life forever? On that fateful day, it was on February 6, 2006. It was around
00:437 p.m. in the evening when my stepmother sent me to buy paraffin from the nearby petrol
00:54station, fuel station. When I came back, she gave me a dress and she told me to put it
01:04on so that I can light a candle. At that time, I couldn't differentiate between paraffin
01:13and petrol. I wondered why it was smelling, and she was telling me to put it on to light
01:22a candle. I asked her, and then she backed at me. She was like, I've told you, put it
01:30on and then light a candle. After she told her children to get out of the house, and
01:38she left me inside. She told me to do what she had told me. And as soon as I lit the
01:47matchbox, fire caught my dress, the dress she gave me to put on. I remember I screamed,
01:59and no one was helping. Then I ran out of the house. My intention was to dip myself
02:07in a well because we had a well behind the house. So I ran. As I was running, a gentleman,
02:15the only thing I remember up to now, he was putting on a jersey, an aseno. He's the one
02:22who put off the fire. I didn't get justice. We went into the courts of law, but nothing
02:32was positive. And I left everything to God. When the Good Samaritan came in, my guardian,
02:48I call him Uncle Frank Gashumba. I think he changed my life. He was there. He gave
02:55me the support. He used to talk to me. And then I gained my confidence, my self-esteem.
03:04But it started with me. And I loved school. And I graduated with a bachelor's degree in
03:11social work and social administration.
03:14As we come to the end of this interview, what inspirational message would you like
03:18to give to the people watching us, most especially about children's rights and their protection?
03:25First of all, I call upon the government of Uganda to strengthen laws about children's
03:35rights. Maybe there will be a chance for children of Uganda to live a happy life without injustice.
03:45And then to the guardians, to the parents, it's your duty to protect children. It's
03:57your duty to love them, to care for them. And to the children out there, it's your
04:03time to rise up. Speak up when something happens to you. Go to someone who you think will help.
04:12Don't keep quiet in case of any injustice. Aisha Navakera's story is a clear manifestation
04:20for an urgent need to protect children against social injustices.
04:24She has transformed her life from a sad story into a positive and inspiring story.
04:29It's everyone's responsibility to protect children.
04:32For Girls of N.E.W.T., I am Mouke Brandlin from Kampala, Uganda.