These five children lost both their parents. A few days ago they lost their home too.
The story
In Karamoja, in north-east Uganda, I was working with the team from Caritas Moroto the day we found five children who had lost both their parents and had nowhere left to live.
Their father disappeared some time ago and never came back. A few weeks ago they found their mother dead inside the hut. She had been ill and very weak. Nobody knows exactly what she died of — in that region most people never see a doctor, and after months of drought small illnesses become fatal. Hunger is very likely part of it.
The eldest was in school. She had to stop, to look after the younger ones. Now all five are trying to find some way to eat. Sometimes they walk 40 kilometres to the artisanal gold mines and dig all day for a few grains of gold dust, worth a couple of dollars. A few days ago their hut burned down. They have nothing left.
WHY NOW
Karamoja is going through its worst food crisis in years. Between April and July 2026, 473,000 people across the region — around one in three — were in crisis-level food insecurity or worse, and Moroto is one of the hardest-hit districts. The government has confirmed deaths from hunger in recent weeks. These five children have no adult, no house and no food, in the middle of it.
What the money does
Food — [£X] covers a month for all five.
Shelter — a roof, before the rains.
School — a chance for the youngest ones to go back.
Where it goes
Everything raised goes directly to my colleagues at Caritas Moroto, who work in that area every day and buy and deliver the help locally. I keep nothing: no fee, no expenses, no travel costs.
Why my birthday
I don't need anything this year. Whatever you would have spent on me, send it to them instead. It will go a great deal further.
I listened to their story and couldn't let it go. This page is what I can do from here.
Costanza
I met this family myself and I'll keep following what happens to them. Photographs are published with the written consent of their guardians. If you'd like to know more, write to me.