End Human Rights Abuses Against Alleged Witches

Dear Donors

It has been a long but exciting journey to end abuses of women due to wicthcraft accusations and Songtaba is excited to share with you some significant progress that have been made with regards to this project. As an organization advocating for sustainable solutions to this age long phenomenon that has incacerated many women into alleged witches camps, Songtaba adopted a road map to reintegrate all thge women which will eventually lead to the disbandment of the camps. Since the launch of the reintegration program, Songtaba has reintegrated over 200 of these women and in collaboration with with like minded Civil Society Organisations and Human Rights Department disbanded two of these camps.

During the period under review Songtaba embarked on monitoring visits to some of the reintegrated women to monitor their living conditions and ensure that they are living a life of dignity and free from intimidation, stigma and all forms of violence. In all 8 women were visited who have been reintegrated into different communities acoss the Nanumba North and South Distritcs. The monitoring team used two days to cover these 8 women due to the disperse nature of the communities. Songtaba is happy to report that all these 8 women are doing well and were happy to see us visit them which was made possible through your generous donations. This report highlight the thoughs and feelings of some of the women shared with the monitoring team..

Adamu, an 85-year-old woman was wrongly accused of witchcraft and banished from Nakpali to the kukuo camp from 2002 to 2024. This led to nearly 22 years of hardship at the Kukuo camp. Her accusation stem out of the death of her husband which brought immense emotional trauma and the resulting social isolation made her situation more depressed.

 Adamu shared her experience: Life threw a lot of challenges on my way. Meeting some of my basic needs was a constant struggle. I recall vividly falling ill, without money, and without support from my own family. It was my granddaughter, alongside kind-hearted community members, who rushed me to the clinic for treatment.

To survive, I resorted to supporting farmers, sometimes staying back on their farms to eat leftover scraps as my evening meal. Even at the camp, the concept of three regular meals was a distant dream, simply out of reach financially. One of the most heart-wrenching experiences was standing through a three-hour downpour because my leaky room offered no shelter, leaving me soaked and unable to sleep.

Living in the camp felt like facing the world alone. I hope that no human being should ever endure such hardship. It was inhumane, and no one deserves that suffering. To my fellow women still trapped in those conditions, I want to say - never lose hope. Reintegration may seem impossible to some, but it is possible. Believe in yourself, stay strong, and remember, your story can even be better than mine.

Today, I feel like I have finally been set free. The joy of reuniting with my family is profound. They have been my back bone in fulfilling my basic needs like access to water, shelter, and food.  Upon my renitegration I am now able to contribut to taking care of the house and my grandchildren, freeing their parents to focus on their income-generating activities. This has enables their mothers to pursue other income generating activities, knowing their children are in good hands. This sense of purpose and being surrounded by my loved ones brings immense happiness and peace.

SONGTABA  acknowledges the ongoing challenges but remains dedicated to gradually reintegrating these women like Adamu. These successful stories offer hope for the women, their families, and the communities. Witnessing the positive impact of reintegration can be a game changer for more women to be reintegrated.