In Abongonyeko village, Alebtong District, Northern Uganda, 19-year-old Abeja Victoria lives with complete paralysis of her hands and legs. She cannot move independently, cannot speak clearly, and cannot eat alone. Every aspect of her daily life — from going to hospital, to school, to church — depends entirely on her mother, Akite Harriet, a single woman who carries, cleans, and transports her daughter wherever life demands.
A Home That Was Failing Them
Before FRDC's intervention, Victoria and her mother were sleeping in an uncemented house beneath a traditional grass-thatched roof that had succumbed to structural damage. During every rainstorm, water poured through the collapsed roof and flooded the floor. Harriet — refusing to leave her daughter — would spend the night lying on the flooded floor beside Victoria.
Victoria remembers those nights clearly: *'Looking for a better house to sleep caused arguments in the family. My life depends on my mother's presence; my mother would accept to spend her night on the flooded water on the floor together with me, the situation worsened. A house was always at the centre of my prayers.'*
One Simple Request
When a team of rehabilitation specialists from FRDC arrived in Abongonyeko village to assess community needs, Victoria felt hope for the first time. Her request to the team was straightforward and profound: **'I need a house, because if we have a house, we have everything.'**
That single sentence became the foundation of everything that followed.
Construction: One Week, One Life Changed
Working swiftly, FRDC — with funding from the Denny Wilford Foundation — mobilised a construction team and broke ground immediately. Within one week, a complete two-bedroom house had been built from the foundation to the roof at a total investment of **UGX 7,160,000 (approximately USD 2,125)**.
The house was designed with Victoria's disability at the forefront:
Smooth, cemented floors: throughout — allowing Victoria to roll and reposition herself, making personal care easier and safer
No physical barriers: between rooms — reducing the risk of falls or accidents
Hygienic, washable surfaces: — dramatically improving cleanliness and reducing infection risk
Solid, weatherproof roofing: — ending the flooding that had made every rainy season a crisis
Victoria's Life Today
Today, Victoria's new home eliminates the physical barriers that once led to poor hygiene, discomfort, distress, and the constant danger of injury. The smooth floors allow her to move within her home. The clean, dry environment gives both Victoria and her mother Akite Harriet a foundation of safety they have never had before.
The family — including siblings who gathered to celebrate at the handover — stood together at the entrance of the new house for the first time, a moment that captured the power of what a single act of targeted support can achieve.
The Broader Vision
Victoria's story is not an isolated act of charity. It is part of FRDC's Major Construction, Renovation, and Psychosocial Support Project — a sustained initiative that provides holistic support to the most neglected families across Lira, Alebtong, Oyam, Kole, and surrounding districts.
Beyond housing, the project includes distribution of wheelchairs and mobility aids, clothing, bedding, food supplies, and education support — ensuring that a new house becomes the beginning of a new life, not just a new building.
Victoria's prayer was answered. And for FRDC, her smile on the day of the handover is the clearest measure of what this work is for.
