meet sheila

-Age: 14
-Date of Birth: August 23, 1995
-Arrived at SMK: 2007 at the age of 12
-Mother: Juliette Assimwe- died in 2005 of heart disease
-Father: Died of a heart attack in the hospital when 7 years old. (also Billy's father)
-Siblings: Billy Mark (12), Michelle Queen (8), and Elijah Kwagala (3)- all live with aunt
-Family lives in: Mengo
-Tribe: Muganda

My family is very complicated. When I was younger, I lived with my mother. She had always told me that my father had died when I was very young. She said that my father was Billy's [Billy also lives at the orphanage] father’s brother, making Billy’s father my uncle. Growing up, my uncle would always come over to spend time with me and play with me. We had a really good relationship. He died when I was seven years old. Then when I was ten, my mother died from heart disease. Losing my mother was hard for me. I loved my mother. I lived with my mother’s sister (my aunt) for a while after my mother died. We are very close and she is the person I trust most in the world. But after a while it was hard for my aunt to care for all of my siblings and me because we were such a big family. So, I went to live with my cousins (Billy) and their mother. Billy’s mother knew Rosemary, and she arranged for all of us to come live at St. Mary Kevin.

Just recently, my aunt, who I trust very much, told me that Billy’s father was actually my father too, not my uncle. This information was very hurtful because all along I thought that he was my uncle. I think all my relatives knew that he was my father, but they never wanted to tell me, including my mother. Growing up, people always told me that I resembled my uncle, even though I am black and he was Indian. Now it will be very hard to ever know the real truth because my mother is dead. This confusion makes me unhappy.

Had I not come to St. Mary Kevin, my life would have been really different. I now live with my fellow students and they make me happy. We converse with each other and we talk about our stories. I now know that I am not the only one with problems like this. My fellow students and Rosemary make me happy. Rosemary brought me here and takes care of me. She makes me proud. Rosemary treats me like her own daughter and loves me. She is really special to me.

I want to make my brothers proud of me too. I want to work hard so that one day I can provide school fees for them too. I love them very much. One day I hope to help others with heart problems because I wish someone could have helped my mother.

-Talents: Singing, playing piano (learned to play through her church)
-Future goals: doctor (specifically a cardiologist)
-Inspirations: God, making my brothers proud
-Current school: Nakulabye High School (in Kampala)- stays with family during the term – Senior 1

[Shelia is a great student. She ranks at the top of her class.]