HALEA Youth Support Centre

Description

The offices of HALEA, a Humanist organisation in Uganda, have been robbed.  Unfortunately they could not afford insurance and so have no way of replacing their lost assets.   You can find details of the robbery below.

HALEA are hoping to raise $7,000 from supporters around the world.  Please consider making a donation towards the rebuilding of HALEA in Uganda.  All donations that we receive will be forwarded directly to HALEA.

If you would like to make a larger donation to HALEA via Progressive Atheists simply click on the plus button until you reach the desired multiple of $10, or you can contact our treasurer to make arrangements:

• Peter Veitch: treasurer@progressiveatheists.org

Alternatively you can make arrangements to donate to HALEA directly by contacting Kato Mukasa, Executive Director, HALEA Youth Support Centre.

• haleauganda@gmail.com
• www.haleauganda.org

IHEU – The International Humanist and Ethical Union are also collecting funds for HALEA via their website:

http://iheu.org/humanist-group-needs-help-after-robbery/

HALEA was established to advance humanism values and principles to positively contribute to among other objectives; the empowerment of marginalized, victimized and forgotten members of society and solving human problems through the application of reason and science.

Details of Attacks on HALEA:

On the 26 June Kato Mukasa, Executive Director, HALEA Youth Support Centre, contacted us to let us know that a group of about 4 men had come to HALEA’s offices and attempted to break the gate and enter the office.  When the men failed, they resorted to destroying HALEA’s sign post, defacing it first and then uprooting it from the ground in which it had been strongly cemented.  They then took the sign post and threw it inside the Law Development Centre ( LDC) who are the neighbors at the opposite end of the road.

On the 8 July 2014 we heard new reports that the HALEA offices were again under attack.  We have received the following correspondence from Kato Mukasa regarding the attack.

I write to you sharing this sad development.  We woke up today to the sad news that our offices had been broken into and lots of property and cash taken. The first people to reach the office found our Security officer unconscious lying at the upper/ behind part of the building.  Our offices were wide open.  Our checking has so far revealed that HALEA lost the following property:

• 6 computers / full set (3 new and 3 old ones);
• 2 laptops (1 old and 1 new);
• 1 Adopter / Power regulator;
• 1 Projector;
• 3 Cameras;
• 3 guitars;
• 1 desk phone / Office phone and;
• 1 Printer ( Laser jet)

They also took cash worth shs 3,788,000.  We believe there are other items that were taken but perhaps we have not noticed them.  However, it appears it was a big team of thieves because 3 other offices ( of different companies) were also broken into and lots of property was taken.

Here are some updates:

The police managed to round up a few individuals that were found with suspicious items yesterday and we were engulfed in some gunshots for some time yesterday as the police tried to search the entire Kivulu slum. Please note that we are serving a large slum area known as Makerere Kivulu and this is were all sorts of criminals are generally found. Unfortunately, yesterday’s search did not yield any thing useful, the items recovered did not belong to us or other affected companies on our building.

The security officer regained his consciousness and had no useful answers, we told the police that he should be suspect number one and has been arrested to help with investigations.It is highly possible that our security officer could have connived with the thieves but as a lawyer allow me say that I have no conclusive evidence on this so it should be treated on a balance of probabilities.We have been on this building for 2 years and no such robbery had ever occurred.

Remember that we only shifted here in January 2012 having survived a break in our office in the old premise we rented,( other rooms were successfully vandalized but ours was saved by an insider padlock which proved difficult for the thieves to dismantle) so we shifted here as a measure to safeguard our items.We decided to shift to our current premises having been assured that we had enough security and the premised had a gate etc

On a sad note, our property was not insured so we can not make any claim for restitution anywhere.  The reason we failed to have insurance was because it was out side our affordability.  Our neighbors, an Indian company lost property and millions of money as their safe was dismantled but they told us that they were insured, perhaps they may be compensated.

WAY FORWARD
We had an emergency meeting with some of our HALEA members and staff and we managed to have two member who donated two old computers, one is in good shape another need some minor repair, so we have resumed work regardless of the challenges at hand.

APPEAL
We are appealing to all humanist with the ability to fundraiser to initiate causes that may enable us raise some money to replace the lost items. We are calling for at least 7000 dollars to enable us get some new computers, and a camera etc.  Every money contributed is valuable, it can help us a great deal to move towards recovery.  We have so far got suggestions from some hummay members and it is my humble request that you go ahead and implement such great fundraising ideas. We need to get back on our feed and move forward.

ACTIVITIES ON GOING, VISITORS FROM AAI
Fortunately our spirit to serve the vulnerable people within our reach has grown stronger, we are moving on with our works.We have AAI Board member and her family from America, Mrs Gail Miller in Uganda and will be with us tomorrow, they will be part of our organized inter school debate at Grace Fellowship were students from Kampala Students Centre and Grace Fellowship will debate the topic:” The Anti Pornography Law is a Good Morality Law;Do you agree?”. We shall be using the same occasion to launch our latest magazine which fortunately talks about crimes that most people in slums commit such as rape, defilement, robbery etc.

I am grateful for your support and kind consideration, HALEA is determined to keep on moving forward with your support.

Regards

Kato Mukasa
Executive Director, HALEA Youth Support Centre
www.haleauganda.org/
http://humanistuganda.wordpress.com/
http://teenswithoutboarders.wordpress.com/
http://forgottenmothersuganda.wordpress.com/
http://haleaentertainment.wordpress.com/