The unseen struggles of breastfeeding mothers in Kyangwali

In 2013, Sarah Polepole fled the unrest in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with her family of 14. They sought refuge in Uganda and were eventually settled in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Kikuube District. 

With no hope of returning home, Polepole was enrolled in Maratatu Primary School in Kasonga Parish, Kyangwali Sub-county. However, her plans of completing her primary-level education were derailed when she became pregnant at 16.

“I gave birth to a baby girl in 2022 when I was 17. At first, I was happy but then, I realised my breasts were not…