Uganda: How My Son Escaped Child Sacrifice

19th October: Thirty-sevenyear old Hudson Ssemwanga had just received news that the head of his seven-year-old son, Allan Ssembatya, had been severed in Kayunga district. The day was October 21, 2009. As strangers passed by, a neighbour, whom Ssemwanga only knew as Joshua, approached. “He asked what the problem was, but I was tongue-tied. He noticed my phone was ringing and he picked it up. The caller reiterated: “Tell Ssemwanga that his son’s head has been cut off,” recalls Ssemwanga. Joshua helped him up and found a car to take them to Kayunga. Half way through, Ssemwanga’s phone rang again. “This time the caller said Ssembatya was still alive and was admitted to Kayunga Hospital.” The duo got to the hospital at 1:00am. When he saw his son, Ssemwanga thought he would not survive. He looked lifeless. He had a drip on and the doctors said he needed more blood. Unfortunately, there were only two bottles of blood group O left, yet he needed four. Read more here.