Reconnecting with my passion for education - Lutalo's story

When Lutalo was a teenager, he became disabled after being in a car accident. As a result, he couldn’t attend school for a year, but he never lost motivation and he fought hard for his right to study. 

Lutalo's incredible achievements drew negative attention from a political opposition leader, and his life took another turn when he was tortured. When Lutalo was at school, he faced a lot of discrimination because of his disability. People feared him, or they didn’t believe he was capable of studying. 

This experience pushed him to seek leadership roles in his academic career, as he wanted to inspire others with disabilities. He was invited to join a pilot project in Denmark and within three years, his team launched an association for disabled people in Uganda. His hard work was recognized internationally, and he received awards from high profile political figures in the UK and the USA. 

Unfortunately, when he came back to Uganda, he was abducted. His achievements drew suspicion from the opposition leader. He was beaten up and interrogated on his motives for meeting prominent international figures. He told the truth, but his assailants didn’t let him go. He was kept in a room for a week. He was so hungry, but he was scared to eat in case the food was poisoned. 

His captors eventually let him go, but Lutalo had another encounter where he was beaten up. He knew he wasn’t safe and had to escape the country. 

When he found Freedom from Torture, he was struggling a lot. 

“If I had not met my therapist, I don’t think I would be the person I am today. I had headaches, difficulty concentrating and psychological distress. My mental health prevented me from sleeping. I had low moods, flashbacks, panic episodes, trembling hands often triggered by past trauma experienced. I had depression and anxiety nightmares." 

Through therapy, he learned how to cope by meditating and doing breathing exercises. He is so thankful for the support you’ve given him, and he wants you to know that you are helping more people than you realise.

“Your support helps people who survived torture, but it also helps the entire community. Because of the knowledge I have thanks to therapy, I can pass it on to other people who need help, even if they were not tortured. As an adult educator, knowing that I can help other people...that is a very good place to be”

Please note, Lutalo's name has been changed and a model is used in the photograph to protect his identity.