With the escalating human rights violations in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic the Legal Aid Service Providers’ Network (LASPNET)through its CEO, Dr. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa with support from its development partner DGF set up the situation room to provide legal rapid response to victims of abuses. This situation room was intended to further promote access to justice among the vulnerable and marginalized and also help champion the fight of violence against gender-based violence.
The Covid 19 pandemic has left many families and people poorer and more vulnerable such that accessing legal assistance from recognized sources is deemed a luxury hence the need for this situation room. As covid increased in our country, so did the injustices and human rights abuses, with this immoral fate happening the country LASPNET’s situation room which comprises of social media influencers and 24-hour mobile onset legal advisors has come to the rescue of many Ugandans as victims of human rights abuse and gender-based violence now have a platform to report on to access justice or legal aid services
Many human rights abuse cases have been reported which include among others, child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and the inability by persons to afford basic necessities. LASPNET has taken the initiative to promote a free and just society for all by creating platforms through which citizens can access free legal assistance. The organization operates a situational room and call center through which people that have been subjected to injustice and need legal assistance can reach out for help. This initiative has gone a long way in changing people’s lives in relation to accessing Justice.
As the year 2020 came to an end, the call center at LASPNET received a complaint from Ms. Daisy Nabanoba whose house was being demolished by a privileged rich man who was constructing a building near the lady’s homestead, the rich man offered to compensate the lady with one million shillings but she declined the compensation and insisted he constructs for her another house so that she could vacate the land and allow their construction to go ahead which the rich man declined.
Upon refusing the one million shillings compensation, Mr. Peter started threatening the vulnerable woman by insisting that she did not have ownership of the land and was trespassing on his land. A concerned citizen, the DEO of Bujjuko who confirmed that he had seen the LASPNET toll-free number on flyers shared on social media, reached out through the LASPNET call center and was referred to the Situation Room. The situation room coordinator took the initiative to contact the Bujjuko police station where the injustice happened. As a result, an agreement was reached and Mr. Peter agreed to compensate Ms. Daisy with 2.5 million shillings.
The situation room has successfully handled many other cases in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. The elections have just been completed and there’s an anticipation of human rights abuse Do not suffer injustice SILENTLY reach out on LASPNET’s Toll-free number 0800100155 or the social web app on this link http://websocial.laspnet.org/index.php?u=/user/register For free legal assistance.
