GlobalGiving.org: Rebuilding the lives of street children in Uganda

Working with 40 Street Girls in Uganda

Anna Richardson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:52:15 GMT

Kissa learning tailoring skills

We are delighted to tell you that over the past 12 months Retrak and have reached out to over 40 girls living on the streets of Mbale in Eastern Uganda and offered them health care, education and counselling at the drop-in centre. Staff then supported these girls in skills training, such as tailoring as shown in the photo, as a step towards earning a living and contributing towards family income.

Thanks to your amazing and generous support 30 girls have gained the care and protection of a family and no longer need to worry about their safety and health on the streets.

Retrak are passionate about working with street children and believe that by working together with other organisations and community groups that we can help far more children than we could alone. One of Retrak’s partners in Uganda is Child Restoration Outreach. The organisation‘s goal is to contribute towards the prevention, rehabilitation, education and resettlement of street children and empowerment of their families in order for them to become productive and self reliant.

Thanks to the money that you donate Retrak and CRO are now working in partnership to resettle street girls with their families. Without your support we wouldn’t be able to offer these girls an alternative to life on the streets.

Thank you for helping these girls realise their potential and discover their worth. We couldn't do it without you!

The Retrak Team X

A Brighter Christmas For Andrew

Anna Richardson — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:40:26 GMT

Street Life

We are now counting down the days, opening the last few doors on our Advent Calendars and buying last minute presents before Christmas. Christmas is the season of good will, please take a few moments to slow down and read Andrew’s story about being on the streets and how thanks to your support he is with a safe and loving family this Christmas.

Please consider giving a Tribute Card to someone you love. The money from this gift will allow Retrak to help more children like Andrew. Go to ‘Gift’ here - http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-street-children-in-africa/ ...

It was December and Andrew was just 12 years old. He set off from his rural home for Kampala, Uganda’s capital. He didn’t know anyone in the city, but, since his family wasn’t able to keep him in school, he was determined to find someone to help him continue his education.

Like many children who end up on streets, Andrew’s vulnerability stems from poverty and family breakdown. In Uganda more than half of all children are considered to be vulnerable and over 60% do not live with their biological parents. In Andrews’s case it was his father’s drinking and the subsequent beatings that drove his family apart.

Retrak's staff regularly visit the streets and slum areas where many street children hang out in Kampala. It’s on the streets of Kampala that the Retrak staff met Andrew last Christmas. He had been on the streets for almost a year and found street life to be hard and unforgiving; he wasn't able to earn much money and feared for his safety at night. Andrew went with the Retrak staff to the drop in centre where he was able to find a safe space to sleep, get washed, relax and receive a good meal. After a few weeks Andrew joined Retrak’s halfway home, designed to give children the security and care needed to overcome their past experiences and move forward. This was just what Andrew needed. He struggled with anger towards his father. He often retreated into himself and found it hard to accept the love and support on offer. Through a lot of patient counselling, encouragement in class and participation in fun activities, Andrew slowly learnt to forgive his father and to even wonder how he could help his father overcome his addiction.

Retrak accompanied Andrew on a visit to his family. Sadly the situation had not changed and with his family still dispersed there was no home that he could return to. As Retrak supports the goal of the Uganda government and of keeping children in families, the next step was to identify a foster family for Andrew. Although foster care for street children is still rare in Uganda, Retrak’s experience meant that a suitable family was identified and trained. After a few more weeks Andrew was ready to move in with his foster family. They made him feel very welcome and his new brothers were excited to have him as part of the family. With ongoing support and guidance from Retrak, Andrew’s foster family has given him the care and sense of belonging which has allowed him to go from strength to strength.

Thanks to your support Andrew is safe with a loving family this Christmas.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The Retrak Team X

World AIDS Day 2011

Anna Richardson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:47:59 GMT

Retrak & Kick4Life Soccer HIV-prevention Project

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We want to tell you about the work that Retrak do in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Thanks to the incredible support you give Retrak, in 2010 over 550 street children learnt about HIV/AIDS. Retrak is working hard to educate street children about HIV/AIDS and increase their knowledge helping to reduce their chance of infection.

Retrak & Kick4Life Soccer HIV-prevention Project

Retrak works with “full time” street children that are disconnected from the protection of their family, they live and work on the streets and are at constant risk of exploitation, abuse and poor health. Many street children are HIV-affected having lost a relative through a HIV-related illness, at risk of sexual abuse, or being infected themselves.

The Global HIV Prevention Working Group insists that evidence-based behaviour change can avert up to 50% of the 15 million new infections projected to occur in the next decade. Education and behaviour change programs are not only amongst the world’s most cost-effective health interventions but also have the greatest potential to reverse the HIV pandemic. Thanks to your support Retrak have been able to introduce this pilot programme to both Uganda and Ethiopia.

Our Goal

The programme uses soccer as a vehicle to increase knowledge of HIV, reduce the stigma around HIV/AIDS and prevent new HIV infections in street children.

The soccer based HIV-prevention project supports street children and adolescents living with HIV (and the consequences of HIV), and their families within their communities by:

Raising awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS;
Combating misunderstandings, stigmatisation and discrimination around HIV/AIDS

Retrak has partnered with Kick4Life www.kick4life.org, a non-profit organisation based in Lesotho that uses the power of soccer to stop the spread of HIV. Retrak and Kick4Life have piloted a football based HIV prevention project for street children in Kampala, Uganda. Retrak and Kick4Life have design a HIV curriculum specifically targeting vulnerable street children. Retrak have been working over the last few months with Kick4Life to deliver the interactive HIV prevention programme to street boys aged 7-17.

The curriculum focuses on building basic life skills that help boys and girls adopt healthy behaviours and live risk-free. Through a series of interactive activities, soccer and discussions students gain a tangible understanding of HIV and AIDS and get a chance to practice the skills necessary for sustainable behaviour change. Key curricular topics include making healthy decisions, avoiding risks, building support networks, reducing stigma and discrimination, increasing knowledge about HIV testing and treatment, addressing gender issues, and assessing values.

Thanks to the support that you give Retrak and street children in Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya Retrak is able to offer basic but imaginative catch up education for the children, focussing on key subjects such as literacy, numeracy, health and HIV/AIDS. The access to education is vital in building up the self esteem of each child which in turn helps to improve their chances of a successful return back into the community.

Support Street Children in Uganda This Christmas

Anna Richardson — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:25:51 GMT

Happy to be back with his sister...

In Kampala the capital of Uganda there are over 5,000 children living on the streets. These children are among some of the most vulnerable in the world and really need your support. Why not give a ‘tribute card’ this Christmas. Show your love to your friends and family through Retrak ‘tribute cards’. These cards enable us to return children to safe and loving homes or provide older street children like Hussein (below) with vocational training so that they can have a real alternative to life on the streets.

Go to ‘Gift’ here - http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-street-children-in-africa/ ...

and transform the life of a street child this Christmas.

Hussein came to the streets when he was about 15yrs. He had run away from his fathers place after his mother had died. When she was alive he would wake up in the morning and see the smoke from the kitchen and know that breakfast was coming. When he was left with just his father there was never any smoke in the mornings, his father was not able to care for him on his own.

After more than 2 years on the streets of Kampala, Hussein was introduced to Retrak. He was often silent and not willing to open up. But after the hard work of the social workers and being moved to Tudabujja under the loving care and support of the house mothers, Hussein began to change. Slowly he began to show interest in going home.

In October, the Retrak team went with Hussein to his father’s place where they found that his father had remarried. The team and family were able to discuss the situation and the father readily accepted to take Hussein. He stayed with his father and they were given school fees for the start of the new school year in January.

The subsequent follow-ups have shown that Hussein is settling in well and attending school, although it is difficult for him since he is much older than his classmates. He is keen to finish his studies and start a vocational training course. His relationship with his father is much better and he is happy to be at home to look after his little sister. Hussein is thankful to Retrak for helping him move away from street life an allowing him to build bridges with his family.

Najja's Story

Anna Richardson — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:21:22 GMT

Nazza trying to find a safe place to sleep

Najja lost both of his parents to HIV/AIDS when he was 12 years old. As his mum was weakened by the sickness, she thought it wise to take both Najja and his younger brother to stay with their aunty. Their auntie didn't have very much money as she also cared for her own children and their father was no longer around.

Their grandmother would send money for their school tuition fees but their aunty needed to use it to pay for the family food. Soon the boys were made to leave school. Najja decided that if he ran away to Kampala he would be able to get a job and earn money for himself and his brother.

He spent a year in the city, living and working on the streets. He was often hungry and could only make a tiny bit of money collecting plastic bottles. He was scared to go home though as he knew he had been wrong to run away. At night time he was very scared and lonely. He was often kicked and beaten by adults who didn't think he should be sleeping on the streets.

One of Najja's friends told him about the Retrak centre and how he could have food and shelter there. He decided to go along and see if they could help him get a job. He wanted to be able to look after himself and his little brother.

Najja is now at Retrak Uganda's half way home Tudabujja. He has been having catch up lessons and is doing well at school. He gets on well with the other children at Tuda and works hard. He now wants to return to a family again who can look after him how he has been looked after at Tudabujja.

“I learnt how to do farming, and how to play foot ball. When I go back home I will miss all the mothers in Tudabujja plus the papa and all the other friends of mine."

Najja went to visit his auntie's home but the family was in a needy situation. She was delighted to see him and had been very worried about him. Najja was also able to see his little brother and was amazed at how much he had grown! Retrak saw that the Aunty would not be able to look after Najja as well as her other children.

Retrak got in touch with Najja's Grandmother and they went to visit her. She was amazed at how much he had changed while he had been away from home. She shouted to her neighbours to come and see him. They were amazed and wanted to know how Retrak had found him. The Retrak staff explained how Retrak works with street children and how Najja has come to them for help.

Najja is now living with his Grandmother and his little brother. They are both at school and are very happy being back together as a family. Najja hopes that he will be able to help street children when he is older. He prays that no child will be lonely and alone like he was and is thankful that he will never have to return to the streets thanks to the continued support from Retrak.

Thank you for supporting the work that Retrak do and enabling us to find children like Najja a real alternative to life on the streets.

Paulo's Story

Anna Richardson — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:59:12 GMT

Paulo playing at the drop in center

Paulo lost both his mother and father to AIDS. When his mother had become sick she decided to take Paulo and his brother to live with their fathers sister. There auntie was very welcoming to the two boys even though she struggled financially with her own children.

Paulo’s maternal grandmother would send them money to pay for their school tuition but their aunty would keep the money to help buy food for the family. Paulo and his brother were eventually sent away from school. Paulo knew he had to look after his little brother and make sure he had a good education. He believed that he would be able to make some money if he ran away to Kampala and got a job.

Life in Kampala was very hard. Paulo was forced to sleep on the streets as he had nowhere to go. He tried to collect scrap metal and plastic bottles to earn money but he struggled to make enough money to feed himself. Paulo new there was no way that he would be able to send money home to his little brother. He lived on the streets in Kampala for a year as he was too afraid and ashamed to go back home.

The Retrak staff met Paulo during street outreach and invited him to visit the drop in centre. Paulo went to the drop in centre the next day and was able to have a hot meal and see a nurse. He started to visit the centre regularly to play with the other children and have catch up lessons.

The Retrak staff knew that Paulo desperately wanted to be with his brother again and started to look for a way for him to return home. They visited his aunty but saw that she was struggling to cope financially. They then went to see his Grandmother on his mother’s side and spoke to her about her grandchildren. She was desperate to see her grandchildren and more than happy to take them both in.

When the Retrak staff took Paulo to meet his Grandmother she didn’t recognize him. Other members of the family came along to see the boy that they believed they would never see again. Paulo was delighted to see that his family still wanted him.

The family thanked the Retrak staff and gave them drinks to celebrate the Paulo’s return. His grandmother was very pleased that her two grandchildren would be living with her soon.

Just a week after Paulo had been taken to see his grandmother he was on his way back home. He knew his grandmother and little brother were waiting for him and he couldn’t be happier. The pain of living on the streets was starting to disappear.

Paulo is now back in school and doing well with his catch up lessons. The Retrak staff have been to visit the family and are delighted to report back about how well he is doing.

Thank you for supporting Retrak and enabling children like Paulo to have a real alternative to life on the streets.

Local Support, Global Impact

www.retrak.org

Saul's Story

Anna Richardson — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:43:46 GMT

Retrak Uganda has been working hard to find children a real alternative to life on the streets. With your support through Global Giving Retrak are able to work with children living on the streets and help them discover their potential and realise their worth. This story of Saul shows how your donations to Retrak Uganda are saving children’s lives.

Saul was raised in Wakiso which is approximately 19kms west of Kampala. His mother died when he and his brother were very young. His father remarried and had six more children with his new wife. Saul wasn’t doing very well with his school work and his father didn’t feel it was worthwhile paying for his tuition fees. He was taken out of school so that he could help at home more with the chores.

His stepmother took advantage of the fact that he was staying at home and made him do more work than he was able to. When Saul didn’t manage to complete his tasks his step mother refused to feed him.

One day it all got too much and he decided to run away. His older brother had left home a few years ago and had not returned. Saul ran away and lived on the streets of a nearby town with other street children. He stayed on the streets of the town for a year and a half.

One day Saul was walking with the other street children looking for food when he ran into his older brother. Saul’s older brother had been on the streets for three years. His brother suggested that they should move to Kampala as it was easier to make money in the big cities. His brother taught him how to beg and steal food each day to help them survive.

Saul stayed on the streets with his brother for another year. One day, one of his friends told him about a place that he had discovered where street children could go and play football and eat food. Saul had always loved football and wanted to be able to play again. He went along to the Retrak centre and had his first hot meal for three years. He then joined in with the other boys at the centre playing football and having fun.

Saul continued coming to the Retrak centre and began to learn how to read and write. Soon he could write his name and spell basic words. Saul says he loves Retrak because he can play and have fun. He is excited to start school again and with the help of Retrak he wants to train to be a mechanic so that he can earn his own money and provide for himself.

Through your support Retrak is able to help boys like Saul who have been living on the streets for years, have no education and no real alternative but to beg and steal. Your donations have allowed Saul to hope that there is a future for him and that there is a real alternative to life on the streets.

Links:

Retrak Website

Meet Fred

Joan Townsend — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:29:05 GMT

Fred, an 18-year-old former street child, is an inspirational example of how support from GlobalGiving and dedicated supporters can make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children in Africa who have suffered terrible hardship. The resettlement of Fred is an experience that will stay for some time in Retrak's memory. Fred is from a village called Kalengela in the District of Mukono. He came to Retrak during 2008 but his stay was punctuated by a lot of disappearances. Fred was slow to open up and it took a lot of patience and many counseling sessions before he decided that he wanted to go home.

Moses, Retrak's social worker, recounts what happened when they reached Fred's village: "An elderly lady approached us from a smoke-filled kitchen. She welcomed us and greeted us as tradition dictates. I first observed the communication pattern between this lady and Fred. It was clear that there was something wrong. After listening to my introduction, the lady started narrating to me many stories about Fred and the challenges he had brought to her family. Because of his behavior the family had decided to disown him. It was discouraging to see such a barrier between the child and his family. But deep down in my heart I was with a feeling that since it took a lot of time for Fred to be willing to visit, I had to keep trying. It took about 2 1/2 hours of talking to help Fred's family realize that their son had changed and to look past the stereotype his family had built up. Finally the breakthrough came and Fred was reunited with his family."

Retrak knows that this reunification will still need a lot of support, so Moses and the other social workers will follow-up with Fred and his family both by phone and in person. If they keep moving forward together for the next three months, Retrak will help the family set up a small business to support themselves.

Meet Addae

Kady Murphy — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:33:15 GMT

Addae

On their recent journey from resettling a boy in Rwanda, Retrak’s social workers followed up on Addae, a boy who had survived on the streets of Kampala for nearly a year before being resettled last year in his original community, a tiny rural village in south west Uganda. He had originally come into contact with Retrak through our Thursday feeding programme and has then stayed at Tudabujja Halfway Home for six months before he was able to be resettled. His resettlement had not been without challenges. During the time he had been living on the streets, his parents had moved to an unknown location, leaving Addae no hope of being resettled with his family. Undeterred, he said that with 3 months’ room rent and a small amount of capital loaned to him by Retrak, he would be able to start a small business, enabling him to generate a sustainable income and to survive against the odds. Addae was right. On a follow-up visit, Retrak’s resettlement staff were delighted to discover that not only was he still managing to afford to rent the room but he was also enjoying amazing success in his small business. He had been able to afford a new mattress and bed sheets and had built up a stock of 500kg of beans to sell. On top of this he was trading and growing onions and, most impressive of all, was employing 2 staff to roast cobs of corn by the road side! Addae’s story illustrates how a small loan of just $50 can make a world of difference to a street child, taking him from struggling to survive on the street to running, in his own words, a “business empire”! This is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters, so thank you for supporting Retrak and helping us to transform the lives of street children.

Links:

For more street children stories please visit our website

This story is just one example of how Retrak makes a difference in the lives of street children

Kady Murphy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:51:14 GMT

Retrak supports vulnerable children

When Matovu’s step-father and a family friend abused him, this 12 year old child made the 85km journey to Kampala.

A week after arriving in the city he asked a man if he could use his shelter to sleep in at night. The man, who was a scrap metal dealer, said he could, but in return Matuvo would have to scavenge for scrap metal to sell. One morning Matovu was collecting scrap when a man accused him of stealing his metal. Even though Matovu pleaded that he didn’t know the metal belonged to him, the man beat him severely and cut off three of his fingers.

Bleeding and in shock, Matovu sought help at the Retrak clinic. He recovered well and was one of the most well-behaved boys at Tudabujja Halfway Home. Eventually Retrak found a suitable foster family for him.

A Postcard from: Rebuilding the lives of 850 street boys in Uganda

Brian Banks — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:26:51 GMT

Brian Banks is a student who is traveling throughout Africa this summer and visiting a number of GlobalGiving projects. On May 13th he visited "Provide education to AIDS orphans in rural Uganda." When asked what he would tell his friends about this project, Brian said: “Incredible: You need to see this!"

“I am different because of Tigers Club,” so said Richard, a former street child and Tigers Club beneficiary. When Richard, first came to Tigers Club for a shower he was living on the streets of Kampala. Today Richard has graduated high school (at the top of his class and with honors) and is hoping to attend university, all because of the work of Tigers Club. Not only did Tigers Club pay his school fees and provide him with a place to live, but Richard told us that Tigers Club’s medical facilities actually saved his life. Richard is one of over 1,000 street boys who have had their lives changed by Tigers Club.

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Tigers Clubhouse and meet with Dinah, the interim director. We learned that Tigers Club takes a holistic approach to meeting the needs of street children. They operate a resource center where boys can drop in for a shower, to wash clothes, get medical treatment or for a hot meal. The organization also offers long-term care, focusing on the individual needs of each boy. All boys are resettled, placed in foster care, or provided housing and reintegrated into the formal education system. Finally, Tigers Club works to equip older boys with marketable skills through vocational training that will enable them to live an independent and productive life.

As we sit writing this on a balcony overlooking a Kampala street, flooded with young street children begging for a bite to eat, the severity of the street children problem is clear. At the age of five we were not allowed to cross the street alone and yet, here, leagues of children of the same age now live on the street, alone. As we see children, each brimming with potential, begging at car windows, we realize the importance of Tigers Club in Kampala; it stands as a beacon of hope for children that the world has otherwise forgotten.

To learn more about this project, and how you can help, visit http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2300/proj2202a.html.

GlobalGiving is committed to incorporating many viewpoints on our 600+ projects. We feel that more information, especially from eyewitnesses, helps donors like you continue to support organizations doing great work in the community. Postcards are written by visitors, and to make your experience as authentic as possible, GlobalGiving does not alter these updates - they are the real deal.

Retrak Update

Joan Townsend — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:05:04 GMT

What a year 2008 has been for Retrak!

The Tigers boys in Uganda commemorated 10 years of the project as a registered charity, and the Tigers Club's sister project, Retrak Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, celebrated its first full year of operation. Diarmuid O'Neill has taken on the role of CEO and has already begun to take Retrak into new and exciting directions. A few of the many highlights of 2008 include:

*Tigers Club was selected as the model in Uganda for the Sudanese Parliamentarians to learn from. *A classroom block with medical room has been completed at Tudabujja Halfway Home. * The first Retrak Ethiopia boys attending Selam Vocational Training College graduated. *48 Retrak staff and boys completed the Great Ethiopian Run on November 23rd. *The three cities concert tour in Nairobi, Kampala and Addis Ababa helped raise $8,530.

The biggest highlights are always those moments when the boys are able to move away from the streets into a family or into sustainable independent living. As Michael, the first Tigers boy to attend University, said, "In the Tigers Clubhouse there is someone who cares. They were generous to me, comforted me, and gave me a home."

The difficult financial climate has made life difficult for everyone, including Retrak. But, it has motivated many of our supporters to be more active than ever! This financial support has made a huge difference and we want all of our supporters to know how much you are appreciated and what a difference you are making in the lives of these boys.

We welcome any feedback you can give us on this site or on the work we're doing.