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.
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.
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