Rebuilding the lives of street children in Uganda

“It never occurred to me that I would come this far.”

These are the words of Peter Iganga , a boy who enrolled in our program when he was 14 years old in 2003 (when it was called the Tigers Club Project). He had left home to escape physical abuse by his stepmother and ended up in Kampala, barely surviving by scavenging for scrap metal.

While in the slums of Kisenyi, other children told him that there was food to be found at Tigers Club. Upon his arrival at the clubhouse, he was welcomed by the staff and given a plate of food. Afterwards, a nurse treated his wounds. He decided to stay, taking advantage of Retrak’s night refuge and catch-up learning program. He told his counsellor that he wanted to go back to school, but not back to his abusive home, so he moved into the Retrak hostel and attended primary school, then secondary school, and finally a vocational institute where he earned a certificate in cosmetology. Peter is now managing a salon, where he earns a good living and is saving to pay for further education.

Peter says, “I am so grateful to Retrak, for taking care and shaping me to become the kind of person I am right now. May the almighty God bless each one of you”.

Would you like to help more children like Peter grow to realize their potential? One way you can help us is to participate in GlobalGiving’s Fundraiser Campaign during the month of September. GlobalGiving has created this fundraiser tool to help you get started. They’re giving away prizes to our supporters (JetBlue tickets, a flip cam, and more) and financial bonus awards to the organization with the most successful fundraisers.

Creating your own fundraiser is a fun and creative way to make a difference in the lives of street children in Africa. Click here for further details on this exciting opportunity!

Links:

• Retrak's Website

This morning I received in my in-box the story of a boy who's supported by Retrak's partner project in Uganda, CRO. It was sent out by a colleague in the UK to remind us of why work hard to support children and young people in Africa. I thought I would share it with you:

 “My name is Kavic (not real name). I am 16 years old. I used to stay in the suburb of Kasanvu in Mbale with my parents. In 2003 my mother separated with my father because my father was involved in another relationship. He abandoned us in the house and disappeared with his second wife to some unknown place. Life became very difficult and the only source of income we had was from the sale of alcohol my mother brewed. The money was not enough to pay house rent and buy food for the family. I went to the streets and started picking scrap for sale and in a day I could earn USH1000 [less than 40¢] and took this money to my mother so she could buy food.

In 2004 CRO Social Workers found me on the streets picking scrap. They invited me to the Centre to attend the rehabilitation programme. A few months later, my mother was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. She began on the treatment of ARVS. This helped her to continue with her business of brewing alcohol. In 2009 my mother became very weak and died. I was thrown out of the house because I could not afford to pay house rent. I went to sleep on the streets but CRO learnt of it and resettled me with a foster mother. I stayed with her for about one year and she later chased me out of the house. I resorted to sleeping in a video hall where I paid for a night while I went to school. This affected my concentration at school because I sometimes had to leave early so I could work to get this money.

I am very glad that I am one of the boys that was selected to sleep in a better room. My life has changed because I received a blanket and a mattress. I can do my evening studies and feel safe and secure in the night. I go to school in Mbale S.S in S.4. My interests are in sciences. When I grow up I want to become a Medical Surgeon. I want to thank all the people who have helped CRO to support me. Without this support I would be still in the streets leading a miserable life. Thank you very much.”

Links:

• Retrak website