Rebuilding the lives of street children in Uganda

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.