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