Teaching Farming Skills to Ugandan Street Children

Every year, hundreds of street children pass through our doors, taking the first steps in the transition from a life on the streets to one in a home and family. Twelve year old Bosco is one of these children and his story illustrates the role that Tudabujja plays in returning a child home:

Bosco was found one night by Retrak's outreach team, lying alone in a dangerous part of Kampala. “It was a struggle to wake him up” said the Retrak night outreach trip team leader. "We could not leave him because he was in an unsafe area” he added. When he finally did wake up, the outreach team persuaded him to come to the Retrak drop-in center.

While at the drop-in center, Bosco was quiet most of the time and could hardly talk about his home. After some time he was able to tell his story.

Bosco came to the street following frequent misunderstandings between his mother and stepfather. After a serious quarrel one day, his stepfather decided to throw Bosco and his mother out of the house claiming that he was tired of them and only wanted to be with his "real" children.

It was late and they had nowhere to sleep, so they decided to approach a slum bar owner who gave them permission to spend a night in the bar after customers left. They stayed in the bar through several cold nights.

Bosco was miserable and decided to leave his mother as he looked for someone willing to help him or to offer him work so that he would be able to take care of his mom. That was how he ended up on the streets.

From the drop-in center, Bosco was taken to Tudabujja, where his demeanor changed and he became a happy boy. He developed a particular interest in caring for birds, so the poultry section at the farm was his biggest interest. He also grew some vegetables on the small garden plot allotted to him. He sold some of these vegetables to Retrak staff and earned a small sum of money.

When Bosco was being resettled with his mother, he used the money he earned from selling his vegetables to buy nine chicks. He raised them in a small box in their single room shelter that his mother had rented in anticipation of Bosco's return.

Follow-ups have been done with Bosco to track his progress. After the reunion with his mother, he returned to school to resume his studies. This is where the Retrak workers found him on the day they paid him a visit. He was doing well academically and his teacher commended him for being exemplary in the class.

Retrak paid for his school fees and supplies. “Thank you for paying my school fees and for the books and pens and pencils. I will read hard and I promise that I will stay home with my mother” said Bosco as he knelt before the Retrak staff (kneeling is a sign of humility and respect in Ugandan culture). 

With the support of Retrak, Bosco is at happily resettled. He is very responsible and works hard for his family. He has a strong desire to see his mother and siblings in a better life, and he believes that this will happen one day. He is committed and very determined to studying because he believes that this will bring a transformation to the family.

An assessment of his family was also done and it qualified for an Income Generating Activity that will be given and monitored by Retrak to ensure its success.

On behalf of Bosco and the other children in our program, thank you for the support that makes Tudabujja possible.