Story
BACKGROUND & MY REASONS FOR GOING
You may know that in October 2006 I traveled to Soroti, Uganda (Africa) to set up a drop in centre for the orphans and street children out there. My Mum had been two years running and her tales of devastation, poverty and child fatalities were the driving force behind me wanting to do something to help. The following is an extract from my Mum's journal in 2004 and the main reasons why I felt I just couldn't bury my head in the sand and carry on without trying to do something to help:
Soroti has been torn apart by civil war, families have been forced to flee their villages because of rebel activity and living in displaced peoples camps has been the only option. Minimal rebel activity remains in and around the villages with most of it some 20kms away now. In an effort to force people out of the displaced peoples camps and back to their villages the government has cut off essential supplies such as food and clean water. People are scared, they don't want to go back to the place where they saw their family members murdered, tortured and raped. Staying in the camps seemed like the safest option - water or no water. Disease was all around and the smell was almost unbearable but when the children saw us their faces lit up like beacons, not because they thought we were going to give them anything, but because they knew we would sing with them, pray with them and cuddle them.
During the insurgencies the rebels abducted hundreds of children, used them as pack animals and systematically raped many of them. Many of the children are now HIV positive or have AIDS, some were so badly beaten and/or raped that they have been scarred for life both mentally and physically. Consequently some of the girls have been left with babies (even though they are still children themselves) and they have no means of supporting themselves or the babies and in some cases small babies are just abandoned.
A number of children have been fortunate enough to find living family members. But there are those who have become street children. These street children are currently in the most desperate need of help.
WHAT WE DID IN OCT 2006
With the support of some very kind people we raised enough money to set up the drop in centre and after a long search we found a dark, dusty, boarded up, disused concrete building in which we could do this. The building had to be completely renovated and after a two weeks of full on manual labour we finally had somewhere safe for the children to get some food, clothing, education and counseling.
Word spread around while we were there and on the grand opening day of the “Amuno Centre” (Amuno means hope in Ateso, the local dialect) and we expected about 200 children to turn up. However we were shocked and humbled when we saw a long line of over 900 children that had marched with no shoes for over 5 miles in the scorching sunshine with the leader of their displaced peoples camp to come to the grand opening.
We supplied orange juice, biscuits, face paints, bubble machines and all sorts of other games and I have never seen so many happy faces as I did that day! Do you know how hard it is to play 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes' with a group of 250 children!
With your help we have done some incredible things but sadly money is running out. There is no government provision at all in Uganda for these kids and without this project they will be left with nothing! If we want any chance of it surviving we desperately need your help.........
WHAT NOW?
At present we can only support 15 children at a time and although there are no official numbers, estimations are that nearly 1200 orphaned street children exist in Soroti alone. We know we cannot help them all and have concentrated on the most vulnerable, but with money running out we are not sure how long we can help them for. Long term we have a vision to expand the project but for now we are struggling to keep the centre running. And you can help us to give these children “Amuno” (hope).......
£5 per would mean that we could give a child a hot meal every day for two weeks.
£10 would mean that we could give a child a hot meal every day for one month.
£30 would mean that we could give two children a hot meal every day for one month and supply enough electricity for them to have a shower at least once a week.
£50 would buy essential medical supplies to ensure that these childrens lives are made as comfortable as possible in these very difficult circumstances.
Please note: Uganda Development Services are helping transfer money out there but we do not have any financial support at all from any charities. As we are going alone we can absolutley guarantee that every penny we raise will go directly to the children. And if you are a UK tax payer we can claim an extra 28% will be added to your gift at no cost to you (please don't forget to tick this box).
On behalf of me, my parents and the “Children Of Hope – Soroti” we thank you for your very kind generosity.
You may know that in October 2006 I traveled to Soroti, Uganda (Africa) to set up a drop in centre for the orphans and street children out there. My Mum had been two years running and her tales of devastation, poverty and child fatalities were the driving force behind me wanting to do something to help. The following is an extract from my Mum's journal in 2004 and the main reasons why I felt I just couldn't bury my head in the sand and carry on without trying to do something to help:
Soroti has been torn apart by civil war, families have been forced to flee their villages because of rebel activity and living in displaced peoples camps has been the only option. Minimal rebel activity remains in and around the villages with most of it some 20kms away now. In an effort to force people out of the displaced peoples camps and back to their villages the government has cut off essential supplies such as food and clean water. People are scared, they don't want to go back to the place where they saw their family members murdered, tortured and raped. Staying in the camps seemed like the safest option - water or no water. Disease was all around and the smell was almost unbearable but when the children saw us their faces lit up like beacons, not because they thought we were going to give them anything, but because they knew we would sing with them, pray with them and cuddle them.
During the insurgencies the rebels abducted hundreds of children, used them as pack animals and systematically raped many of them. Many of the children are now HIV positive or have AIDS, some were so badly beaten and/or raped that they have been scarred for life both mentally and physically. Consequently some of the girls have been left with babies (even though they are still children themselves) and they have no means of supporting themselves or the babies and in some cases small babies are just abandoned.
A number of children have been fortunate enough to find living family members. But there are those who have become street children. These street children are currently in the most desperate need of help.
WHAT WE DID IN OCT 2006
With the support of some very kind people we raised enough money to set up the drop in centre and after a long search we found a dark, dusty, boarded up, disused concrete building in which we could do this. The building had to be completely renovated and after a two weeks of full on manual labour we finally had somewhere safe for the children to get some food, clothing, education and counseling.
Word spread around while we were there and on the grand opening day of the “Amuno Centre” (Amuno means hope in Ateso, the local dialect) and we expected about 200 children to turn up. However we were shocked and humbled when we saw a long line of over 900 children that had marched with no shoes for over 5 miles in the scorching sunshine with the leader of their displaced peoples camp to come to the grand opening.
We supplied orange juice, biscuits, face paints, bubble machines and all sorts of other games and I have never seen so many happy faces as I did that day! Do you know how hard it is to play 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes' with a group of 250 children!
With your help we have done some incredible things but sadly money is running out. There is no government provision at all in Uganda for these kids and without this project they will be left with nothing! If we want any chance of it surviving we desperately need your help.........
WHAT NOW?
At present we can only support 15 children at a time and although there are no official numbers, estimations are that nearly 1200 orphaned street children exist in Soroti alone. We know we cannot help them all and have concentrated on the most vulnerable, but with money running out we are not sure how long we can help them for. Long term we have a vision to expand the project but for now we are struggling to keep the centre running. And you can help us to give these children “Amuno” (hope).......
£5 per would mean that we could give a child a hot meal every day for two weeks.
£10 would mean that we could give a child a hot meal every day for one month.
£30 would mean that we could give two children a hot meal every day for one month and supply enough electricity for them to have a shower at least once a week.
£50 would buy essential medical supplies to ensure that these childrens lives are made as comfortable as possible in these very difficult circumstances.
Please note: Uganda Development Services are helping transfer money out there but we do not have any financial support at all from any charities. As we are going alone we can absolutley guarantee that every penny we raise will go directly to the children. And if you are a UK tax payer we can claim an extra 28% will be added to your gift at no cost to you (please don't forget to tick this box).
On behalf of me, my parents and the “Children Of Hope – Soroti” we thank you for your very kind generosity.