[Online PR for slum charity Child of Hope]
Family break-up is often the start of terrible disasters for young children that often ends up with them living on the streets, subject to all kinds of dangers. It’s great when we can help kids that are so vulnerable, like Mark.
After his parents split up, Mark lived for a while with his grandmother. But she couldn’t look after him properly, so after school each day, he would go and live on the streets. When our welfare staff found out, they brought him into our children’s home, where he lives today.
Here’s what Mark said… it is exactly as spoken apart from minor grammatical changes to keep the flavour of the culture while making ‘Ugandan English’ understandable to Western readers!
“Before I came to Child of Hope I used to live in the streets. My parents didn’t have much to take care of me to take me to school. My mother lives in Busea and my father lives in Moroto. I am together with my grandmother.
“Well, one day when I was at home, then Uncle Moses and Auntie Bex, plus Pastor Philip, came and said: “Can we register this child for Child of Hope?” Then my parents also allowed.
“I didn’t get much to eat because my parents used to drink and we didn’t have enough money for food. I started Child of Hope when I was six years old.
“Child of Hope has done so great in my life and my family. They provide me with free shoes, free food, everything I need. I’m now thirteen and a half. I am now in P6 class. I would like to be an astronaut.”
With Uganda ranked one of the biggest alcohol-consuming nation in the world – despite poverty – a lot of children in the Namatala slum are badly affected by their parents’ drink problem. Many are simply left to fend for themselves.
If you would like to sponsor a child like Mark through Child of Hope’s school and so he (or she) can benefit from our amazing child support structure, please click here for details.
