Nile River Greatness

Nile River Greatness
Cows grazing in Nile basin land

Sunday, January 24, 2010

FROM STREET TO SAVING LIVES

By Mugume D. Rwakaringi

A Former street child himself, Innocent Byaruhanga started Save Street Children Uganda (SASCU) NGO which has provided hope to many former street children.

His touching story starts from when he left home at tender age to find some thing to do on the streets of Kampala as a result of poverty. While on street, his image emerged in public consciousness – a grubby urchin in a tattered T-shirt, begging, stealing and sleeping on the street or sometimes in a shark. He was a resilient, hard working person and very cognizant about the life of his fellow street children. He had a dream to help the street children some day.

At his age of twelve (12) he was picked from street by a very loving lady (Mrs. Rita Nkemba ,Executive Director Dwelling Places) who became his foster parent and took him to school where he acquired skills that helped him to achieve his dream (restoring hope for the ex-street children, street children and other vulnerable children).

SASCU having been funded in 2005 with 9 children now assists 84 children who have been nurtured and transformed in many different ways which has made them very productive members of their own community. Among the 84 children, 68 children have been taken back to school, out of which 24 of them are in secondary school, 40 are in primary school and 4 are in vocational institute. These children have also been able to learn various life skills that have enabled them to raise funds to raise money for the organization.

Some of the activities they are involved in include art and crafts, they are taught to make paper beads, music, dance and drama that they also use to reach out to other street children. These activities are mainly for leisure and income generating.

“Doing this work is however not been easy”, says Innocent. “We operate on a big budget but with little finances available for us”, he elaborates.

.He is proud to contribute t the improvement of lives of children who had no hopes. Staying at Mawanda Road , these children have been provided by the house where they sleep. One of my visits to their residence I find girls easily playing soccer with their male counterpart. One of the girls I later learn is Aisha Magaya, 15 years has learnt football skills and easily controls a ball like a boy. “I like playing football having started playing with my friends when I was still in Mulago area”, a senior 3 student smilingly says. Her dream is to be a Lawyer so she can fight for other people’s rights. She is a single orphan having lost her father at an early age.

14 years old Edward Byamukama’s dream is to be aided to know how to read and write then he can learn vocation skills which will help him help his only parent, his mother.
Mbabazi Shalon a senior two student from El Shadai says her dream is to become a doctor and help the sick. She says SASCU has given her hope through care and love.


In many regions of the world, the phenomenon of street children is unabated while it is emerging in others where it was unknown so far. Behind every street child lie highly vulnerable families and communities, many struggling to come to terms with economic liberalization and growing inequalities.

In Uganda , the problem of street children began in the 1970s and continues to be a problem because of civil war, poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. UNICEF estimated the number of street children all over the world to be about (30) thirty million. According to the UNDP Human Development report 2000, there are over 100 million children living or working in the streets today .25 million of these children are believed to be totally homeless. And according to Caritas (2001), currently there are over 10,000 street children in Uganda and 85% of these are homeless.

Innocent Byaruhanga the founder of the organization left home at tender age to find some thing to do on the streets of Kampala as a result of poverty. While on street, his image emerged in public consciousness – a grubby urchin in a tattered T-shirt, begging, stealing and sleeping on the street or sometimes in a shark. He was a resilient, hard working person and very cognizant about the life of his fellow street children. He had a dream to help the street children some day.

At his age of twelve (12) he was picked from street by a very loving lady(Mrs. Rita Nkemba ,Executive Director Dwelling Places) who became his foster parent and took him to school where he acquired skills that helped him to achieve his dream (restoring hope for the ex-street children, street children and other vulnerable children).

In the year 2005 he started up save the street children Uganda (SASCU) with 9 children and currently the organization has a total of 84 children that it is taking care of. These children have been nurtured and transformed in many different ways which has made them very productive members of their own community. Among the 84 children, 68 children have been taken back to school, out of which 24 of them are in secondary school, 40 are in primary school and 4 are in vocational institute. These children have also been able to learn various life skills that have enabled them to raise funds to raise money for the organization. One of the children living under SASCU’s care since the NGO started, Waluga Ezekiel nicknamed Paidha (selfless person) says had it not been SASCU he would no t have managed to complete secondary school. “I have now completed O’Level having been found helpless after my Primary Seven”, Paida appreciates. His dream is to become an engineer. He also plays football in First division club Super Heroes based in Mulago zone.

Some of the activities they are involved in include art and crafts, they are taught to make paper beads, music, dance and drama that they also use to reach out to other street children. They also have two soccer teams under 17 and under 10years of age which is mainly for leisure and income generating.

Innocent says that the major challenge in Uganda is that many people who work as foster parents do not have enough skills hence may not know how to treat street children. Having been a street child like many of his staff is a tool he uses to do his work. He appeals for many NGOs local and International to come and aid NGOs that help street children.

The Writer is also a Law Lecturer at IMS-Southern University, Juba-Sudan.
Ends

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