Shule FoundationWhat About The Girls?
In honor of International Day of the Girl Child, I have decided to publicly address a question I am constantly asked about our Watoto Mtaani project. “What about girls?” When it comes to our work with children living on the streets, we never set out to NOT help girls. Actually, when we moved the first group of kids off the streets, there was one girl in the group. Her name was Shadia…. Read More
Giving Street Kids A Safe Place To Go
We constantly ask ourselves, “How can we better serve the children living on the streets? Are we making the best use our resources? Are we truly making an impact?” A friend of mine kept telling me I needed to open a Drop-In Center, suggesting that it would help in identifying the kids who are really serious about leaving street life behind. Aware of what a huge undertaking it would be, both when… Read More
The Six That Got Away
When we began the Watoto Mtaani Project, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and I’ve known that I wouldn’t be able to save them all, but losing six was tough – especially when I’d managed to lose four in the first three weeks. I constantly ask myself was it my fault? Could I have done things differently? After the kids had finished detoxing and were able to think clearly, I… Read More
Watoto Mtaani Update
I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has donating to our Watoto Mtaani campaign. The money we have raised so far will cover the cost to purchase the provisions needed for each child we will move out of the slum and into our rehab center – including a bed, mattress and sheets; mosquito netting; new clothing; and bathroom supplies. We are so grateful to you for making this happen for the… Read More
Shadia’s life changed the day her mother died.
From what I can tell, Shadia grew up in a loving home; she attended school and was taken care of by her mother. But when her mother passed due to complications from AIDS, everything changed. Now 17, Shadia has been on the streets of Kisenyi for more than 2 years. She says she left home because her grandmother was not nice to her, she tells me she was forced to leave school… Read More