Shule FoundationSleep-out with the kids of Kisenyi
The majority of children living on the streets in Uganda say the worst part of street life is NIGHTTIME. Once the sun goes down, life on the street becomes very dangerous. During the night, children are forced to endure beatings and sexual assault, risk their stuff being stolen, and the potential of being arrested. Finding a safe place to sleep is one of the biggest challenges facing street-connected children. The two biggest culprits… Read More
What 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
Celebrating One Year of Making A Difference for Street Kids
Can you believe it’s been one year since we first opened the doors of Shule’s first transitional home in Uganda? Neither can we. But in the last 12 months, we’ve made incredible progress in helping street children take the first steps toward a brighter future – and it’s all thanks to generous supporters like you! Here’s a look at our first year.
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
“A mind is a terrible thing to waste”
I witnessed something that reminded me of the public service marketing slogan, “A mind is terrible thing to waste,” which was adopted by the United Negro College Fund in 1972. The brilliance of the campaign at the time was that these seven words helped change the “public perception of young black men in the media from angry, troubled and dangerous to being thought of as minds; encouraging respect rather than indignation or… 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
Sleeping In A Bed Is A Luxury Many Children Don’t Have.
People always say to me, “How do you do what you do?” “I couldn’t do it. It’s so sad. So, depressing.” From the moment I stepped foot on the continent of Africa more than 8 years ago, I don’t recall ever being overcome by sadness or getting depressed by the encounters I have. I believe that is a testament to the African people. They innately accept the lives they were born into, which to… Read More
Thank You for Helping Us Change Lives
Here at Shule Foundation, our goal is to improve the lives of the most impoverished children in Uganda, and across Africa through education. In addition to the many village children we’ve gotten to know, we have also been fortunate to spend time with the children of Kisenyi Slum – one of the largest slum in central Kampala. The children who live on these streets are some of the most marginalized in the… Read More