Humbled

During this COVID-19 pandemic, my eyes have been open to a struggle that I’ve never imagined I would witness as closely as I have. Uganda is hurting. There are people just outside our gate that are eating maybe one meal a day, some are not eating at all. This is something that can alter your appetite really quickly. 

Then, as you keep walking through town, you will see the continued struggle. Due to the president’s order to shut many shops/stores down, the town is mostly empty. There is also a strict curfew stating that you are to be in your homes from 7:00pm-6:30am. Unfortunately, not everyone has a home to find refuge during those hours. There are children whose home is “the streets”.

Now, you may be wondering “why don’t they just go home during this time?!”. Well, it’s not that easy. Some of the children’s homes are very far away. They might have come to this area by taxi or bus, but now all the public transportation is shut down. They can’t go home. Others might have a place to go, but due to the hard times they are not getting fed or maybe they have been chased out due to undesired behaviors. This is always a relevant problem here in Uganda, but due to the lockdown it has reached a whole new level. The children’s safety is at risk. The police have resorted to using brutality as a form of punishment for not following the rules of the curfew. They are hitting people with sticks, and when it comes to the street children, they might even use their hands/feet to hit/kick them because the police feel that if a child is living on the streets they are worth less. 

Within our compound, we can sometimes become blinded to these situations. We are comfortable here at home. We eat 3 meals a day, we have soap to wash our clothes with and to bathe, we even have sugar to put in our tea. These are things most Ugandans do not have right now. When the boys receive contact from their homes, it humbles us. When we walk out of the gate to go to the super market, it humbles us.

So, with a humbled and vulnerable heart, I’m asking for your help. We are looking to raise $6,000 USD. With this money we will be able to do the following: 

• Feed families in our surrounding area
• Feed/give household items to the families of the boys/girls we are supporting
• Resettle boys/girls who have been stranded on the streets during this pandemic
• Pay schooling fees for Term II
• Buy school supplies for when students return to school 

I know this sounds like a lot of money, and I understand we are all in trying times. Each dollar goes a long way here in Uganda, so any amount will be helpful! All of your donations will go directly to help the street children and struggling families within Uganda.

There are two ways to give: 

To pay via PayPal or credit card, visit The Street Child Project website here, and click Donate Now.

To donate via check, send your checks to our stateside office at: P.O. Box 503316, 11251 Rancho Carmel Dr, San Diego, CA 92150

grace + peace,

Kendall Rose