What We do
Mothers of some of our sponsored children
Our Ugandan staff reaches out to vulnerable children in the slums of Uganda. In particular, we focus on helping children from Kikuba Mutwe in Kampala. We work with the appropriate government officials, obtaining necessary papers and gaining permission from the parent if one is available. Some of the children now in our program were being cared for by neighbors and had no home or family. They were street children.
The international standard of child poverty (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) applies to children suffering from deprivation in two or more of the following seven dimensions:
nutrition
health
water
sanitation
shelter
education
information
These children in the slums of Kampala are at risk for all seven of these poverty indicators. (See Situation Analysis of Children in Uganda published by Unicef, 2019.) In addition, children under five face a higher incidence of mortality from pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea, and HIV/AIDS.
Providing a Safe Environment
Peter’s Heart seeks to identify children most vulnerable to the realities of life in the slums and help them move to safety. Peter’s Heart enrolls the children in safe, progressive boarding schools that encourage analytic thinking and do not use corporal punishment. We provide them with uniforms and school supplies and make sure they have a safe environment when school is in recess (holidays, etc). Ideally, this is with their own family, but often returning to the slums is not safe, especially for young girls. In these cases, our trained mentor Ugandan families invite the children into their own homes and welcome them as part of the family for the break period. To keep the children connected to their parents, our staff facilitates visits.
Slum conditions are very difficult, with no electricity, no clean water, no indoor plumbing, and crowded conditions. Often up to five or more people stay in one-room clay dwellings. Prostitution, substance abuse, and alcoholism are widespread in the slums, and many of the children are from such an environment. Peter's Heart works to protect children from potential suffering by enabling them to experience safety, provision, and healthy family life during these school breaks.
Keeping Families Connected
Our program currently sponsors 89 children. We hope to sponsor more children by adding mentor Ugandan families to the team. Our partner, Scripture Union, helps us identify possible families, and those that are selected go through a training program.
Over 50% of the population in Uganda is below 18 years of age, 11.3% are orphans, and of those who are orphaned, 46% (1,108,080) have lost their parents through AIDS. The need is great. A survey by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (Fallon, 2014) estimated that there are 10,000 street children in Uganda--a 70% increase in the number of children on the street since 1993--with approximately 16 new children coming to the Kampala streets each day. (Situation Analysis of Children in Uganda published by Unicef, 2019 p. 27).
We at Peter’s Heart are grateful for the opportunity to try to make a difference in some of these children’s lives. Join our cause!