It’s probably been my toughest week yet in Uganda.
Up until this week, I’ve been reasonably comfortable with my work here in Rukungiri. I’ve had a plan. I’ve known what I was doing. It’s not always easy but at least I’ve felt vaguely within my comfort zone!
This week, six young, sweet, very complicated boys entered my life.
There are hundreds, likely thousands street children all over the world, all over Uganda, and I know this. But six of them live in my town, less than a mile from the place that I call home.
It’s actually quite easy not to see them, or like many, to turn a blind eye to them and claim that they’re not ‘my problem’. They spend their days on the rubbish dump looking for food, navigating the underground tunnel systems in Rukungiri to find coins, sniffing glue to keep away the hunger, and sleeping in a bush less than 10m away from the main church in town. And this is their life. 
For the past couple of months, I have been feeling challenged about what I can do for these young boys. But, to be totally honest, I felt like it was too uncomfortable for me, too risky and something I didn’t really want to get involved in. However, I’ve been feeling increasingly challenged to do SOMETHING… thinking… what would Jesus do? Who would He be spending time with if he was here in Rukungiri?
This week Steve from Mission Direct was here. For anyone who knows Steve, he is AMAZING and he has a massive heart for street children. He was the encouragement I needed and one night we ventured out to find the boys. We went to some extremely seedy places, being directed here and there by many different people. Eventually, close to giving up, we found two of them behind a rubbish dump in town, high on glue, though completely calm and docile. Over the next few days, Steve and I began to spend time with these boys, eventually finding six of them, the youngest being 6 or 7 years old, and the oldest around 14. We hung out with them, walked in town with them, took them to the pharmacy to deal with some health issues, we fed them and got them a haircut!
My heart broke when after two days, they began calling me ‘Mummy’. I was like WHAT?? What kind of life have these children had to call a near-stranger ‘Mummy’. I cried, a lot. And deep down, I was scared too. What if I couldn’t do anything for them? Would I be someone else to let them down? They were quickly relying on me and becoming close to me.
And on Thursday, Steve left. And I was even more scared. To cut a long story short, having spent hours and hours back and forward, talking to different people, the police, the local councillor, landlords, landladys, shopkeepers, I decided that I didn’t want them to spend another night sleeping in the bush. Literally, a bush. And it gets so cold at night. I rented a room for them in town, with a lovely landlady who was the only person willing to have them sleep in her property. I bought blankets, mattresses, jerry cans, basins, towels and shoes. And now they have a home. Temporary, but still. It’s a roof over their head and it’s somewhere to go.
These boys are amazing. Simon, Andrew, Moses, James, Gerald and Linton. This week I am meeting the District Probation Officer and local councillor to talk about how we can work together to help these boys, and trace their families, and find out why, at such a young age, they are on the street.
I know that the two youngest boys lost their mother, and their father also lives on the street. He is a ‘mad man’ and totally unable to care for them. I also met the father of Linton, who initially seemed okay, but then discovered he was ridiculously drunk, used to beat his son, and doesn’t even have a roof on his house.
The boys are funny and intelligent. But they are so lost. Sometimes they are super cuddly, and sometimes totally emotionally withdrawn. I’ve cried this week on multiple occasions. Like yesterday when I found them sniffing glue at 9am on the green outside Church. I was like ‘why God’. They have food in their tummy and a roof over their head. Why are they still in bad habits? Then I realised that God must think that about me all the time! When I have what I need, why do I always turn away and turn back?
It’s going to be a long road and I’m scared now! Because I’m involved and I can’t walk away from them. It’s not what I planned here but it’s where I am. I would so appreciate your prayers for these boys, and my emotional energy! It’s low at the moment.
I believe that counselling, love and school is the answer for these boys. They are desperate to go to school. They want to learn, they want structure and routine. They want a safe place away from the street. After the meeting this week, I may well be looking for sponsors for these boys to get them in school. So please pray about that too. My prayer is that these young men become kind, compassionate, faithful, productive, world-changing members of their community.
Finally, I’ve been so surprised this week. I’ve been to many people and places and institutions for help, only to find it in the most unexpected of places. My two boda boda (motorbike) drivers. They have become social workers and counsellors this week and I am so proud of them. I would not have been able to do all this without them. They’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty and worked so many hours with me, and for these boys!
And in the meantime, if you’d like to help me feed these boys, please let me know too.
E x
‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:35-40
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