Kids First Uganda Stories

Annet’s story    Annet grew up in poverty and at 16 was forced into a marriage of physical and mental abuse.  She endured this marriage as her mother taught her, and her blessing was eight children.  She lived a life of fear and looked for help from many NGOs who gave handouts but not a path to financial security.  The women of Kids First encouraged her to leave her marriage, they taught her crafts, and then she was chosen to enter our first vocational training in tailoring. 

Two years later in her own words: “Although I have not been in business long I can say my business is thriving and my transformation will continue.  As a nation we are going through difficult times due to Covid and there have been many deaths, failed businesses, domestic violence and more.  My story is different as my business has thrived, my children have been protected and we have enough to eat. Above all, my success has been an encouragement to many struggling mothers as they can see there is hope for their future.  Due to COVID restrictions I have been working from home and this has given me an opportunity to train six more mothers who now have the ability to start their own businesses. 

I never realized when joining KFU how deeply my life was going to change.  My children are now getting a good example of how to live life.  Whoever came up with the idea of vocational training and has sponsored this program deserves a Nobel Prize, because this opportunity has given me and others freedom.  I know our God in heaven is happy, not only for me but for so many lives that have been transformed directly and indirectly through Kids First Uganda.” 

As the tallest young woman in her village, her height and beauty led her to dream of becoming an international model. Her dream died when her parents could not afford school fees and, against her wishes, she was married on her 15th birthday to a violent man of her father’s age. After years of abuse, she ran away. "I thought of ending my life but I could not leave my six children During that darkest time I was welcomed into Kids First and my life has never been the same."

Allen was trained by KFU women in craft making and then selected for vocational training in tailoring. Getting skills in tailoring completed the puzzle of my lost dream I had as a kid. "I now not only make crafts but I also design and make garments which I model. Life can never be better than this."  With her new income, she is able to feed her children, pay school fees, and even save a little. "I am able to encourage other women in my community….I want them to know it is never too late for God to fix their problems."

KFU-MI Vocational training programs to date have brought hope to 10 seamstresses, 5 culinary women, 2 cosmetologists, and 2 men in auto mechanics.

Hafusa’s mama, Sophia, was orphaned as a teenager and raped while working as a young maid in a rich residence of Bbunga. Sophia is now a member of Kids First mother’s group where she is receiving counseling and learning to make crafts so she can afford to feed Hafusa. Sophia was extremely happy when her daughter received sponsorship and that her kind sponsor agreed to board her, which keeps Hafusa safe from the many dangers of slum living.

When school is not in session, however, they face challenges, including dirty water, sewage everywhere, and no safe area for children to play. During the rainy season their house floods and to try to maintain safety they stack sacks, which is little help as water floods their tiny one-room home, sometimes at times four feet high. Sophia is anxious for school to resume post-Covid, as her daughter will again be safe and have a place to do her homework. She is excited about the KFU property acquisition because she will, in the case of heavy rains, she will have a refuge for herself and Hafusa.

I have had a very difficult childhood, I have never known my father and I have never had a good relationship with my mother in fact whenever my mother was upset, she would curse and regret why she gave birth to me something that could make me feel so unwanted. My mother works as a prostitute and on many occasion, she could bring men home chasing me out of the house to sleep in the cold as she did her business. Apart from prostitution, she would abuse drugs and sometimes she would pass out from the drugs and I would be tempted to try them out most of the times, in fact if it was not of the soccer project with Kids First, I would have been an addict by now if not dead.
I hugely loved soccer and I am happy that I was always welcomed to play with other kids but also get an opportunity putting on jerseys but also wear soccer shoes something that would make me so happy. I had few cloths to ware and never had soap for washing so my mother would get so upset whenever I would come back home form playing soccer looking dirty. One rainy day we played soccer I came back home with mud all over my old torn cloths and my mother bite me to almost killing me. She run after the biting me thinking I was dead so she run fearing to be arrested and I ended up on the streets of Bubga because I could not afford paying rent of $20 per month for the one room house my mother left me in.

My only hope in life was left in the Kids First soccer trainings and tournaments that I was always taken to and the only time I would feel happy was when I was with my soccer friends, I knew my life was different and at times I would think I was born to surfer but playing soccer would make me feel human.
My constant being with the team helped me get a soccer scholarship but their came corvid 19. The school that had given me the scholarship was sold off because the owners would not run it any more. When I was told I was never going to be able to go back to the school I was so upset and sad. I was so used to my suffering since I was a kid and because of that, most of the times I did not have any emotions so crying through hard times was never my thing but knowing the my only grips of hope through education was gone, I cried for weeks, I gave up on myself stop going for soccer practice and thought of returning to drugs that I had given up ever since I joined soccer. I am so grateful my coach Alex looked for me together with my friends, they found me and encouraged me to come back for soccer practice and when I talked to uncle Joshua about my school situation, he told me not lose hope and how God loved me but to be honest his words did not make any sense to me at that time but surprisingly in just a few weeks I was told I had got people that were willing to pay for my education but also make sure I had a place to stay. I have never felt joy my entire life like the joy I received knowing that I was going to school again but also knowing that I was not going to worry again on how I eater or slept.

I have always had trust issues because of the people that have hart me in life but I am happy that my journey with kids first has been mined settling and I am learning to truest the people that God has blessed me with but also the family love I have now, during this time I have been involved in doing some clearing work and planting of a green fence on our Kids First property, all the time I have worked on this property it has been like planting seeds of hope in my life, I am happy that I am part of building a place I am soon going to call home, I have already started seeing my self-waking up in this place, having a graduation party in this place but also being in position to give an address of palace I call home to my friends something I have never dreamt of in life. This has been my best year and a start of a new life and I now feel so blessed so thanks every one that God has used to restore hope in my life, my sponsors, my soccer coach, my soccer friends, uncle Joshua and all those that have supported Kids First in having it’s home, sponsored the rest of my friends through school and the soccer project which I dearly love.

I love you all and it’s my prayer that you do not give up on what you are doing because it changes lives.