A heartbreaking documentary about the children’s prison in Kampala reached us in January 2013. It exposed the dire situation of street children in Uganda’s capital. The footage was broadcast on national television in Belgium and the Netherlands and included interviews with children aged 2 to 14, surviving in appalling conditions.
In an attempt to curb the rapidly growing number of street children in the capital, the Ugandan government had decided to place them in a juvenile prison. The issue of street children is extremely difficult to address, as many of them are exploited by adults and forced to beg. These children are constantly exposed to danger, traffic hazards, and neglect from their communities. They survive without protection, without a voice, and without hope for their future.
Several local and international organizations have focused their efforts on these children in the capital. This was one of the reasons why, during its first 13 years of development work in the southwest of Uganda, Koinonia was not active in Kampala.
After a visit by Koinonia representatives to the juvenile prison in Kampala, we decided to take action. Despite the presence of many organizations working on the streets of the capital, the situation with street children had spiraled completely out of control. After a year of negotiations and preparations, Koinonia, together with a partner organization, welcomed the first 66 children from the juvenile prison. It was a historic moment.
In April 2014, the first 66 children were removed from the children’s prison and transferred to the rehabilitation home in Masulita, Wakiso District, Uganda. All of these children came from the northern region of the country. Nine months later, after several visits to the north, we began the process of reintegrating the children into their communities. This process—and the long-term follow-up in their home environment—is one of the most essential parts of street child rehabilitation.
Most of the children come from broken and poverty-stricken families. Proper support for the child, parents, or guardians is crucial to reducing the risk of falling back into the same cycle of street life.
The first group of children returned home after spending more than a year at the Masulita Children’s Village (MCV). They were all from Northern Uganda, the country’s poorest region. To ensure their food and well-being, Koinonia took on the full cost of their schooling and boarding. During school holidays, the children return home. Throughout the year, they are closely followed by the Koinonia team—both at school and at home. Children who are too young to go to school or live at boarding school are supported at home together with their families.
Currently, Koinonia supports children from the streets of Kampala who were taken to Masulita Children Village by the authorities. There, Koinonia provides supervision, empowerment and skill training for those that are of age.
They are children from different places of Uganda and of different ages.
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