TORORO – A total of 3936 less-privileged children in the districts of Tororo and Butaleja can now say their future is bright courtesy of Compassion International, a child advocacy ministry that partners with interdenominational evangelical churches.
In the districts, the organization which is partnering with eleven churches including Deliverance Church, Pentecostal Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Churches of Uganda, Assemblies of God, Transformation Discipleship Worship Centre among others has managed to bring light to the lives of several vulnerable children who would rather be on streets and probably in early marriages.
Speaking at the milestone celebration event in Tororo on Thursday, Mr. Muttani Solomon Joshua, Chairman Tororo Butaleja Child and Youth Ministry cluster noted that out of 3936 children, 3575 are attaining formal education in different schools and 129 of them have already graduated from university and tertiary institutions.
“106 are already successful alumni,” he revealed.
He noted that those who cannot continue with formal education are supported through vocational institutions.
Muttani told the press that the programme also covers health where several children at the vague of dying have been rescued.
“But also, we have a program called the survival for mothers. We realized that some families were losing their children even before they were born and we thought those children needed to be supported even when they are still in the wombs. We support the mothers to receive full antenatal services, good feeding during the time of pregnancy, and all the needed treatment.”
The participants are also groomed socially and emotionally so that they can learn how to relate and manage their emotions but also grow spiritually.
However, Mr Chairman decried low support from the communities where they are based.
“When the church partners with Compassion International, the community start to withdraw support, they think now it’s the work of compassion and church to take care of their children,” he said.
He also said that child abuse cases are still rampant and some parents still believe that early marriages are gainful.
Ms. Agnes Waeno, Partnership Facilitator, Compassion International said that the whole drive is intended at eradicating poverty in children and their families.
“We want to ensure that children are thriving and positively influencing the world.”
She revealed that they are operating in 120 districts across the country in partnership with 460 churches through which about 134000 participants are being supported.
She commended the churches for doing quite an amazing job of providing quality child and youths development programs.
Ms. Waeno noted that they have also embarked on phase-out preparation for all their church partners “because we want them to be sustainable and destroy the dependency syndrome.”
“We want to build the capacity, support them to own the ministry and youths and support them to realize resources so that they can sustainably provide a holistic program. So we are walking a journey with each partner to prepare them,” she said.
Speaking on teenage pregnancies and early marriages, Ms. Waeno noted that it is still a big challenge in the districts revealing that a 27-year-old in Butaleja is already a grandmother.
She challenged the Government and all stakeholders to double efforts to fight the vice.
Mr. Nathan Mugabi – National Administrator Uganda Assemblies of God lauded Compassion noting that in Tororo alone, over 700 children have been supported and a lot of transformation has happened.
“For example, in Mulanda sub-county, it was very difficult to have development initiatives there. Each organization that went there failed but for Compassion because of its approach of working with churches, the partnership has been successful,” he said, noting that Mulanda used to fight all kinds of development that goes there thinking that they wanted to take their land.
Ms. Alamac Susan – Senior Probation Officer Tororo says the vice of teenage pregnancies worsened after the spread of COVID-19. She says as a district, they have since intensified community awareness, educating parents on parental responsibility.
“Study your child’s movements and talk to them,” she urged the parents.
Besides supporting access to justice especially for defilement cases, Alamac said that they are also reaching out to communities where children have been married off and “so far we have removed some children through mediation.”
Apendi Susan, a beneficiary now in senior three joined Compassion in 2015. She says she was by then in primary two in Tororo army primary school but was struggling a lot to get the necessities.
“Since I joined, my life has changed. They provide for us (girls) sanitary towels, knickers, pay for our school on time but also have enabled me to visit very many responsible places like Parliament which really keeps me focused.”
Apendi thinks the lack of basic needs has greatly fueled teenage pregnancies since men use the gap to take advantage of young girls.
“Like for us in Compassion whose everything is provided, it’s hard to convince me,” she said, advising her fellows to abstain from sex and refuse free gifts from strangers if they want to achieve their dreams.
Another beneficiary – Odong Meshach, now in senior two at St. Peters Tororo says he was registered in the programme in 2015 when he wasn’t even schooling.
“I just used to stay at home, graze my father’s animals but since I was registered in this program, I see a big change in me and I hope to become a doctor someday.”
Besides, formal education, Odong and his fellows have gained some hand skills like carpentry, tailoring, bakery, and liquid soap making among others.
