SOS children's villages to support 2000 children

Seven years ago, 44 year old Florence Tumusiime was bed-ridden and did not know what the future held for her and her seven children.

"I did not have food; my children were malnourished and had dropped out of school. It was painful seeing my children starve, but I had nothing to do," she recalls.

It was until SOS reached out to her that she regained full strength to take care of her family. Tumusiime is a care giver at the SOS children's village in Entebbe, a few meters away from her former home.

"It was like a miracle; I never imagined someone would come to my rescue. I was given a food parcel until I got back on my feet and able to work," she says.

The Organisation enrolled her to its family strengthening programme which helps underprivileged children.  Under this programme, her children were taken back to school and the entire family on medical support.

Tumusiime adds that the organisation also supported to construct a fish cover for her smoked fish business.

"From the business, I get a profit of Sh30,000 from a stock of Sh50,000. I have also identified a organisation to which I supply fish weekly," she says.

Hers was one of the stories narrated when Dr. Martin Ledolter, the managing Director Australian Development Agency (ADA), visited the Organisation last week.

ADA has been the organisation's biggest funder for the last ten years, supporting over 4,300 vulnerable children and their families.

During his visit, ADA made a commitment on a 3-Year Donor Fund worth 730,000 Euros (Sh950 Million) to the organisation.

Under the fund, the organisation aims to support 2,000 vulnerable children from Wakiso and Kabarole districts.

Speaking at the ceremony, Fred Machuru, the commissioner for youth and children in the ministry of gender, labour and social development applauded the organisation for supporting the children.

"The plight of vulnerable children in the country is high. Getting partners in this cause is a step in the right direction. We are longing for more support," he said.

Likewise Olive Lumonya, the SOS Children's Villages national director, commended ADA's support but added that the organization still needs to reach out to more underprivileged families.

"SOS has evolved from family-based approach to include communities. Our target is to reach out to at least 10,000 children countrywide because all these are children from underprivileged families and communities. We believe we will be able to raise more funds seeing how far we have come."

SOS was founded in 1949 by Austrian national Hermann Gmeiner and is in 133 countries worldwide. In Uganda, it has four centers in Entebbe, Gulu, Fort Portal and Wakiso.