Athieno a blessing to destitutes
WE had walked a while when squeaky little voices teased our ears. It was first a slow ponderous walk, but there we were. “Cheee… heee heee… wuuu wuu…†a swarm of little angels waylaid us shouting their hearts out as they came to receive us. They clasped our legs, some of us tripped.
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
WE had walked a while when squeaky little voices teased our ears. It was first a slow ponderous walk, but there we were. “Cheee… heee heee… wuuu wuu…†a swarm of little angels waylaid us shouting their hearts out as they came to receive us. They clasped our legs, some of us tripped. They spread their tiny hands around our waists you would think they knew all the four of us. They knew only one of us—Joan Heath, an Australian volunteer who had spent some time with them. But that did not seem to matter. They hugged and welcome us. Some knelt down to greet us; others just surrounded us, their faces beaming with joy as they fought to shake our hands.
It was difficult not to feel loved by this group of children, many of whom are victims of loveless backgrounds. We had just arrived at the Love ministry orphanage, home to 37 orphaned and abandoned children.
Deeply buried in the rustic confines of Kisimu, Nabweru sub-county, Kawempe Division, the home shies away from the usually raucous environs of Kawempe. It thrives on the energy and life of its young occupants.
It is the life that all these children had once lost but luckily found in one kind woman: Pastor Florence Athieno. Athieno, the founder of Love Ministry, has, for the last10 years, been collecting abandoned children from different parts of the country, providing them with basic life necessities.
Her initiative started with two infants, but has grown tremendously to a fully-fledged home. Raised by an uncle, Athieno grew up surrounded by so much love that her parents’ absence never quite registered.
Athieno’s uncle, a teacher in Nagongera Primary School and his wife, a nurse, had four children, but helped to raise her and several other children.
“They cared for us, sent us to school and protected us,†Athieno says with nostalgia. It is the same love that she took on and decided to share with others upon leaving her uncle’s home in early 1990s.
The life changing ministry
In 1991 Athieno joined Christian ministry. It was during her service in church that she witnessed a scene that greatly touched her.
“In my church, the front seats were always reserved for the community big shots,†she said. I was in charge of ushering in the big people to their seats.†One day, a mad boy came and sat in a place reserved for the big people. I saw him and let him be, but superiors later rebuked me.†Athieno has since felt compelled to help such marginalised people.
After the life–changing experience, she felt a special calling to help the poor. she spent much of the 90s praying and doing door-to-door preaching. Her first encounter with neglected children was in 1997 when, as a student at a Bible college in Tororo, she received two abandoned children. Unfortunately, both were sickly and soon died.
As she preached, she also continued reaching out to disadvantaged kids. She went on picking neglected children from the street and provided them shelter in her small room. She baked snacks and cooked porridge to feed them, while selling some of it to cater for their other needs. She later gave up her Bible studies just to cater for a four-year-old who had been born of a mad woman and dropped in the dustbin.
“Abu was brought to me by one of my relatives. He now lives with us in Kawempe.â€
People who had known about her work with children supported her efforts, offering her food, money and clothing. Others notified her about children who needed care. Some people used to stealthily abandon babies by her doorstep, but she always took them on.
In 2000, she moved to Kampala to pursue a short course at Makerere University. She rented a small house in Kavule where she lived with her children. She also continued with her ministry at Grace Assembly church. It is here that she received more support for her children through various Good Samaritans.
She also received more neglected children through Impact FM’s radio programme- ‘Pleader’. the programme identified potential benefactors for abused and neglected children. “Many children came to me through this programme,†she says.
For seven years, Athieno acquired more children and soon had to move to new premises. Last year she moved into a newer house in Kawempe, where she currently takes care of her 37 children of between one to 14 years.
A safe haven
The Love Ministry is situated in a small corrugated iron-sheet-roofed house, sitting on a dusty ground and surrounded by small houses in a stuffy neighbourhood.
For all its limitations, this little home has turned many young lives around. Lives that would probably have perished. Some of them were abandoned at a very tender age by their parents, while others were orphaned at infancy. Many have no idea who their parents are; but in the caring arms of Mama Athieno, they have found a loving mother.
“I do not know my parents; they died when I was very young. I lived with my grandmother for sometime, but was handed over to Mama Athieno at the age of five. I am happy here because I feed well and go to school, my future is bright thanks to Mama Athieno,†says Priscilla Kisangala, the oldest girl at the home. Stephen Okello was only four when his mother handed him over to Athieno. She could not take care of him. Today, he is 14 years old, has completed Pimary Seven and hopes, to one day, become an engineer.
Despite their difficult backgrounds, many of the children exude optimism. “I know I will become a lawyer one day,†says Hannah Rukundo.
Hard work
Many kids clearly feel at home under the care of Athieno, but it has taken 10 years of hard work for this single woman who has never had a sustainable source of income.
“A lot goes into running this home, especially when it comes to feeding, clothing, paying medical bills and sending these children to school,†says Athieno. She says the home struggles to meet even half of the sh9,580,000 monthly budget.
“We often run out of food and many times I send these children to school without paying school fees. I plead with the teachers to let them attend school as I look for fees. And when there is no food, I explain the situation to the children. We then take porridge or something lighter,†she says.
The nights are usually busy. “The toddlers often scream into the night to be fed. I have to be alert.†She has endured many difficulties, including losing some of her children to unscrupulous visitors who pretend to be relatives/parents of some children but end up disappearing with them. It is emotionally draining, but I cannot pursue them,†she says.
For Athieno, running this home involves making pleas to Good Samaritans and requesting organisations to contribute. A difficult job by any standards, but one that Athieno has done quite commendably as many people can attest.
“Over the last five months I have interacted with Florence and become attached to her cause. She needs support in every way,†says Joan Heath.
Since her arrival in Uganda about five months ago, Joan has been helping out at the orphanage.
“She is an amazing woman who works hard to run this family nearly by herself. I respect her for that,†says Hellen Kabarokole, Athieno’s friend and neighbour .
Today Athieno is thinking hard. Her children are growing up, and so are their needs. But she is not giving up. She is hoping that they may grow into responsible citizens and that her initiative may live on after her.
The New Vision and Love Ministries invite you to make a special offer you think will bring a smile to these children this Christmas. You can deliver the gifts to The New Vision office on 1st Street Industrial Area, or send a text message by typing Vision then your name and address and send it to 8198. We will pick up the gift. God bless you.
WE had walked a while when squeaky little voices teased our ears. It was first a slow ponderous walk, but there we were. “Cheee… heee heee… wuuu wuu…†a swarm of little angels waylaid us shouting their hearts out as they came to receive us. They clasped our legs, some of us tripped. They spread their tiny hands around our waists you would think they knew all the four of us. They knew only one of us—Joan Heath, an Australian volunteer who had spent some time with them. But that did not seem to matter. They hugged and welcome us. Some knelt down to greet us; others just surrounded us, their faces beaming with joy as they fought to shake our hands.
It was difficult not to feel loved by this group of children, many of whom are victims of loveless backgrounds. We had just arrived at the Love ministry orphanage, home to 37 orphaned and abandoned children.
Deeply buried in the rustic confines of Kisimu, Nabweru sub-county, Kawempe Division, the home shies away from the usually raucous environs of Kawempe. It thrives on the energy and life of its young occupants.
It is the life that all these children had once lost but luckily found in one kind woman: Pastor Florence Athieno. Athieno, the founder of Love Ministry, has, for the last10 years, been collecting abandoned children from different parts of the country, providing them with basic life necessities.
Her initiative started with two infants, but has grown tremendously to a fully-fledged home. Raised by an uncle, Athieno grew up surrounded by so much love that her parents’ absence never quite registered.
Athieno’s uncle, a teacher in Nagongera Primary School and his wife, a nurse, had four children, but helped to raise her and several other children.
“They cared for us, sent us to school and protected us,†Athieno says with nostalgia. It is the same love that she took on and decided to share with others upon leaving her uncle’s home in early 1990s.
The life changing ministry
In 1991 Athieno joined Christian ministry. It was during her service in church that she witnessed a scene that greatly touched her.
“In my church, the front seats were always reserved for the community big shots,†she said. I was in charge of ushering in the big people to their seats.†One day, a mad boy came and sat in a place reserved for the big people. I saw him and let him be, but superiors later rebuked me.†Athieno has since felt compelled to help such marginalised people.
After the life–changing experience, she felt a special calling to help the poor. she spent much of the 90s praying and doing door-to-door preaching. Her first encounter with neglected children was in 1997 when, as a student at a Bible college in Tororo, she received two abandoned children. Unfortunately, both were sickly and soon died.
As she preached, she also continued reaching out to disadvantaged kids. She went on picking neglected children from the street and provided them shelter in her small room. She baked snacks and cooked porridge to feed them, while selling some of it to cater for their other needs. She later gave up her Bible studies just to cater for a four-year-old who had been born of a mad woman and dropped in the dustbin.
“Abu was brought to me by one of my relatives. He now lives with us in Kawempe.â€
People who had known about her work with children supported her efforts, offering her food, money and clothing. Others notified her about children who needed care. Some people used to stealthily abandon babies by her doorstep, but she always took them on.
In 2000, she moved to Kampala to pursue a short course at Makerere University. She rented a small house in Kavule where she lived with her children. She also continued with her ministry at Grace Assembly church. It is here that she received more support for her children through various Good Samaritans.
She also received more neglected children through Impact FM’s radio programme- ‘Pleader’. the programme identified potential benefactors for abused and neglected children. “Many children came to me through this programme,†she says.
For seven years, Athieno acquired more children and soon had to move to new premises. Last year she moved into a newer house in Kawempe, where she currently takes care of her 37 children of between one to 14 years.
A safe haven
The Love Ministry is situated in a small corrugated iron-sheet-roofed house, sitting on a dusty ground and surrounded by small houses in a stuffy neighbourhood.
For all its limitations, this little home has turned many young lives around. Lives that would probably have perished. Some of them were abandoned at a very tender age by their parents, while others were orphaned at infancy. Many have no idea who their parents are; but in the caring arms of Mama Athieno, they have found a loving mother.
“I do not know my parents; they died when I was very young. I lived with my grandmother for sometime, but was handed over to Mama Athieno at the age of five. I am happy here because I feed well and go to school, my future is bright thanks to Mama Athieno,†says Priscilla Kisangala, the oldest girl at the home. Stephen Okello was only four when his mother handed him over to Athieno. She could not take care of him. Today, he is 14 years old, has completed Pimary Seven and hopes, to one day, become an engineer.
Despite their difficult backgrounds, many of the children exude optimism. “I know I will become a lawyer one day,†says Hannah Rukundo.
Hard work
Many kids clearly feel at home under the care of Athieno, but it has taken 10 years of hard work for this single woman who has never had a sustainable source of income.
“A lot goes into running this home, especially when it comes to feeding, clothing, paying medical bills and sending these children to school,†says Athieno. She says the home struggles to meet even half of the sh9,580,000 monthly budget.
“We often run out of food and many times I send these children to school without paying school fees. I plead with the teachers to let them attend school as I look for fees. And when there is no food, I explain the situation to the children. We then take porridge or something lighter,†she says.
The nights are usually busy. “The toddlers often scream into the night to be fed. I have to be alert.†She has endured many difficulties, including losing some of her children to unscrupulous visitors who pretend to be relatives/parents of some children but end up disappearing with them. It is emotionally draining, but I cannot pursue them,†she says.
For Athieno, running this home involves making pleas to Good Samaritans and requesting organisations to contribute. A difficult job by any standards, but one that Athieno has done quite commendably as many people can attest.
“Over the last five months I have interacted with Florence and become attached to her cause. She needs support in every way,†says Joan Heath.
Since her arrival in Uganda about five months ago, Joan has been helping out at the orphanage.
“She is an amazing woman who works hard to run this family nearly by herself. I respect her for that,†says Hellen Kabarokole, Athieno’s friend and neighbour .
Today Athieno is thinking hard. Her children are growing up, and so are their needs. But she is not giving up. She is hoping that they may grow into responsible citizens and that her initiative may live on after her.
The New Vision and Love Ministries invite you to make a special offer you think will bring a smile to these children this Christmas. You can deliver the gifts to The New Vision office on 1st Street Industrial Area, or send a text message by typing Vision then your name and address and send it to 8198. We will pick up the gift. God bless you.