180 Orphans Set To Benefit From Rafiki Village

Feb 02, 2003

On February 7, a new orphanage will open in Wakiso. Not only will it provide accommodation for the children, it will also ensure that they go to school. The lucky children will be looked after for life, writes Education Vision’s <b>Gerald Businge.</b>

ALL roads in Uganda lead to and from Wakiso,” people say referring to the district that possesses all the roads leading into and out of Kampala City. This saying will get a new meaning when the Rafiki Foundation Children’s Centre opens on February 7.
A sparkling extraordinary home has been prepared for orphaned children of six months to five years. The centre is set to cater for 180 orphans and so far 18 have registered. The lucky children will be housed in ultra modern buildings at the Rafiki Village.
Rafiki Foundation-Uganda, a charitable organisation, is behind the eye catching facility on a spectacular hilly all green landscape just a 30-minute drive from Kampala.
The centre is located around 18km on Kampala Hoima road, where you branch off and two kilometres from Wakiso district headquarters. Kids at different homesteads shout “bye,” waving with apparent familiarity and joy to Ruus Baugh, Rafiki country representative.
After some twists and turns on the bumpy way, the upward fenced stretch brings us to a mighty gate with a fabulous flower garden beside it. Sculptures of children playing hand in hand decorate the top of the pretty gate. “That’s our symbolic shield,” Baugh says.
The gate opens to reveal several newly built, earth red roofed buildings, scattered on one side of the campus. Sounds of sawing machines, cement mixers, workers hammering on rooftops and conversations engulf the hill. It is real activity here. Several people, are moving here and there carrying iron sheets and pieces of timber.
Six complete looking houses stand their striking ground a few metres away.
“This is phase one of the Rafiki village children’s centre. As you can see, it is having 11 buildings, which will comfortably care for 60 orphaned children. But we have so far screened 20 children and three cottages are ready for them,” Baugh explains.
Inside one of the rooms, we are welcomed by clean white walls, striking wood cabinets, a smooth floor and strikingly tiled bathrooms waiting to give comfort to children living in distress.
“I’m really excited with what God is doing here. He is behind all this beautiful work. It hasn’t been me alone but over 150 Ugandans who have been doing the work,” says an ecstatic Stuart Coiner, the Rafiki Village Plant manager.
“It is a great commitment. We are all excited about this. God did doing all these things so he is fully aware of the benefits this centre has for Ugandans,” agrees Baugh.
Carolyn Enis, the Rafiki Children’s centre Director and Michael Enis, the administrator say the first orphans will arrive before February 7 when the centre officially opens.
First lady, Janet Museveni is expected to grace the occasion, together with United States Ambassador, Jimmy Kelkar and several dignitaries.
When fully completed, the three phase centre will accommodate 180 children in 18 cottages.
“We plan to provide each child with accommodation, both academic and spiritual education and a joyful relationship with God through a demonstration of God’s love for them in the lives of people caring for them,” Carolyn Enis says in a statement.
Every cottage will house 10 orphans. “We expect orphan from all over the country. We are working with two babies’ homes and government reception centres that register these distressed children and they all, have been very supportive,” Baugh says.
Michael Enis will act as the father of the children, while a “Mamma” and one or two assistant mothers will head each cottage to cater for the children.
“We expect to employ widows and abandoned women in order for them to also benefit from Rafiki’s friendship to Uganda. But they have to undergo a lot of scrutiny,” Baugh adds.
After the children’s centre is completed, Baugh says the foundation intends to start a Rafiki girls centre for teenage girls and a Rafiki boys centre for teenage boys.
“We believe it is important for the kids to have a father figure in this home. The children will be given care on a permanent basis.
“The Rafiki education programme will be phased for the children so that as they grow, they will have the education appropriate to their age.
“In future, we hope other orphaned children not staying in the centre will be able to access our school. It’s really a long term investment,” Baugh discloses.
This Rafiki orphans centre also tells the story of commitment of US citizens, professionals in different fields, who are committed to Uganda. Baugh says Rafiki overseas staff will occasionally join them at the centre.
“Rafiki goal is that the abandoned children will become productive members of their communities,” Baugh says. They expect to employ 50-60 Ugandans at the school.

Apart from the Rafiki educational programme set to provide quality education and school instruction in vocational training, cultural arts and athletics, the Rafiki mission also includes establishing a modern medical clinic to cater for the orphans and the community around.
The clinic, being built at the same site as the centre will be open the whole week and will have a doctor and nurse.
“The health centre will provide as much of the needed medical services as possible to the villagers during the all-weekl clinic every three months beginning late 2003,” Baugh says.
Rafiki foundation Inc., a US based organisation founded and headed by Rosemary Jensen also has similar centres in Nigeria, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya, Ecuador, South Africa and India.
Jensen who is coming to Uganda to witness the opening of the centre was inspired by her missionary work in Tanzania to set up the Rafiki (Swahili work for friend) foundation.
Baugh says everything is set for the grand opening at the Rafiki village in Wakiso.
The Rafiki Village has not only brought beautiful structures to this place, but has brought electricity and water to the area.
Baugh says the orphans will be brought in continuously with the help of babies homes. Most of the children they are starting with on February 7 are from Sanyu Babies home.
With the Rafiki girls’ and boys’ centres coming soon, the Rafiki village is set to be a place of permanent hope for many Ugandan children who were hopeless. Ends

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