Fun in the Sun with the S.A.L.V.E. Children

We’ve now reached the end of a wonderful first week for the UK team out here in Uganda, with many memorable moments, and plenty of progress to report.

The planning for the year ahead has now been done, after the S.A.L.V.E. team held their annual AGM on Thursday. Amidst a table full of paper, pens and glasses full of passion fruit juice, ideas were discussed and plans set in place for 2011. With fundraising for the land well underway in the UK, discussions about a future home of our own was a hot topic, as was the recruitment of new staff members who we hope will join us over the course of the year.

Some funny faces from our youngest boys!

But by far the most rewarding aspect of the trip so far for Nicola, Caitlin and myself has been all the time we’ve had with the children. On Friday, we made the trip to Teen Missions, the holiday camp which the older children have spent the last three weeks at. Helena, Blessing, Moreen, Tiff, Emma and Hassan all boarded the bus home with big smiles, certificates aplenty, and tales of the many new friends they had made. As we arrived back at the S.A.L.V.E. home, there were cheers and hugs all round as the younger children ran out of the house to greet them with open arms – a wonderful sight to see as the S.A.L.V.E. family was reunited once more.

The S.A.L.V.E. family

Saturday brought with it plenty of excitement for the children, with Emma’s primary school leaving results being delivered to the home first thing. We are thrilled to report that not only did Emma pass, allowing him to progress to secondary school, but he did so with flying colours, gaining a First Division result, and graduating amongst the best in his class!

After the excitement of the morning, we all set off for an eagerly-awaited trip to the pool. Swimming has always been a huge favourite with our water-loving kids, and the pool was soon filled with screams, shouts and three very wet Trustees!

Fun at the pool for Junior, Helena, Masolo and Asuman

And don’t forget, if you like swimming as much as the S.A.L.V.E. children do, make sure you sign up to Splash for S.A.L.V.E., our sponsored swim to raise funds for us to build a home of our own.

Nicola, Helen and Caitlin enjoy the sunset over the Nile

So after a very busy week, it was time for us to sit back and reflect a little on the trip so far, and where better for this than overlooking the Nile with a drink in hand. As the sun set over the water, we had plenty to think about and lots to look forward to for the coming week. With more trips planned to our street clinic and community education project, and the annual S.A.L.V.E. day out with the children on the cards, it looks set to be a busy week with lots more fun to come!

A final note from Imogen and Emma xx

It’s very difficult to imagine that just over two weeks ago, we were saying our goodbyes to all the wonderful people we met in Uganda... Whilst readjusting to our familiar yet alien surroundings in the UK – culture shock in your own culture is a very strange feeling – the last four months are beginning to feel like a magnificent dream.

Uganda is a remarkable country. Its fertile soils and diverse landscape support an equally diverse culture of peoples. Tragically, a large proportion of these people face daily struggles against a sheer lack of opportunity and the debilitations of poverty. Globally, the young are burdened with great responsibilities. Comprising over 50% of the population, a lot of Uganda’s children are faced with ever more complex predicaments, as the all-encompassing suffering poverty causes inescapably and dynamically affects them. These children are increasingly expected to serve the ambitions and hopes of older generations, carry on the bloodline and, indeed, ensure the future development and sustenance of Uganda’s many cultures and societies.

There are a large number of children living on Uganda’s streets. As an ‘outsider’, interacting with some of these children on the streets of Jinja during street clinics verified in my mind that in a country of such diversity and sometimes disparity, children are a unifying force capable of bringing people together and to common ethical grounds. With time, patience and under the awe-inspiring guidance of Mike, a number of these children came to trust us and view us not as ‘muzungus’ with big wallets, but as friends. A number of children still living on the street in Jinja can speak English well, and over time we were able to learn more about their experiences and the varied, complex and always case-specific reasons as to why they are on the street.



Ashiraff, a friend and street boy in Jinja

Mike Asiya has devoted his life to these children, and to fighting for the rights of all young people in Uganda. He spends a considerable amount of his time interacting with Jinja’s street children, building a rapport and relationship of trust with them. Witnessing their response to him is something I’m sure Emma and I will never forget. Calling him ‘Uncle Mike’, they trust him and recognise him as a symbol of hope and compassion. Mike understands the role of children and youth in bridging gaps between people, and through his counseling recogonises that they are not simply passive recipients but actors and participants in a society that is sadly, at times, cruel and unforgiving. Many of these children are living on the street during an age when some of the most high-level, complex social skills are being honed and critically developed. These years denote a period of life for all of us that are transitional in nature and crucial for identity construction.

Therefore, the effects of living on the street during these years can be considered particularly momentous. Mike directs his team in the street clinic programs to acknowledge the fluidity, contingency and open-endedness of these children’s processes of identity formation and encourages a focus on the ease at which they make connections. Just as a life on the streets will change and create social relations, so will a return to family life and education. Guiding S.A.L.V.E. with his years of knowledge and devotion, the organisation provides these children with a sense of hope, reconciliation and forgiveness – often fighting against the stigmas of society, he believes and has faith, as does S.A.L.V.E., in each and every individual that with some help, they can turn their lives around.

Once this is instilled in the children, and as S.A.L.V.E. allows the space for them to make their own choice to leave the street, a process of rehabilitation can begin. In consultation with Mike, we decided to change the strategy of the street clinics. During our time out there, three new children were brought into the S.A.L.V.E. rehabilitation centre. This was only after they expressed a desire to come, and once in the home, a slow process of rehabilitation back to a life at home could begin. This process is provided with patience, love, security and understanding. To witness the transformation in these three boys was phenomenal. It was amazing to see them flourish, gain confidence, and become children again, something we will both never forget, and which holds testament to the remarkable work of S.A.L.V.E.





Asuman and Isma playing in Bugembe

Once the children are used to the structure of being part of a family again, and again they express a desire to go home, restorations are attempted. It was concluded from experience, that restoration attempts have a tendency to fail if a child is taken home directly from the street, as they are not accustomed to home life and have not had the time needed to come to terms with their past, achieved through the counseling processes offered by Mike and the team. S.A.L.V.E. International practices a great understanding of the autonomy of children, and the realities of the decision making process in which actual children engage - from a life on the street through to rehabilitation. S.A.L.V.E. attends to the immediate needs of these vulnerable children, whilst taking account of their concerns, desires and realities, which serves to better their interests and future development in the long term.

Bettering the lives of Uganda’s children lies at the heart of S.A.L.V.E. International’s mandate. I hope that working in Nakanyonyi Primary School may have helped to create links between S.A.L.V.E. and Uganda's education system that can be built upon. And with Mike leading the way, we became involved in a number of campaigns during our four months. As a new member of Jinnet, a network of Ugandan NGOs, S.A.L.V.E. was able to demonstrate its commitment to children’s rights in a number of different ways. Movements to protect children’s rights are gaining momentum in Uganda and it was really great to be a part of that. It was also great to see Mike’s confidence grow as he was given the reverence and admiration within these circles he so deserves. His trip to petition parliament in Kampala on the issue of child sacrifice, a practice that is devastatingly common within witchcraft practices in Uganda, heralded his confidence and determination, and shows the forces that are coming into play in Uganda for the government to recognize the issues that face children on a daily basis.

S.A.L.V.E. is a young organization which is growing. Providing assistance to street children is at its core, but there is a recognition that it is at the local level of community, family and the children themselves that social relations will be talked about and lived through, where the root causes as to why children go to the street exist. It is this recognition that lay the foundations to our initiation of community education in Mafubira. Working with the Ugandan team, it was understood that the projects can best start by taking on board people’s own perspectives and subjective experiences as a knowledge base for the needs of any project we begin. So after consultation, the writing of proposals and a generous donation from Angie Rees in the UK, we were able to begin the bead-making project with 15 women in Mafubira, an impoverished town near Jinja where a large number of street children originate from.



The bead project in Mafubira

This in now in full swing and with the help of Rose, the trainer, we hope that we have provided the skills and knowledge required for the women to manage it themselves, providing them with a sustainable income that will enable them to better support their families, and in turn, reduce the number of children who may have potentially taken to the streets. They are now producing some beautiful items of jewelry ready to be sold here in the UK, and in time the online shop will also be set up so they will be easier to purchase.

S.A.L.V.E. International, with the generous help of its supporters, now provides care to twelve children in the home, who are back in education and provided with a home environment that is centred upon care and love. To have been a part of this unique and beautiful family is something Emma and I will cherish always. Each and every child on the S.A.L.V.E. project is an example of the hope there is for other children still living on the streets in Uganda.



The S.A.L.V.E. family at last year's Christmas party

Our four months in Uganda was a very steep learning curve, with its fair share of ups and downs, frustrations and delights. Witnessing the unwavering devotion of Mike to the children of his country was totally inspirational. He’s a remarkable man who holds his work in his heart and under his guidance and with continuing support from people in the UK and further afield, we know that S.A.L.V.E. International will go from strength to strength. Thank you for reading and for your support and thank you to all the incredible people in Uganda for making our time there so memorable and special.

With love,
Imogen and Emma xx

Greetings from Uganda! (And a fantastic start to the UK team's trip...)

After a much-needed rest from travelling overnight Nicola, Helen and I are once again back into the swing of things and are very much enjoying our work here with S.A.L.V.E. International! As it is a return trip for all of us we were really excited to return to Uganda and experience the sights, smells and friendly welcome that we always receive from everyone.

Our work began this week with a long meeting with Mike, our Regional Director, discussing a few things before our schedule began. We were so glad to see his face after such a long time and it reaffirmed what a wonderful man and great example to the children he is. He then took us to the new S.A.L.V.E. home and we were welcomed by four new boys, all with smiley faces and infectious personalities. We enjoyed our afternoon playing, reading and getting to know them. The new house is brilliant and has much more space for the children and staff.

Mike and his lovely little girl Caren

Getting back to the street clinic was fantastic and my favourite moment here so far was when a boy, Waswa, who I met as an intern a year and a half ago recognised me and gave me a huge hug. It was a bitter sweet rendezvous as obviously this means he has remained on the streets all of this time. This changed today, however, as after some talking and time spent with him, Mike took him back to the S.A.L.V.E. home to begin his time as part of the family. We are all so pleased to have him join us and hope that he enjoys his new life! However, it can often be difficult for children who have spent a long time on the street to settle into life in a home straight away, so we will keep you updated on his progress as he begins his journey with S.A.L.V.E.

A group of girls we met on a S.A.L.V.E. street clinic

To complete such a brilliant day we then went to the Community Education project that is operating in Mafubira, an area just outside Jinja. We were met by a group of women, all making paper beads ready to make into beautiful jewellery that we sell in the UK. It was brilliant to see them all in action after hearing so much about the project from home! Our research has shown that poverty is a major factor in children coming to the streets. Some of the women attending our workshops have only the income from this project to feed up to six children, so we hope that this is a small step on the way to changing their lives and reducing the devastatingly huge number of street children in Jinja.

Women on our community education project put the finishing touches to some jewellery

All in all, I’m sure you’ll agree that it has been a very successful start to the trip! Nicola and Helen will be updating you on the rest of our time here so watch this space! In the meantime if you are interested in supporting our work then you can make a Splash for S.A.L.V.E. by swimming a length of the Nile! Take a look at our website for more information: http://salveinternational.org/id50.html.