Future of Watoto

g_blu — Fri, 3 Oct 2014 12:57:00 GMT

Today I spent time at one of the Watoto Baby homes, and I was amazed at what I saw! A bunch of beautiful babies, smiling and not crying! Watoto started their first babies home in 2007, and they now have three. The Babies home that I visited is located in central Kampala, another home is in the village Suubi, and the other home is in the district of Gulu, which is about six hours away from Kampala. The homes take care of infants up to 24 months, but they try to transition the babies into a village between 18 & 24 months. Most of these babies were abandoned at hospitals, or mothers have taken them to Watoto because they can’t properly take care of them. Some of the babies were born prematurely, so they have major health issues which makes them require much care.

The home I visited was for babies up to twelve months. The baby facilities are amazing. They have incubators for the babies that need special care, and today was the first time that I saw a premature baby in person. It brought tears to my eyes seeing the condition that she was in. She came to Baby Watoto at less than a pound and a half. It was sad to see her health condition, but I was happy to know that she was getting proper medical treatment and on her way to good health. This babies home is also registered as a medical treatment center, so they can take care of the babies without having to go to the major hospital. The major hospital is pretty crowded from what I hear, so being able to take care of the babies in home is the best thing for them!

Today was a big day of firsts for me! I held a baby the size of my forearm today! I’ve never wanted to hold a newborn before because they are so soft and fragile, but today I had the chance to hold a baby girl named Kayla! She was so precious and small! I was carful with every step that I took. I was afraid of doing something wrong while holding her, but I didn't make her cry once while holding her, I felt accomplished! I didn’t ever want to put baby Kayla down, but I had to. I’ve never held a life in my hands like I did today, and it helped me realize how much all babies need love and care.

The facility I went to takes care of about 30 children. The other Babies home in Subbi village and Gulu take care of many more babies because those facilities were built for the purpose of being a baby home. Most of the volunteers for the homes are woman, so for the babies to see a young man like me must of been different. Not saying I am a baby expert or anything, but I felt the babies enjoying my presence. I got to hold and play with many of them, and I felt that I bonded well with a few of them.

I loved playing with a chubby little boy named Zane! I found out that he was premature, but I would've never known by the looks of him. He had chubby thighs and a big solid belly. I was amazed to see that with proper care and nutrition a premature baby could be so healthy. He had the biggest smile, and I loved laying on his belly making him laugh.

Being able to hold these babies and play with them was my pride and joy! I wish I could stay and play with the babies all day long. The babies have nurses watching over them twenty four Seven, and the shifts are from 7 Am to 7 Pm, and then the night nurses take care of them. It is amazing that these babies started life with slim to no chance at living, and now they are surrounded by love and happiness.

Love From the People

g_blu — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 23:55:00 GMT

I have been in Uganda for the past few days now, and my experience has been amazing so far! I came here to work with a non-profit organization called Watoto, which means "children" in Swahili. Watoto started as a church in Kampala in the early 1980's, and has expanded into something of a dream! They take care of orphaned children and women who have been in an abusive relationship or widowed, needing new direction in life. They also take care of babies who one or both parents have died of HIV/AIDS, giving them the proper medical treatment and love they deserve. The work they do is amazing and is more than what I expected. They have three villages in separate locations around Uganda, and they take care of about 3,000 children in total. On top of all of that, they have a sustainability program which includes a chicken farm, goat farm, and a farm with 200 acres of crops to provide for all the children they take care of!

I have been to two of the villages so far, and my experience with the children was amazing. The first village I visited is called Bbira, which means forest, and upon arrival I was greeted by many happy children wanting to hold my hand! A 9 year old boy named Moses took me all around the village with his friends. They loved to be around me, and I loved being around them. Moses and his friends showed me around most of the village, and when we came across a giant hut, they wanted to take pictures! I had a wonderful time taking pictures of them acting silly and having fun! They loved to see the funny faces and poses that they made. It was wonderful to see the children so happy and welcoming of me!

As we were walking around the village, it started to rain. The rain was a non-stop down pour for almost an hour and a half. I took refuge in one of the houses, and I was welcomed by Mama Sandra who was the mother of the house. Mama Sandra lived in a house that my church, the Oasis, built in 2007. While it was raining it was lunch time and she invited me to eat. Mama Sandra cooked my first homemade meal. She made rice, chicken stew, matoke, and a sauce that went over the matoke. The meal was wonderful, and made me wish that I could eat like that everyday of my life. The meal felt like family time. Everyone ate and made conversation and it was nice. When we were finished eating, the rain was still coming down heavy, so we couldn't leave until it was over. I played a board game with them, and the game was equivalent to the game “Trouble” in America. It was a nice experience being able to play with them, and it felt like I had been friends with them for years. Everyone was kind and friendly, so I had an amazing time in the village.

Once the rain was over it was time to say my goodbyes. I am going to go back of course, but I felt that I wanted to stay forever. Everyone was filled with joy and happiness despite what they have been through in the past. I made great friends that day with children my age and younger than me. I thanked Mama Sandra many times for the meal she cooked, and said bye to all the friends I made that day.

After I left Bbira, I went to the next village, Suubi, which was a 30 to 45 minute ride. Suubi means hope in Swahili, and Suubi’s location is on top of a mountain that has a view of the surrounding land for miles on each side. When I arrived, I was amazed at the sight of the village! The space was so open, and in the middle of the village, there was a circular glass dome where their church services are held. On one side was the primary school, while the other side was the secondary school. The houses that the children stayed in were beyond the school on both sides. I didn't get to see much of the village like I did at Bbira, but I felt the same kind of love and happiness from the kids staying there.

At Suubi, I met many kids that were around my age. The kids I met were dancers, but they were practicing a fight scene for a promotional video. It was interesting watching them play fight because they moved like acrobats. While watching, I started talking to a kid named Ronnie. Ronnie has been with Watoto since he was about 10. He has been able to travel to different parts of the world dancing, which is an opportunity not many kids have out here. We had a great talk, and I was able to tell him my life dream and part of my story and life experiences. He told me about his dream as well. He has already had some traveling experience, but it was with another dance group. He wants to travel the world with his family and spread God’s word through dance. His family are the kids that he has lived and danced with for the past few years. He wants to dance and share his experiences with the world and start his own ministry similar to Watoto. He realized that he is lucky to be at Watoto, but also said that there are many more vulnerable children out there and he wants to help them like he was helped. Hearing his passion and dreams was amazing to me. After the fight practice was over, they did a dance performance which was fantastic! They did three routines to different songs, and seeing them dance made me think that Ronnie’s dream is possible. They are all great dancers and I can't wait to see them make their dreams come true. I believe that with the right opportunities they could do some amazing things.

My first few days here in Uganda have been the greatest experience. I am still in for some more great experiences, but I will never forget my first few days and the great people that I met. Everyone has their own story and past, but being able to thrive through the problems and keep smiling for another day is something that I admire. Life has all kinds of challenges, and being able to get up and get through another day is an accomplishment itself.

Life Travels

Future of Watoto

Love From the People