Slum Life:(Home Visit Program)

In our home visit program, we reached out to the people in the slums of Nsambya Kevina, below Nsambya Sharing Youth Centre Kampala, Uganda.

They shared with us the challenges they have in their homes, like poor standards of living, low income earnings, yet they have a lot of responsibilities, not being firm in Faith, drunkard men who are irresponsible, sickness and poverty.

 On this day we visited more than 7 families but 2 families managed to openly share with us their challenges.

One Hellen, narrated to us the story of her miserable life.

‘’My husband was a police officer at Nsambya barracks, 3 years back, we were living in a better life, everything changed when he lost his job. We resorted to being here in this poor life.

I have 6 children, but we squeeze ourselves in this small room just to have where to rest, I find difficulties in taking care of them, paying their school fees is also a challenge. My husband got a job but he is not yet paid because he is still on probation.

I thank God for the job that I have (compound cleaner), however little I earn  44 dollars(shs150, 000), I try to manage it and feed my family.

My worry is the future of my children, I do not have money to pay their school fees. Jackie my first born has completed her senior six exams, but where am I going to get money for higher education. Her young brother stopped in senior three, I did not have money to pay his school fees.

Please pray for me, I am in confusion, sometimes I even think that God has forgotten my family. Life is not good at all.

Thank God that you have come, because I had no one to share all this with’’.

Hellen said this all when tears were rolling on her cheeks, she was really in pain.

We encouraged them that God loves them no matter the situations they are in today and also urged them to appreciate all that God has given them. There are many people out there, who do not have where to call home, but if they have a small room, they have to glorify God and continue praying for the better home to live in.

We as well prayed with them, distributed some rosaries and encouraged them to always pray as a family because
''A family That Prays Together Stays Together''.

We as well talked to Anna, she told us about her child who had sat for primary leaving examinations and had passed highly, but she did not have money to take him to a senior school.

She said that the husband left her and went back to the village, but he is not helping her, he resulted to drinking.

We also reached to an extended family, living in a single room. They are Catholics but they have failed to baptize their 2 children just because of no money to pay for baptism fees. 5 Dollars  (shs 15,000 per child)

One of the children who was not baptized was a grown up girl of 13 years.

We realized that people in this area have lost hope in God just because of the poor condition they are living in. The sharing we had with them, they feel like God has deserted them, because they are living next to a sub-parish but they even did not know where the church was, to take the children for baptism.

One of our team member, Ojambo Christopher, offered to pay the baptism fee in order for the child to receive the sacrament of baptism.

We as well prayed with them, encouraged them to pray together as a family especially the Rosary Prayer. We distributed rosaries to them and encouraged them to put  their trust in Mother Mary.

As parents, we have to fulfill our responsibilities especially the spiritual well-being of our families.