For years, we worked in a rented house called the “Tower”. We fed the children, cared for them and helped them with their studies until the number reached over a hundred. From the beginning, we felt the need to have our own dormitories since the children returned to their huts at night and part of what was achieved during the day was lost.
In 2007, on nearby land, we built a dormitory for girls, another for boys, and a building with dining rooms and offices. Then, we also built a hospital.
At present, half of the children sleep in a healthy, protected environment. This is of vital importance since in many cases, there is no choice but to remove them from the unhealthy environment where they are exposed to disease and abuse. If the family does care for them, we prefer not to separate the child and we work to improve the situation in their huts.
We now see the need to build another dormitory to make room for serious cases of abandonment.
Six years down the road, we provide nutrition, clothing, medical attention and education for over two hundred girls and boys.
The first group of 43 youngsters, between 2 and 6 years old, spend the day in the “Tower”. They eat, play, sing, dance, listen to stories, wash themselves, and spend their time in a protected atmosphere learning the three R’s in preparation for schooling.
We also care for some babies, starting with the pregnancy in order to guaranty the mother’s nutrition and medical attention.
The second and most numerous group, between 7 and 12 years old, go to elementary school and come to the Shelter to eat, study, play and spend their time with other children off the streets. A third group of over twenty children are in secondary school.
There is tutoring for those in school in order for them not to drop out. We try to change young beggars, servants or child workers into students who understand that their primary obligation and greatest hope is to study. They take it so seriously that many who were in the last rows are now first in their classes.
Here we would like to mention that three girls, with scholarships from members of ANIDAN, now attend the University of Kampala.
A few others are in trade schools and even some have begun to work, like Rachel who just joined the Nairobi police force.
They all feel that they found a second family in ANIDAN where they received basic care and more.
