The incumbent President, Museveni, was announced on Sunday to have won the elections. So there has been amped up soldier patrol. At the market today there were soldiers present and riot officers patroling the streets. I think this is just a precautionary measure. Saturday I was on a Boda Boda going to work and the President's helicopter was landing. It wasn't more than 50ft over head.
Yesterday, Leah, Emily, Blessed and I went to Divine Orphanage in Kitala. Kitala is about half-way in between Kampala and Entebbe. We took a public taxi and walked down a dirt road past a witchcraft shrine that was for many Gods. When we arrived we first looked at the new building being constructed. This would house more children. Then we walked past the Secondary School to Molly's own compound and house. Molly and Aggie (she is only one of two volunteers/staff, who has known Molly since she was a child) gave us a tour of the living quarters for the boys and girls. There are three-four bunk beds in each room where two-three children share a bed. It is very tight quarters. Then there is only one toilet per house for all those children. The childrens ages range from 3-13. The Secondary schoolers help take care of the younger ones and teach them respopnsibility. Then we went on to the playroom and school.
The minute we walked in all the children wanted to touch us and hold our hands. They know very little English, but are learning in the adjacent classroom. All school children in Uganda are taught in English. They want to touch Mzungu hair and hands. They don't want to leave our sides becasue they will tell everyone that they met and touched the Mzungu. We played outside with them and entertained them until nap time.
The orphanage is run by Molly Tabaro. She worked at TASO, which is an HIV/AIDS center, for a little while when she encountered these children being mistreated by their parents. Her heart went out to these children and was trying to figure out a way to help these children survive. She witnessed the paper and stick shelters which were only for sleeping. Molly asked TASO for an advance so she could build one of the families a larger house that had a roof. TASO agreed and Molly helped this one family. However, there were more children to help. So Molly started Divine Orphanage and Secondary School. She has 53 chidlren there with her now. She usess her own money and home to support these children. Most of the children come from the shores of Lake Victoria and some from the same landing site as Moses who is at AcaciaTree.
Molly found Moses at a landing site off of Lake Victoria. At first she thought he was a kitten, but she heard a faint gasp of breath and went in for a closer look. She discovered a baby so thin and malnourished that she thought he wasn't going to make it. So she sought after the mother who was collecting food, and asked when was the last time she had fed him. The mother had only fed Moses in the evening after returning from foraging and to give him a pancake (Ugandan pancakes are dense and bread like). Molly found this unacceptable and took Moses and his mother to the Police so she could get an order to take care of Moses. The Police agreed and Molly took him home. Moses was severly malnourshed and had respiratory problems. This gave Molly concern and she thought that he would not make it through the night. He did and after a little while in Molly's care she thought it best to bring him to AcaciaTree where Robin specializes in malnourished infants.
Moses has gained weight and now has chubby legs and arms. He cannot walk yet, but we have been doing exercises with him. He has been at AcaciaTree for six months now and is ready to move on. We cannot get him adopted yet because there needs to be signatures from both parents (who we cannot find) and a judge has to agree. So he needs to be placed somewhere else.
Molly has also told us that some of the girls that she has come to care for have been raped by their fathers or other men who were entrusted to care for them. This seems to happen frequently here. Robin also had a girl who had been raped by her mothers boyfriend.
If you would like to contact Molly or send her anything you can trust this is not a corrupt organization and all monies or gifts go straight to the care of the children.
Molly Tabaro S.P.
Director
Divine Orphanage and Secondary School
P.O. BOX 55 Baita Ebb, Uganda
Email: mollyorphanage@yahoo.com.uk
Yesterday, Leah, Emily, Blessed and I went to Divine Orphanage in Kitala. Kitala is about half-way in between Kampala and Entebbe. We took a public taxi and walked down a dirt road past a witchcraft shrine that was for many Gods. When we arrived we first looked at the new building being constructed. This would house more children. Then we walked past the Secondary School to Molly's own compound and house. Molly and Aggie (she is only one of two volunteers/staff, who has known Molly since she was a child) gave us a tour of the living quarters for the boys and girls. There are three-four bunk beds in each room where two-three children share a bed. It is very tight quarters. Then there is only one toilet per house for all those children. The childrens ages range from 3-13. The Secondary schoolers help take care of the younger ones and teach them respopnsibility. Then we went on to the playroom and school.
The minute we walked in all the children wanted to touch us and hold our hands. They know very little English, but are learning in the adjacent classroom. All school children in Uganda are taught in English. They want to touch Mzungu hair and hands. They don't want to leave our sides becasue they will tell everyone that they met and touched the Mzungu. We played outside with them and entertained them until nap time.
The orphanage is run by Molly Tabaro. She worked at TASO, which is an HIV/AIDS center, for a little while when she encountered these children being mistreated by their parents. Her heart went out to these children and was trying to figure out a way to help these children survive. She witnessed the paper and stick shelters which were only for sleeping. Molly asked TASO for an advance so she could build one of the families a larger house that had a roof. TASO agreed and Molly helped this one family. However, there were more children to help. So Molly started Divine Orphanage and Secondary School. She has 53 chidlren there with her now. She usess her own money and home to support these children. Most of the children come from the shores of Lake Victoria and some from the same landing site as Moses who is at AcaciaTree.
Molly found Moses at a landing site off of Lake Victoria. At first she thought he was a kitten, but she heard a faint gasp of breath and went in for a closer look. She discovered a baby so thin and malnourished that she thought he wasn't going to make it. So she sought after the mother who was collecting food, and asked when was the last time she had fed him. The mother had only fed Moses in the evening after returning from foraging and to give him a pancake (Ugandan pancakes are dense and bread like). Molly found this unacceptable and took Moses and his mother to the Police so she could get an order to take care of Moses. The Police agreed and Molly took him home. Moses was severly malnourshed and had respiratory problems. This gave Molly concern and she thought that he would not make it through the night. He did and after a little while in Molly's care she thought it best to bring him to AcaciaTree where Robin specializes in malnourished infants.
Moses has gained weight and now has chubby legs and arms. He cannot walk yet, but we have been doing exercises with him. He has been at AcaciaTree for six months now and is ready to move on. We cannot get him adopted yet because there needs to be signatures from both parents (who we cannot find) and a judge has to agree. So he needs to be placed somewhere else.
Molly has also told us that some of the girls that she has come to care for have been raped by their fathers or other men who were entrusted to care for them. This seems to happen frequently here. Robin also had a girl who had been raped by her mothers boyfriend.
If you would like to contact Molly or send her anything you can trust this is not a corrupt organization and all monies or gifts go straight to the care of the children.
Molly Tabaro S.P.
Director
Divine Orphanage and Secondary School
P.O. BOX 55 Baita Ebb, Uganda
Email: mollyorphanage@yahoo.com.uk
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