A band of 40 children have been successfully resettled and reunited with their families after months of rehabilitation in Dwelling Places Two Transitional Rehabilitation Homes.
Seeming like Christmas had come early, amid excitement and songs of Joy, the children woke today morning packed their bags ready to go home and reunited with their families. Majority of the children resettled in this cluster are from Karamoja a slowly growing sub-region in the far north Eastern part of Uganda.
In their small sweet voices, the children sang songs of farewell and appreciation to their house parent (Maama) and all Dwelling Places staff who have transformed them from their different vulnerabilities to good children.
“Bye Bye Maama, Maama, Mamaaaa, Bye Bye Maama May God bless you.” The children sang throughout the day as they prepared to board the bus off to Karamoja.
For Maama house parent, she was happy that the children recognised her selfless sacrifice for their transformation, she (Nampeera Christine), rushed to her room and returned with a bag full of gifts for her children.
“Come here my children, I will miss you so much but I know God will keep you safe”. She then said a prayer for them and later handed each of them a pair of shoes, and an extra toothbrush to take home.
The children back home include 12 boys and 28 girls all aged between 2-14 years. To ensure that the children cope up so easily, the children have been resettled together with 6 female parents who have been living in Kampala but requested to be jointly be taken back with their children to settle at home.
Equipped with vocational skills, and knowledge obtained at our creative learning centre, the children appetite for education is vivid.
“Aunt Hope, I am going back home today, where my mother is. I will go to that school near home, will you come to visit me with teacher Prosy (Her teacher in the creative learning centre in the rehabilitation home)?” Asked Racheal (Pseudo name) one of the children.
“Yes we will. Go and be a good girl at home and in schools,” replied Hope Adiru our social worker.
Resettlement doesn’t come as a surprise, as a policy, upon rescue, the children are prepared for reintegration and at a strategic period during rehabilitation, the parents to our rescue children are invited to visit their children under rehabilitation to appreciate and bond more with their children but also to prepare the parents to be reintegrated back in the community.
Joshua Mutale, the Public Relations Officer at Dwelling Places says the centre will always be a place to call home for the children but most important is that the children are back to their homes happily knowing that begging on streets in Kampala is never a good choice for them or anybody.
“Resettlement is not enough, each of these children come into our hands with unique life abilities wants and challenges and Dwelling Places will closely monitor and follow-up the progress of the children’s coping mechanisms communities they have been resettled to with the support of their parents,” says Mutale.
“While as everything else is important in the life of the resettled children, Education is more important and a major sustainability tool for our resettled children. As such, we will enrol the children in the schools within their communities to ensure that they get good education with God and your generous support. Here is the opportunity to sponsor a child/ Children.”
Mutale also urged wellwishers to sponsor the rescued children in any way possible.
“You can sponsor their education, Meals, medical, housing or what your heart wills. With your support, Dwelling Places is committed to ensuring a society where a very child has a place to call home and a chest to rest their head-on.During their stay in the rehabilitation homes, the children have been equipped with various vocational skills like making crafts, making liquid soap, making jewellery and catch-up education among others,” he said.
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