Vanessa Namatovu

Uganda

Vanessa Namatovu

"I am 13 years old, I was the last born in a family of 12 kids. I ran away from home after losing my parents to HIV/AIDS and after learning my paternal uncle wanted to sacrifice me in a Witch Craft ritual to the traditional gods." There is a lot of child sacrifice in Uganda and many kids (especially girls) have lost their lives to this inhuman practice.

"I then went to my grandmother who lived in a slum around Kampala city for refuge. My grandmother sold me to work as a house girl to nearby family friend. I was subjected to all kinds of hard labor beyond my age. One day, I really got tired of working and I asked for transport so that I could go to my other aunt in a distant area called Namasuba. Unfortunately, I reached her home when she had moved."

"Here, I was stranded and didn't know what to do and where to go so I went into the street to beg. After living begging on the streets for 6 months, a police lady picked me up and took me to Namasuba Police Post where I stayed for 2 days. On the third day they were transferring prisoners to Old Kampala Police Station so I went with them."

"While at the Police Station one male police officer offered me a job to work at his home as a maid and I refused. My only dream was to get a place to live, to eat and maybe go back to school. After spending 4 days at Old Kampala Police Station, the head of Child Family and Protection Unit who knew Caleb contacted him to ask if they had room at the children's home for me."

"I am happy now. I have a place to call home and a family to belong to. There are other sisters in this home who love and treat me like their sister. And we have a good caring and loving house parents in this home I can talk to if I have something to share. Our house parents here have told us that there are other people in America who love and pray for us, they also support us financially so that we can have food, medical care and school fees."

With Abandoned Children's Fund support, Vanessa is a student at Lwadda Primary School. She is in grade three. She is the food and nutrition prefect. (Leader). She wants to become a teacher. Due to the care she has received, Vanessa will never be the same again. I am proud of the progress she is making and her leadership skills and a good spirit towards other kids in the home.