My Story

In 1997, at age 9, Samuel lost his father to HIV/AIDS.  Later that year, his mother also succumbed to the disease.  After the death of his parents, Samuel was taken in by a distant relative, who was “very harsh,” did not provide Samuel with basic necessities and treated him “like an enemy, an outsider.”  Samuel could no longer afford to go to school and, after only less than one year with his guardian, he was forced out of the house and onto the street.

For nearly three years, Samuel was homeless, one of Busia’s many street kids.  During this time, Samuel  scavenged through piles of garbage for food, sold metal scraps for less than 30 cents per day, slept in alleys or on store verandas in a sack used for carrying beans.  Often abused by passerby and beaten by the police for sleeping outside, Samuel was completely abandoned by his community. 

In December of 2002, Samuel found work as a porter for the construction of a new charity organization: New Hope Africa Children Ministries.  When New Hope’s founder, Ken Mulago, noticed Sameul laboring at a construction site he asked Samuel why a young boy like himself was not at school.  After hearing Samuel recount his ordeal, Ken brought him in as one of the first orphans supported by New Hope.

Samuel is now under the full care of New Hope.  He has taken on a leadership role among the young people at New Hope.  Despite being many years behind in school, Samuel dreams of finishing his secondary school education and studying medicine at Makerere University in Kampala.  He is passionate about becoming a surgeon and returning to Busia to help the hundreds of street kids that remain without a home. 

Samuel has already found a sponsor.  Please select another child to sponsor. Thank you.