I grew up in central Uganda in a small village in Masaka District. Life was really hard. At only four years old I lost my dad. My mother struggled to have money for our education, medicine, access to clean water, electricity, clothes and even food. Many times we ate only once a day during daylight as we had no kerosene.
Our home was made of mud brick with just one room that we shared with our extended family, there were five people who lived in our home. We used a curtain that separated the space for my mother and the rest of us.
When I was seven years old I was sponsored by an Australian family, who remained my sponsors right up until I was 18 years old.
Being a sponsored child was fantastic for me. It enabled me to continue my schooling, which laid a good foundation for me to study a Diploma in Network Engineering and certifications in Support work.
I corresponded with my sponsors often throughout my sponsorship, I would write about how my mother and I were, what we were doing and how my education was going.
Some years later, I had the opportunity to come to Australia. I knew that whilst I was here I had to meet the kind family who had sponsored me for such a long time.
I was so excited to meet my sponsors but I was also scared about what was going to happen. I was coming from a very small village so to come to the big city of Sydney, on the other side of the world, was very daunting for me. When I landed in Sydney it was night-time, about 7 o`clock, so you could see all the lights of the city. This was something I had never seen before. I had many thoughts rushing through my head, what if they don`t pick me up, what do I do? What if I cannot recognise them?
I did not have to worry though, as soon as I exited the arrivals gate, they were there. They saw me straight away and ran right up to me! They were all so excited to meet me in person.
I am now an Australian citizen and I have my own family, I am trying to be the best dad I can be. For a living I work in IT and Support Work but my real passion is music and drumming. I teach drums and also give singing lessons. I mostly work with people with disabilities which I enjoy. We perform at community events, it is really helping them with their self-expression, social inclusion and self-esteem.
I grew up in difficult circumstances but music was something that was integral to my childhood in Uganda and made us happy. So that is why I wanted to share music with people here too because many people here are stressed as well. So I play drums and people feel happy. I think music really helps your emotional well-being.
My life has changed a lot since I lived in Uganda. As a child my friends and I used to sit on the side of the road and count the cars that would drive by €“ it was only ever four-wheel drives or cows! Now I live in a big, thriving city in Australia and I have everything I need €“ I have my family, food, my house, space, an income and I am happy.
My only reason for telling you my story is that life for me was hard and life for millions of kids in the world is still hard. All I want people to know is that there are children out there that really do need your support. Sponsoring a child does change lives.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ChildFund Australia`s child protection policy does not allow sponsors to bring children out to Australia. After a sponsorship ends, if a sponsor and their former sponsored child wish to stay in contact, this may be possible under special circumstances but only if you have sought consent through ChildFund Australia. Our Supporter Relations team can provide more information on 1800 023 600.
17 October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which this year recognises people living in poverty as critical partners for fighting the development challenges we face.
Child sponsorship has the power to change the life of a family in need. Annet was just six years old when she was sponsored through ChildFund. Here we tell Annet’s story, and discuss the impact child sponsorship had on her childhood, particularly her education.
The youngest of seven children
Annet’s family scraped by on a meagre income, Annet`s father was a farmer, who grew peanuts and maize, and her mother sold fish at the local market.
Growing up in Uganda while Joseph Kony and the LRA were terrorising the country`s north, she faced a difficult and unstable childhood. “I grew up in a lot of different places. My family had to move from our village when I was 8 years old. I stayed behind to live with a neighbour because my parents wanted me to remain in the ChildFund program. Eventually I had to leave when I was 12 because war broke out. I went to live in Soroti town [in eastern Uganda] with various family members.”
How our sponsorship program keeps children in school
Sponsorship gave Annet the opportunity to stay in school. “When I was eight, ChildFund built a new classroom at our school and provided us all with desks. I remember before we used to sit on the floor or study under the trees. When it rained, there were no classes.”
Through sponsorship, her family also received a cow and a few goats, the income from which helped to pay for Annet`s secondary school fees, books and after-school tutoring. “Unfortunately, the goats were stolen from our family during the war,” Annet recalls, “but to this day we still have the offspring from that cow. We still get milk and breed the cows to sell.”
How a quality education provides a brighter future
Having completed her school education, Annet is now studying to become a nurse in Uganda`s capital, Kampala, a career that will enable her to stand on her own two feet.
“I want to work in healthcare because if you have your health, you can do anything. People here lack basic information about the prevention of diseases. I want to be part of the group that helps to educate people.”
How child sponsorship can help break the cycle of poverty
Annet`s story is just one example of how sponsorship can help break the cycle of poverty. In fact, globally, the world has made significant strides in overcoming extreme poverty, reducing by half the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, ahead of the target date set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
“When world leaders agreed the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, many of us thought that they were too ambitious,” says Mark McPeak, ChildFund Australia`s international program director. “Thirteen years later the picture is clear, and we note in particular the achievement of MDG 1 (reducing the global proportion of people living in extreme income poverty by half) in 2010, five years ahead of the MDG target date of 2015.
“This is a significant event in human history, with around 700 million fewer people living in extreme income poverty today than in 1990, according to the United Nations. And even though these numbers are biased significantly by the long period of economic growth experienced in two countries with large populations (China and India), it is to be celebrated.”
Become a child sponsor to help keep children in school
Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to break the cycle of poverty. By keeping children in school, we empower the next generation with the knowledge and skills for a better livelihood.
Becoming a child sponsor is a meaningful way to help the next generation of children escape extreme poverty. Your sponsorship will help your sponsored child stay healthy, succeed in school and thrive in life.
Child sponsorship is a journey, and you can learn more about sponsoring a child through us here. Why sponsor a child? Because every child needs a childhood.
