Watoto Children's Villages

Last Wednesday, we were given the opportunity to take a day off of work and tour the Watoto Children's villages with one of the volunteer supervisors.  It was such a blessing to see first hand Watoto's holistic approach to raising these orphans. 

To date, Watoto is raising 2,354 children in three different villages and three babies homes.  I know from working at the Bulrushes that this statistic is growing day by day as there is not one week that passes that we don't see at least 2 or 3 new faces.  Is that not an astounding statistic?  What a miracle that the Lord has blessed Watoto with the funds, leadership, and wisdom to grow such a ministry that can care for so many of these vulnerable children.  God is truly doing great things through this ministry.

Two of these villages are located within an hour of Kampala, Subbi and Bbirra.  Most of the babies we work with at the Bulrushes will most likely be sent to one of these two.  The other is located about 4 hours away in Gulu, a city that bore the brunt of the civil war.  The village and babies home in Gulu focus on trauma rehabilitation for the former child soldiers of the LRA.   Sadly, because it is so far away, we were not given the opportunity to visit the village in Gulu, but I’m really hoping to go and visit on one of our days off.

When a child moves into one of these villages they are placed with a “momma” and a family of seven other children that they will live with for the duration of their childhood.  A child is not placed with a family until they are at least 2 years old.  The houses are placed in “clusters” that function as little neighborhoods.  Each village has multiple schools, a church and a clinic.  These children will stay at the village with the same siblings and mother until they are 18, when Watoto will then pay for them to attend a 4 year University.   

The Watoto home model.  Built for 8 children and one mother.

The homes have 2 rooms for the children, 4 beds in each.  It was a very tight squeeze! 

P.S. can you imagine hand washing laundry for 8 children?! aye yay yay.

One of the "clusters"

It was breathtaking to see the Ugandan countryside.  It is so lush and hilly.  It was impossible for me to look at this landscape and not immediately think of Psalm 104, a Psalm that I read only a few days before the tour.

 Many Ugandans ask me to tell them the differences between Uganda and Texas, and that is always the first thing I mention.  Uganda is hilly and green, Texas is brown and flat.  Almost all of their immediate responses have been "so why do you live there?"

Subbi Babies Home