Day Five - The team leave the drop in centre

So the week is drawing to a close – today is Friday and we’re spending our second-to-last day at the centre with the boys. They don’t usually come in to the drop-in centre at the weekend, but are making an exception for a kids party and what’s sure to be a very sad goodbye on Sunday.

Today the team leader’s hat was handed over to firefighter James Martin for a musical-themed day, he’s the most tuneful of the group by a long way by virtue of being able to play a single instrument and sing without upsetting people. We handed out maracas, tambourines, triangles and whistles to the horror of the Retrak staff and set off on a rendition of ‘I am the Music Man’ in which all the kids copied Jim’s northern accent to brilliant effect.

The boys showed us just how musical they are, to  the point that after an hour the neighbours complained. Everyone stopped, but the banging continued – it was one of our team who had been locked in the medical room the whole time.

In the afternoon we spent time with the boys decorating and personalising their clothes – most of them only have one set of clothes so we spent a few hours fixing them and teaching them to sew. Our lessons obviously weren’t that good as one lad managed to sew his jeans to his underwear.

Quieter activities gave us more chance to communicate with the boys which is still quite difficult as they have about ten words of English at most. We’re getting better at understanding each other though – with a little translation help from the staff. It turns out we’d misunderstood Yared – he has been on the streets here because his mother died, his father found a new partner and as is often the case here , the new couple don’t want any existing children. He doesn’t want to be a builder, but wants to learn to repair mobile phones and dreams of building his own house.

The staff here are amazing. Street kids are viewed by many as a nuisance and so working with them can be met by bewilderment from others in the community. There are teachers, counsellors, a nurse, cooks and a team of social workers. We’ve made firm friends and it clear how passionate they are about their work. The social workers are on the streets at 5:30 each morning and again in the evening talking to street kids and convincing them that Retrak offers a better alternative.

Thursday, November 21, 2013 - Group arrives in Ethiopia

There were 11,000 children living on the streets of Addis Ababa at the last count. Retrak’s mission is to offer these children an alternative; a bed, an education and eventually to reunite them with their families or foster parents.

We are here with 14 colleagues from GMP and GMFRS to witness their work first hand, offer respite to the few staff here in Addis and try to help restore these children’s faith in adults.

We arrived at 1am by our watches, although here it’s 2006, which makes Joe a teenager and Sam slightly closer to 30.  We were greeted at the airport by.. er... nobody - our bus and our driver having never existed.

After a lengthy telephone struggle we sat tight until Kathleen from Retrak UK came to rescue us. We had to rearrange taxis for the group, which meant a fraught semi-argument with about 20 taxis and several men with AK47s. Gary (of GMFRS) helpfully pointed out that these guns had at least two bullets for each of us.

We got in the last taxi and unclenched our sphincters only to discover 20 minutes later that our taxi driver had no clue where the hotel might be, and was himself very lost. Our thoughts of kidnap disappeared by the time the driver resorted to screaming the name of our hotel out of the window at anyone who would listen. An hour later and several off-road detours through rubble we staggered into our 4am beds in the wonderful Ebenezer Guest House (advertised for its ‘safe and quality stairs’ – which it does indeed have).

A 7am start did not feel good. The strongest coffee known to man went some way to help.

Firdaku, our driver for the week, skilfully and seemingly impossibly avoided all collisions on the way across the construction site that is Addis Ababa, bringing us alive to Retrak’s drop-in centre, located right by the bus station, where most children arrive in the city for the first time.

We were greeted by noise, chaos, handshakes, grinning faces, shouts of ‘Salam’ (hello!), friendly shoulder bashes and an almost immediate spontaneous game of football. Football here means everyone chasing a ball, often with one or no shoes, laughing, shouting and kicking until it goes over a wall.

At the moment here, the doors of the centre are open to around 60 young boys, each around 14-16 years old.  Usually it’s a much wider range of ages but the charity has recently been funded by an international research grant which obliges them to focus on this age range for the next three months. The staff here explain that girls are cared for by a sister charity, but they have different needs and there are not many on the streets as they are quickly swept up into prostitution or domestic slavery.

We were taken into the classroom for a briefing from Lynn, Retrak Country Director, about the do’s, don’ts, cultural expectations and generally how to properly interact and safeguard the kids, then spent much of the rest of the afternoon playing every ball game at once and getting to know the lads. Three hours of tennis-badminton-basket-football later we headed back to the hotel elated.

After dinner we were picked up for the night bus tour, which was easily the single most harrowing thing either of us have ever experienced.

It’s hard to really do it justice with words. We drove through the roads which are usually used by street children, many of whom don’t ever sleep at night for fear of abuse or violence. It was like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie; piles of tiny sleeping bodies, piles of rubble and young girls outside brothels.

The sheer number of kids we saw on the street was staggering. The disparity between those scenes and the happy children we spent the afternoon with was a shock, and really drove home the importance of the work that Retrak do.

Joe Hulme and Sam Pickles

Friday, Novmeber 8, 2013 - Dancing and lunch for 121 children!

What a brilliant end to a brilliant week! Today was our last full day of activities and interaction with the kids (although we will be popping in tomorrow) before most of the group fly home.

We have spent the full day at the Tiger club which is the original drop-in centre in Kampala. The day started with some games involving mime as not all of the kids speak English as we don't speak Lugandan. This created many laughs with the highlight being Sir Peter Fahy the GMP Chief Constable doing the Gangnam Style dance! The way Sir Peter is with the children and the way he is with us, has to be admired. He is not afraid to sing, dance and make a fool of himself and for that I have a huge respect.

After the games we all went with the children and the staff to a local football pitch. I say football pitch but in reality it was an area of dirt with some welded together metal acting as goals. It is only a five-minute walk from the centre but when we arrived the atmosphere was very different. Lots of people following us and watching to see what was happening and where we were going.

A gentleman wearing a helmet, swimming goggles and a huge coat followed us and decided to expose himself to some of the group! Just a general feeling of uncomfortableness came over me for the first time on either this or last year's trip. This feeling soon left me.

We organised a huge football tournament with the kids from the centre and other kids who had come to play as they do every Friday. Retrak use football as an "Outreach". An outreach is where kids come, play and interact with the Retrak staff giving the staff the opportunity to talk to them and offer help if needed! This is done so very well.

After the tournament all the kids are sat down and it is explained to them how football can help them! It gives them exercise, helps them make friends and teaches them teamwork and respect (for the referee). The staff then introduce Retrak and get some of the kids currently staying at the centre to explain the benefits to the new kids. We finished by praying together and then all 121 kids plus staff members and volunteers went back to the centre to enjoy lovely lunch.

Retrak play football at that pitch every Friday and then on the first Friday of each month invite boys not staying at the centre for lunch. This gives Retrak the opportunity to get the names and ages of the new boys and starts to breakdown emotional barriers. After lunch we had a huge Ugandan disco where everyone sang and danced for hours. Everyone was laughing and joking and the problems these kids face seemed so far away.

You will remember, from a previous blog, me talking about a little boy called Omar who I met last year. As I explained, Omar is unfortunately back living on the streets after a couple of attempts to reintroduce him to his family. Omar came to football and to lunch today and it was amazing to see him again. The staff were telling me how Omar has very different problems to a lot of the other kids. He is a fantastic dancer and feels that he can do better for himself on the streets. He is currently dancing on the streets and getting tips from people. He seems to think that this will lead him to fame and fortune and has previously been encouraged by other boys to find a way to get to America to fulfil his dream. I prey that he does catch a break and that in a few years he is making millions of pounds and staring on MTV. The reality is though his chances are very very slim and a better life would be receiving proper education with a stable family.

However, today we revived lots of positive news on some of the boys we met last year. Of the six we asked about, five had returned home and were now back in school and living with their families once more! Tonight we are going out for a meal with all of the staff who work for Retrak here in Uganda and formally end our week. It's difficult to sum up the week. It has been a real mix of emotions and thoughts.

Seeing the developments that Retrak in Uganda have made in 12 months only drives me to raise more funds for this fantastic charity. I am aware of the stigma that many charities have but I can assure you that all money is being used to the best of their ability and they are reaching out and helping as many kids as they can! There are so many children in so many countries that need help. As I said earlier in the week we are just scratching the surface here in Uganda but if we keep scratching away eventually we will get there and ensure all kids deserve the chance and opportunities that they deserve!

Retrak provide the love, support, medical care, sports, friends and guidance that any child could want! They really are making a difference!

Adam

Thursday, November 7, 2013 – Tudabuja, Lake Victoria

Today is the day I have been looking forward to since I found out I was coming back to Uganda!

Tudabuja is the halfway house for the Retrak charity. During the kids' time at one of the two drop-in centres in Kampala, the staff start to rebuild their confidence in adults and themselves. Once a child's social workers think that they are ready for the next level they move to the halfway house.

This is the next phase of their Retrak journey where they are welcomed into a family setting, receive schooling, and learn life skills such as cooking, cleaning and farm skills.

On arriving at Tudabuja, each child is assigned to a cottage and a Mama. It is through the tutoring and stewardship of this Mama that they really change. The children we have met at each of the drop-in centres are still street children in terms of their actions and thoughts. They would still be tempted to grab anything of value they could get their hands on and run to the nearest slum to sell it.

However, there is a noticeable difference in the kids at the halfway house. They have begun to learn the rights and wrongs in life. They are polite, considerate and well mannered. They are receiving regular, structured education and that tells in the way they speak to you.

As well as a school, Tudabuja also has a farm consisting of pigs, goats, chickens and a cow. Alongside these animals are fruits and vegetables that each child is able to spend time cultivating and sell to local villagers. The money they make is kept for them and given back when they return home to their families and can be used for school fees or new clothes etc. The farming skills they learn alongside their schooling means that when they return home they have the skills to work and provide money for the family and the knowledge to go straight back to school to continue their education.

The halfway house is set in the country, surrounded by a few local villages. It overlooks the stunning and picturesque Lake Victoria and provides a peaceful and tranquil environment for the children to grow and fulfil the potential that each of them undoubtedly has.

The staff at Tudabuja do an amazing job and sacrifice a lot of their own life to support the kids! The Mamas work 24 hours a day for 5 days and then get 4 days off to spend with their own families. They teach, support and counsel the kids and are the people they turn to in their time of need!

Teacher Michael deserves a special mention! He is without doubt the most positive, supportive and loving person I have ever met. He is creative and exuberant, passionate and caring. The children all love him and the level or trust and respect they show him is a credit to the hard work he puts in! Tudabuja holds a very special place in my heart. I think that this is because it reminds me of a place I spent a lot of time as a child that every time I think of makes me smile.

I hope that the children who are lucky enough to spend time at Tudabuja feel the same way at the halfway house as I do about my "special place".

Adam

Yesterday we spent our last day with the children at the new centre Bulamu, which was quite an emotional roller coaster! The girls in our group were given the privilege of sitting with the girls at the centre in a private group.

The young girls at the centre chose to share their stories of why and how they had ended up on the streets, which was heartbreaking. One girl told us about being threatened with murder and then being hung from a tree by a rope, being told to swallow poison and then eventually forced into prostitution to pay her way. This girl was only 15-years-old and all of her abuse was because of her father and stepmother, which was shocking to say the least.

The girls were so brave and some of the group then did a pamper session with them painting their nails and giving them hair accessories etc. Their faces were a picture with the biggest beaming smiles!

We spent the rest of the day dancing in the rain with all of the children for hours, which was so uplifting until we had to say goodbye. The children cried then we cried more! An emotional yet fantastic day all round!

Today was great to visit the halfway home and see the huge difference in the children there with brilliant structure and classroom activities not to mention the love they are shown by the mamas and papas who look after them.

I worked with the girls from Reclaim to do some sessions on self-esteem with the children. We asked them what they wanted from home once they are reunited and the answers were very humbling 'to have my mother love me and I will love her back' and 'to go to school and have my health'.

Again, the children danced all afternoon and put the English to shame with their brilliant dance moves and rhythm! Another fantastic day in Uganda – a country full of smiles and wonderful children!

Laura

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 - Team get a warm welcome in Baluga!

It wouldn't matter if you visited a Retrak project 10 times, you still cannot prepare yourself emotionally for some of the things you see and stories you hear.

All these kids want and need is a chance. They are so intelligent and hardworking, it is staggering! We have met kids who want to be lawyers or pastors and undoubtedly have the capability to do it...if they had a chance. Even if the Retrak programme succeeds and they are returned home to their families the reality is that there probably won't be the finances available to support their education.

They all have harrowing stories to tell and some with share them with you. Today the ladies in the group spent some time with the young girls and their stories have rocked the group. Very young girls being tied up in trees, threats to kill, beatings, sexual abuse...the list is endless!

To see these kids happy and loved within the safety of the Retrak centre fills me with joy and makes all the hard work of fundraising worthwhile.

Adam

Guest blog by Phil Jackson:

Adam has asked me to do a 'guest blog' which for those of you that know me is not my kind of thing, I would normally just put my name on something someone else had wrote for us both, but on this occasion I said I would like to so here goes...

The day started early with the taxi ride, I have never been in a vehicle bigger than a people carrier with 16 people plus bags! The traffic out here can only be described as madness! There are no rules, if the traffic is bad motorbikes use the pavement, there is no give way to the right on a roundabout it is just a free-for-all!

We arrive in Baluga to a warm welcome by the children and also the staff by this point the temperature was exceeding anything I have ever experienced in England at the height of summer and it's only 9am. Most of the centre still needed the second coat of paint to finish then we could have an afternoon with the kids playing football etc. So we decided to crack on early doors and get it done!

Then came lunch - rice, potatoes, beef (they only have meat once a week) and also a fish heads an innards soup… of course I tried it!

After lunch we were asked to give the staff some fire safety training, coving how to use fire extinguishers and basic fire drills and then it was out with the kids playing dodgeball, football and dancing! Every kid in Africa has amazing rhythm and I looked like Peter Crouch on a bad day - but they did like the robot.  The African storms then hit us immense heat and also rain like I have never seen before but it did not stop us the football, dancing continued!

Then we were all asked to come into the main part of the building where we had painted the previous day this room is where the kids sleep at night with a small piece of foam on the floor which then gets removed by day to make way for a classroom! When we were all sat down the kids and staff from the centre joined us, they had prepared us a poem about love, three of the kids presented it to us and it was very touching. These kids have had no love in their lives but have found some at the Retrak centres! Then the kids presented us with a thank you gift they had made! A plaque to GMFRS and GMP!

Then came the emotional part of the day saying goodbye, with children clinging onto your arms and legs asking if you will return and if you can take them home with you, maybe one of the hardest and most emotional experiences of my life and the next two days will be the same as we say goodbye to more kids we have developed a relationship with over the last week!

To sum up my view Africa is an amazing country with amazing people! But with massive problems no child should have to worry about where they are sleeping at night and where their next drink will come from.

Phil Jackson