Josephine's Story

Josephine w/ her Aunt

A very serious Josephine w/ her new toys thanks to CNU Leadership Class

If you can't already tell from the pictures, Josephine's Aunt and Uncle have added quite the personality to their already large family.  Josephine went home to live with her Paternal Aunt and Uncle in December.  She has adjusted so well to life at home and is still the same stubborn, "I only smile when I want to smile" little girl she was 6 months ago.  When we visit, she runs to her Aunt, and is hesitant to greet us.  To be honest, we LOVE to see this.  We love to see kids making secure attachments to their caregivers.  For us, it is a good sign that Josephine doesn't run to greet us.  She is weary of the faces she associated to a life before she had a family.

Josephine's Mother died while giving birth to her.  Her Father was in the village, left to grieve with a new baby girl he had no way to provide for.  Like most Father's in his situation, he was desperate and didn't have anywhere else to turn but probation, who would then place his daughter in an orphanage.  Our vision and our heart is to create a program that will work to prevent this separation from having to ever happen in the first place.

We want to create a safe place for at-risk caregivers.  Fathers who have lost their wives in child birth.  Single Mothers with no place to go.  Extended family members who love their child(ren) but have no way to financially support them.  We believe in the strength and resiliency we have seen in the Ugandan people. We are encouraged and motivated by the success we have already seen in the reunification process. We believe that through empowering and strengthening families, fewer children will have to grow up in orphanages unnecessarily.  We believe that extreme poverty will no longer have to be the reason caregivers are separated from children that they love.

-Kelsey