Lema Hope Centre is a Street Children project located in Busia, Uganda. The project started in December 2023 and so far has twenty five boys and girls between the ages of 5-18. The centre is managed by Apio Ruth Makoha under the supervision of Wejuli Fred, the director of LEMA (Life Edifying Ministries Africa). There are two other staff who take care of the children Vincent Okedi, a local pastor and his wife Beersheba.
Funding
We give thanks to our sponsors who give us funds every quarter. The funds that we receive are used in different activities both at the centre and at schools where the children study. Some of the examples of the activities that we spend money on are:
- Installation and maintenance of security cameras at the centre (this is a government requirement).
- Buying of food for the children at the centre since it is one of the reasons that made most of them to run to the streets to look for something to eat because where they were they did not have food.
- Payment of school costs which includes meals and administrative costs to enable them study without disturbance.
- Purchase of scholastic materials like books, pens, pencils, rubbers, reams of paper, brooms, toilet papers, payment of money for firewood and grinding.
- Payment of the LEMA Hope Centre rent, water bills, and power bills.
- Purchase of stationery for use at the centre and medicine for First Aid.
- Purchase of utensils, plates, cups, toothpaste, shoe polish, skin lotion.
Education
We have 14 children who are studying at Madibira primary school and the remaining 10 are in other neighboring schools. One child (Agala J) is doing a vehicle mechanics course, and the project paid his fees of 1,500,000 UGX. All the children depend on the project for full support of their education requirements – clothing, food, medication, shelter, books, pens, pencils, reams of paper etc. All the children who are at school did their promotional exams to the next class, apart from the one who is not at school who is doing vehicle mechanics.
Activities carried out at the LEMA Hope Centre:
- Offer Life skills to the children.
- Bible study, teaching of the scriptures in the Bible.
- Offering behavioral change sessions.
- Hold fellowships with the children.
- Sanitation and hygiene sessions.
- Training them to know how to pray.
- Carrying out dramas, memory verses, singing in church.
- Training them on house chores like cooking, washing clothes, cleaning the house and compound.
- Career guidance.
The activities have led to an observed change in behaviour:
- The children no longer fight and abuse each other but instead express love to each other as brothers and sisters.
- The children can memorize the bible verses.
- The children have learnt to pray, preach, praise and worship.
- The children have learnt hand work and drawing.
We have centre days where we share the word of God, praise, worship, eat together, play together and also do cleaning work and cooking together.
LEMA Hope Centre achievements
- Registered Lema Hope Centre at the District Community Development office.
- Opened up a Lema Hope Centre bank account.
- 24 children were enrolled to school and one in vocational training.
- Paid the school fees for food and utility fee and bought school requirements like books, pens, pencils, rubbers, toilet paper, brooms, reams of paper etc.
- Installation of security cameras at the centre.
- Behavioural change sessions and seeing the children are changing in behavior.
- Payment of salaries to two staff who take care of the children at the centre.
- Payment of rent for the children’s premises.
- Learnt art work and hand work.
- The children passed to go to the next classes.
- Centre days have helped the children to grow spiritually, psychologically and physically.
- Learnt to be clean and also stay in a clean environment
- The children have learnt to read, write and also speak English.
- The children have learnt to cook ,wash clothes, clean the compound, sweep, mop and do gardening.
- Dedication service of all LEMA Hope Centre children by Phil Arbon.
Challenges facing the LEMA Hope Centre
- In situations where there are more serious or complicated health problems the cost of health care can be very difficult.
- Price fluctuations – the food prices keep on increasing and it sometimes exceeds the price budgeted for.
- The full dependence of the children on the project for complete support – we have children who came with only the clothes they were wearing and they are depending on the project.
- School Holidays can be difficult as the children then need midday meals as well and yet meals are planned for basing on the number of meals to be consumed at the centre.
- High utility bills for water and power, the water bills exceed what was earlier planned for.
- There is no free education. We have many costs to pay at school including school meals which keep on changing basing on the food prices.
- The need for other school items like reams of paper every year, shoes, uniforms books, pens, mathematical sets, files etc.
- The need for holiday tuition fee to enable the children learn in holidays.
- Some children have higher school fees to pay. For example, the ones who are joining primary seven the schools are insisting that they have to board or stay at school.
