By Benedict Mukoni
Missionary Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles are making a profound impact in the lives of underserved children and teenagers in Jinja district Uganda who reside in different Jinja slums.
It is a quiet plight where the children are residing in Masese, kikaramoja, walukuba and mpumudde slums have to go through. These slums are homes to thousands of people in poorly planned and overcrowded settlements with inadequate housing, water supply and sanitation. These conditions lead to extreme poverty, poor health and lack of education.
On her arrival in Uganda, Sr. Rajani, SRA saw the children from these different slums and felt called to respond to their needs even though she didn’t know how. She narrates;
“I saw the children on streets begging, it touched my heart and I felt the call to do something. I didn’t know exactly what to do and especially that as a congregation, at a time, we were more involved in women empowerment. This disturbed me for 3 years that I was doing nothing about these children and finally, I made a decision to talk to my superior who gave me a go forward”
By this time, Sr. Rajani had received some money that she could begin with. On 1st April 2025 she gathered the 1st group of children. Her previous inquire about why these children left their homes had revealed that they leave in search for food. This is why Sr. Rajani started by giving them food. Only after they had eaten did she start teaching them the English basics like the Alphabet. And other activities like dancing.
She started with 25 children aged 6-14 and the number on the daily basis has grown to around 65 including 30 teenage mothers. The sisters do not accommodate these children, they come in the morning, start with a cup of porridge, dive into the days program and have a meal in the afternoon and a small snack before leaving. She also provides a place where they can take a bath and change into clean clothes that come from well-wishers and invites others to contribute in kind especially food staff and other utilities like soap.
According to Sr. Rajani, they live each day at a time, not knowing whether she will have something for the children when they come the following day, but also fearing that if she fails to feed the, they will return to the streets. The fear does not take away her hope that the well wishers who keep on contributing small things are sustaining her initiative and that God will not abandon her and the children.
The new challenge that she is facing, some among these children have started requesting her to help them join a formal school which is understandable, some were in school at one time but dropped out due to unavoidable circumstances at home. Sr. Rajani also hopes that some of them will join technical schools where they can learn some skills to sustain them and their families.
Sr. Anisha Fernandes, also a Missionary Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles is currently serving as a head teacher at St. Mary’s Secondary School, the same Campus with Fr. Bodwig Nursery and Primary School in Masese slums, Jinja district.
Sr. Anisha says it has offered her a good opportunity to take care of the children, who don’t know about the value of education in the area. “Being here has offered me the opportunity to impart knowledge to the parents of our students as well.”
“All these students and pupils who come from the slums need our support, listening ear and values inculcated into them to help them behave well and become responsible people in their communities, society and the world at large.” Sr. Anisha noted.
According to Mr. Nathan Okurut, a teacher at St. Mary’s Senior Secondary School, Sisters have fought hard to make sure that learners in the neighboring communities benefit from the school. They even provide them with basic needs like food and clothes. Teachers are appreciated and motivated as well in form of gifts.
“Before Sisters joined the school, most pupils and students were on streets, abusing drugs but now the school has totally transformed most of them.” Mr. Okurut revealed.
Frank Oranjo, a student at St. Mary’s Secondary School is delighted to join the school because he has experienced love, care and almost everything from the administration run by Sisters that other children who are out of the school have not experienced.
Nangobi Francisca, a student at the school notes that she has established a good foundation and she appreciates her teachers and administrators, who enabled her to pass well.
Because of St. Mary’s Secondary School where Sisters administer, Waiswa Derrick’s hope was restored because Sisters would pay his school fees sometimes. He adds that Sisters are loving and interactive with all of them. Derrick extended his appreciation to Sr. Anisha, who did everything to see to it that he attains good education
Sr. Anisha is grateful for serving as the administrator at the school and for offering an opportunity to these students and people in the community at large who are benefiting from her services.
