Sometimes, the pictures speak better than words, so we are simply letting you enjoy the beautiful pictures and the children’s smiles.
I should do a better job at updating the website, but the workload is so huge and I am alone. The main focus is to feed the children.
Since the beginning of the year, each day without a single pause, we have been feeding an average of 30 children per day. We also take up medical cases now – of children and adults coming to us with their last hope, suffering from various maladies. We do our best to help them, and so far we have succeeded.
Our aim, our single aim is to improve and save lives – according to each situation that is presented to us. Many people have it on their bucket list. “Save someone’s life!” What if I told you that a simple donation of 10 euros can save a child’s life? Because 10 euros translates into about 15 kg of grains, that can be used to feed a small child for a month.
In Uganda, there currently is a very strict lockdown. People are forced to stay at home, they cannot go to work. While we cannot disagree with the decisions of the law, we know that before dying of Covid, people will starve to death in their houses. They cannot work in the fields, they cannot go fishing, everything is forbidden. Some children survive on contaminated water, insects and cattle food.
Africa is there, far away, and I am here, in my comfortable little apartment, having a job, enough food and everything those people cannot even imagine. I cannot let them starve to death, no matter how much effort it takes. It takes a huge toll on my emotional balance, because I have no detachment; it torments me to see children or elderly suffering from malnutrition, so thin that there is barely some skin covering their fragile bones.
Do you want to save a life? Do you have just some spare change – but you want to make a difference? Do it. I will show you the results.
This child, Kidumbulu, is the one who determined us to build a Clinic! He is our inspiration.
Many of our children received a lot of food today. I am grateful to all the wonderful people that are feeding them and making them smile. Those children have a better life thanks to people like you and me. Do not imagine that there are very rich people among our sponsors. No. Simple people, living simple lives in modesty and kindness, and who share with others – because, as Maria says – they know how it feels to have… nothing.
A regular day at HOCT 
Packages – about 40 boxes!
Namukuve Mercy is getting ready to resume school. She has received notebooks and nice shoes.
Iwumbwe Hashiru has received his food.
Mafuta, one of our older (and very hardworking) boys has also received his food.
Mpakibi, in pink dress, is smiling! She needed 8 months to learn.Kato Ashim has received his food and talked to his long-distance mother, who was at hairdresser’s. Happy, joyous moments! Kato was a star!
Mutesi Zamuda has received her food.
So have Edrine and Patricia, who are brothers and members of Lovisa family, who has received wonderful support from all the dear friends here.
Nankangwa Mable has received a jerrycan for water.
Nakaziba Patience, a girl with a very beautiful name, has also received her food.
A good day is that in which children have enough food, and reasons to smile.
Food, medicines, clothes, books, toys… everyday joys for the children in our care!
Nankangwa Mable, with a vacation exercise pack
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Magata Rahim, one of our HIV-positive children
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Kidumbulu Nasifu – a child who has learnt how to smile
A few days ago, a very ill child was brought to us – lethargic, barely conscious, with a swollen abdomen and extreme difficulty in breathing: sickle cell disease, combined with malaria.
He was admitted into our hospital and treated by our formidable doctor.
He made it. And for such results, all our efforts are worthwile!
After having acquired such great help for the Babirye and Namugaya Families, this week we are featuring another family in great difficulty. Quite honestly, I am trembling for this family, as they “do not seem” poor when you first look, and most of the people do not take a second look.
In the Atito family there are 4 members:
A grandmother with 3 boys – 3 very underweight boys, who have nothing but the walls of the house. I have sent them a bag of maize, but I doubt they have anything to cook in.
They need support with a lot of things:
This is not going to be easy. We will feature this case for two weeks.
Take a look at the pictures and videos, observe their state of poverty, their state of health and see how underweight they are – look at their arms and legs.
Why help a child in Africa? It so happens that at some point in our life, we come across something that resonates with us so profoundly that we cannot look away. When we first saw the children in Mugoya’s care, we knew that we will go along with him and support him in each and every single endeavour – because seeing a child being lifted from the most horrible condition and helped to become a beautiful flower – this is a feeling without equal.
When we joined HOCT back in February 2019, there were only 8 kids who had sponsors. It has been a long journey, but keeping up the good work made us gain people’s trust; thus, at the end of last year we had sponsors for all our 29 kids. Adopting a child from Uganda transforms your life completely: you are not only a long-distance parent, but you also became a member of HOCT community. Our organisation developed so much within the past six months, that now we are helping 80 children! Only imagine how wide HOCT Family is, with good-hearted people from Australia, Malta, Romania, UK, USA, all brought together by the will of helping children in need.
We do a lot of things at Help One Child Thrive. We work hard to ensure that the children have clothes to wear, food to eat – and in good quantities, so that they gain weight – also that they have clean water and perhaps a toy. When they get ill, we take them to the doctor and good people pay for their treatment. We pair one good-willing adult with one child and let them become to each other what they are meant to be: parent and daughter / son.
Last week was a different kind of week for us. We have found two families in extremely difficult condition – Babirye Family and Namugaya Family. Both, single mothers with two small children. Furthermore, Babirye was very ill, with extreme deformation of the spine and difficulties breathing, whose children were the result of abuse. The children in both families had not eaten for days and were feeling weaker and weaker. We did what we knew best: good, documented action-plans, and then we presented the cases to the public.
The answer was beyond our expectations and both families received a lot of help: mattresses, bedsheets, blankets and mosquito nets (extremely important to protect against malaria), shoes, slippers, clothes, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and, most important, bags of flour, vegetables and eggs. We also managed to cover rent for two months from donations.
The two families were absolutely stunned at the sight of the things they had received. “I have never seen so many things, ever,” Babirye said, whose house was empty, save for some dirty scraps on which the girls were sleeping. She had never lost hope, even in the most difficult moments of her life, she had always believed that one day, her future will change – and she was proven right. Not losing hope is what ultimately keeps us alive. Babirye’s two daughters are named Gift and Favour.
The Namugaya Family’s two daughters showed courage beyond words and they are only 3, respectively 4 years old. The oldest girl came to our office and fell on her knees, begging for help. Our entire team believes firmly that no child should ever be put in the situation of begging. We deployed emergency funds for them and bought them food, and later on our beautiful community offered them mattresses, blankets, bedsheets, mosquito nets, shoes, charcoal and more food. Each child even got a doll. It is not the most extraordinary doll you will see, but at least they will feel like children who can play freely, and not like children who must run about on the streets to ensure their daily living.
There is always hope, and it is well worth holding on to it. Look at this little child, hugging her new shoes (she has never even had a pair of slippers).
We often take our lifestyle for granted, while for a child like them even having clean water is luxury. They sleep on a rough mat made of banana fiber, which sits directly on the floor: no blankets, no bedsheets, no pillow. Electricity is rare and even those who afford to pay for it experience daily blackouts. Hunger is everywhere and real toys are something they can only dream of.
Take a look at the pictures below, and see the difference that our team and extended family has made in their lives. They will be well. From now on, they will only flourish. Be glad that there is still kindness and love and generosity in our wounded world.
Diana SĂSĂRMAN
Veronica ANGHELESCU
Mugoya SWALIKI
Help One Child Thrive 