Day 5: Visiting St. Jude Children's Home

June 19, 2024

DAY 5: VISITING WITH ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S HOME

Icoo maber!

Today we visited St. Jude’s Children’s Home, just a few steps from Lacor Hospital. St. Jude’s provides a safe and welcoming place to vulnerable children in Gulu and beyond! As soon as we arrived, we were immediately greeted with a flood of smiling faces and hugs from the kids. One even asked me to pick him up, and they were all so excited to see us.

Afterward, we met with the director of the home, the accountant, and three social workers to learn more about how the place works and why it is so important. Sharon, one of the social workers, was so gracious as to give us a tour of the area. We visited the shop of the children’s home, where we bought beautiful handmade skirts, jewelry, bags, and more. We also purchased acholi books, and Sharon even gave Evelyn and I a quick lesson on the basics

We were then toured around the food storage and production facilities at St. Jude’s by its manager, who showed us the containers of food, the machinery for preparing food, and the livestock that produce dairy and eggs for the children.

Then Sharon led us around the classrooms, and we got to play with the adorable little babies in the nursery. We also saw the homes in which the mothers of the home take in and care for children who are too young to live in the lodging areas. They were all incredibly kind and generous, and the children were just as sweet. Sadly, many of the children at St. Jude’s have been abandoned, rejected, or orphaned, some because they are disabled. St. Jude’s creates an inclusive environment by integrating children of different abilities in school, housing, and more. And lastly, we visited the chapel, which was painted by our friend, the talented artist Franco. Franco has murals all across the property, that pay homage to important figures in its history and culture. Then it was time to take a break for lunch. The children were excited to see us again, and wanted us to stay so much that they chased the bus out of the gate, smiling and waving.

When we returned, we brought activities for the kids to play with us. We popped bubbles, played twister, handed out candy and got the chance to practice our Acholi! The children were extremely happy to see us and were begging us to pick them up, dance with them, spin them around, and push them on the swings. We were sad to leave them but are excited to return on Friday to play with them again!

Apwoyo matek, or thank you so much for reading!

Lily Quintanilla

Social Promise Youth