“I am going to be an important man one day. I believe it!” – Soroti City Mission

In partnership with Saving Arms Foundation whose mission is to rescue, reconcile and resettle, African Evangelistic Enterprise Uganda, and the local church organized a fellowship that brought evangelists together to share the gospel, engage in various activities such as football, sack race and other sport activities, and ultimately share a hot plate of pilau and soda with young people in Soroti, viewed as the future leaders and industry players.

The Soroti Freedom boys and girls features children, teens and young adults as young as four years old to as old as twenty-five who have been living on the streets. They are vibrant, energetic and full of promise. These were the target for the mission outreach.

Samuel and Moses shared their stories, including the hardships of the streets, where Samuel spent six years of his life on the unforgiving streets while Moses was a resident for just over 15 years.

“Both my parents died in a car accident when I was finishing form three. That was a tough period for my four siblings and I. Up until that moment, we had lived well. We were educated, fed, clothed and had a roof over our heads, we had parents who loved and took care of us. But life is sometimes cruel. They were taken away from us and when we turned to our relatives, they just took in my four siblings and told me that I was old enough to take care of myself. Luckily around that time, I met a well wisher who sponsored my remaining two years in high school, and then I enrolled at St. Kizito to undergo a certificate level course in Electrical Installation. In college, life was still extremely difficult, I relied on friends and classmates to get basic food items and even soap to shower and clean my clothes, but I was determined to pursue my education. Upon completion, my sponsor said that things had become difficult for him and he could not take me any further.

We were educated, fed, clothed and had a roof over our heads, we had parents who loved and took care of us. But life is sometimes cruel.

By then I had already joined the freedom boys and girls, and the streets had become my home as I had nowhere else to go. The school had asked me for 100,000 Shillings so as to release my certificate to me. I did not have that money and it frustrated me because I had friends who work with various companies who told me that was the only thing hindering my getting employment with them. But I did not want to spend the rest of my life on the streets, and so through borrowing here and there, I managed to get a loan of 90,000 shillings and set up a small business selling alcohol and cigarettes to help me get off the streets. It was at this time I approached my friend Moses who had become like a brother to me and told him to come and live with him. I convinced him that the street life is not good and there was no hope by staying there. And that is how we ended up living in a single room with a mat on the floor for a bed. He ended up getting a job as a garbage collector earning 1,000 shillings a day and we decided to combine what we earn to see if it can better our lives. Through what we both bring in, we are able to pay our rent, have at least one solid meal a day and get some clothes to wear.

Today when Moses told me that there was a meeting of Freedom boys and girls, I did not want to attend initially. But he convinced me, and so we went, and I am glad I did. When the preacher was sharing the word, I desired the rest she was talking about, because I know that life has more to offer, and I know that I am going to be an important person one day, I believe it! When she had finished and asked if anyone wanted a personal relationship with God, I was among the first to raise my hand. I do not know what will happen next, but I believe I have made the right decision. I am grateful for the evangelists who took their time to listen to me and even go out of their way to come and see my little business and home as well, no one has done that before. I believe through their prayers and mine as well, someone might come and help me and my brother achieve our dreams. May God bless you!

Such wonderful stories coming in from the mission field in Uganda. Please consider partnering with AE through prayer and giving, to reach more souls in need of encouragement and the good news of Christ!