The Naguru Reception Center has raised concerns over the increasing number of homeless children in its care, according to Esther Nyamahunge, a probation and welfare officer who also heads the facility.
Originally built to accommodate 35 children, the center is now home to 88, comprising 61 boys and 27 girls. This rise in numbers prompted the Rotary Club of Kololo to construct a new building that now houses a clinic and a girls’ dormitory.
Under the supervision of the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the center provides temporary care for vulnerable children aged two to 17. These include children who are lost, abandoned, trafficked, neglected, or whose parents are in prison, have special needs, or are unable to access care. Street children are also among those given shelter.
While receiving a donation of paint worth Shs 25 million from Plascon recently, Nyamahunge noted the center’s high turnover.
“In the past year, we discharged about 30 children and received about the same number,” she said.
“Sometimes we get as many as five children in a day. There was a time we received 43 children in a single day. It depends on circumstances such as abuse cases or major public gatherings such as the recent Martyrs day where lost children were brought here by police.”
Santosh Gumte, managing director of Kansai Plascon Uganda, reiterated the company’s commitment to community support.
“We were approached by the Rotary Club of Kololo to help paint the Naguru Reception Center. We responded with a donation worth Shs 25 million. We hope this beautifies the center and creates a more hygienic and welcoming environment for the children,” he said.
Gumte added that after touring the facility and seeing the extensive work done by the Rotary Club of Kololo, they felt proud to be associated with the project. Dominic Tumwesigye, the vice president of the Rotary Club of Kololo, reiterated their dedication to the center.
“We appreciate Plascon’s support. This isn’t their first time stepping in. Their predecessors also contributed greatly. We have been involved with this center since 1989 and have carried out several development projects,” he said.
Charles Turyamureba, one of the founding members of the Rotary Club of Kololo, shared the club’s long-standing commitment.
“With support from Rotary International and Uganda’s corporate sector, we’ve undertaken several projects from building a perimeter wall and a girls’ dormitory, to introducing a dairy cow project to improve nutrition,” he said.
“We’re closely engaged with the center’s management and visit regularly. Every year, we host a Christmas party to ensure the children feel loved. Many of them come from difficult backgrounds some are orphans, others are simply destitute,” he added.